Solvay has launched a growth platform focused on renewable materials and biotechnology, complementing existing ones in battery materials, green hydrogen and thermoplastic composites. This will focus on developing sustainable products for multiple markets using renewable feedstocks and biotechnology.

“The new platform will bring together several Solvay businesses to help meet growing demand for sustainable solutions by increasing the share of renewable carbon in Solvay’s product offering and developing new business opportunities enabled by biotechnology,” the company stated. I

Private equity firm Atorg has agreed to acquire CDMO CordenPharma from International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG), subject to customary regulatory approvals. The founders, Patrick Schnitzer and Dr Achim Riemann, will also reinvest in the firm and CEO Michael Quirmbach remains in place.

The European Commission has published a Restrictions Roadmap under REACH, describing this as “an important step forward to provide detailed information on all ongoing work on future restrictions under the EU chemical legislation”.

CDMO Onyx Scientific has opened a second facility at its headquarters site in Sunderland, UK.This doubles its footprint and allows for expansion of all CMC activities, including additional GMP facilities that increases capacity for GMP and commercial API manufacturing capacity by 50%.

BASF’s board has decided to also wind down all business activities in Russia and Belarus by the beginning of July, except those needed to support food production. The company said that the decision was driven by the recent developments in the war in Ukraine and international law, including the fifth sanctions package by the EU.

Clariant has announced that an external investigation of accounting issues related to provisions and accruals has been concluded. As a result, the 2020 financial statements and corrections to quarterly reporting of key financial data for 2020 and 2021will be restated. This will have no impact on the sales, cash and cash equivalents figures reported for these years.

Dow has announced plans to expand its alkoxylation capacity in the US and Europe in 2024 and 2025. The investments are backed by supply agreements with customers and are being made to meet 10-15%/year growth in end markets including home and personal care, industrial and institutional cleaning, pharmaceuticals and crop protection.