News in brief

Elf Atochem has joined ICI in refusing to supply the hydrofluorocarbon HFC-134a for self-chilling drinks cans. The can would release compressed HFC into the drink when opened; the heat required to expand the gas would be extracted from the drink, cooling it down. However, Elf Atochem points out that HFC-134a (which does not damage the ozone layer, but is a potent greenhouse gas) is intended for closed refrigeration systems only.

* FW wins safety award

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has awarded one of its major safety awards to Foster Wheeler Energy. The Sir George Earle Trophy is awarded to the organisation 'that has demonstrated the most outstanding performance in health and safety.'

* SKB in biotech IPR spin-off

SmithKline Beecham is to hand over part of its portfolio of biotechnology patents and laboratory equipment to a new biotech company, Adprotech, which is headed by Janet Dewdney, a retired director of SmithKline Beecham's biotech division. The deal gives SKB a 10 per cent stake in the company; a further 55 per cent will be owned by venture capital concerns.

* Petronas closes BASF deal

BASF and Petronas, the Malaysian oil and chemicals company, have agreed to collaborate on an acrylic acid/esters and oxo-alcohols project at Gebeng, near Kuantan port. The German firm will hold a 60 per cent stake in the venture, which will build and operate a plant with capacities of 160,000t/a of crude acrylic acid, 100,000t/a of butyl acrylate, 60,000t/a of hexyl acrylate, and 20,000t/a of glacial acrylic acid. The $700million complex will start up in the year 2000.

* Petronas starts work with BP

Meanwhile, BP Chemicals and Petronas have completed a feasibility study into a 500,000t/a acetic acid plant, scheduled to start up in 1999. The plant, 70 per cent owned by BP, will be built at Kertih, with Kvaerner John Brown as main contractor. It will be the first newly-built plant to use BP's 'Cativa' technology, which has been retrofitted to plants in the US, UK and Korea.