Archer Daniels Midland and Metabolix will build their first commercial plant for PHA natural plastics in Clinton, Iowa.  Initially, the plant will have a capacity of 50,000 tons/year, producing a new generation of high-performance natural plastics that are environmentally friendly and based on renewable resources.  Construction is scheduled for completion in the middle of 2008.

BASF, DOW Chemical and Lyondell have been subpoenaed by the U.S. Department of Justice in an antitrust investigation of polyurethane chemical producers.  The investigation concerns possible price-fixing in the methylene diphenyl di-isocyanate (MDI) and toluene di-isocyanate (TDI) and polyols markets.

Chemplast Sanmar Ltd. will invest Rs. 300-crore to set up a power generation plant and to convert its mercury-based caustic soda manufacturing process at Mettur.  The investment will be split with Rs. 220-crore for setting up the coal-based power generation plant and Rs. 80-crore for converting the mercury-based caustic soda manufacturing process to a membrane-based process. 

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BCPL) is hoping to commission its 6 million ton/year Bina refinery by the end of 2009.  The refinery involves an investment of Rs. 10,300-crore.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HCPL) will raise the capacity of its Mumbai and Visakhapatnam refineries during the next fiscal year.  The Mubai capacity will be raised to 7.9 million tons/year from 5.5 million tons/year and the Visakhapatnam capacity will be raised to 8.4 million tons/year from 7.5 million tons/year.  The expansions are part of a program to produce cleaner fuels and should have been implemented this past fiscal year, but have now been pushed to 2006-2007.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HCPL) is looking to finalize an agreement with British Petroleum on equity participation on its Rs. 12,000-crore Bhatinda refinery project this Spring.  HCPL would invest Rs. 1,200-crore in 2006-2007 to expand the retail network and pipeline projects.  The company currently has 7,000 retail outlets and intends to add 850 more.

Isonox Bio-Energy has started operations at the Ambad area of MIDC.  The unit will manufacture bio-diesel from Jatropha curcas seeds.  The company plans to increase the production capacity from the current 2,000 liters/day to 10,000 liters/day in October of 2006.  In 2007, capacity will be increased to 1 lakh liter/day.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and British Petroleum will undertake a $9.4 million project in Andhra Pradesh to demonstrate the feasibility of producing bio-diesel from Jatropha Curcas.  The 10-year project will cultivate around 8,000 hectares of land currently designated as wasteland with Jatropha and install all the equipment necessary – seed crushing, oil extraction and processing – to product 9 million liters of bio-diesel/year.  TERI will be responsible for the day-to-day management and execution of the project, including establishing and implementing contracts with local farmers or agricultural cooperatives.  They will also own and manage the processing facility.