Heat Exchanger World Magazine April 2025 | Page 14

Industry News
Engro Polymer & Chemicals completes Rs 5.8bn efficiency project
Engro Polymer & Chemicals Limited has successfully completed its efficiency project to adopt High Temperature Direct Chlorination and heat recovery patented technology. In a disclosure under Sections 96 and 131 of the Securities Act, 2015, the company stated that the newly commissioned project aims to enhance operational efficiency while reducing its carbon footprint. The project was completed at a total cost of PKR 5.8bn. The initiative aligns with Engro Polymer’ s sustainability and energy efficiency goals, as the company continues to invest in cuttingedge technologies to optimize its production processes. The Pakistan Stock Exchange has been requested to notify its TREC holders accordingly.
Janelle Wharry wins TMS award
Mechanical Science and Engineering professor Janelle Wharry has been named one of the 2025 recipients of the Brimacombe Medal from TMS( The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society). The mid-career award recognizes individuals with sustained excellence and achievement in business, technology, education, public policy, or science related to materials science and engineering and with a record of continuing service to the profession. Wharry, one of nine winners this year, was honored for her contributions to understanding structure-property evolution of nuclear and irradiated materials, and her visionary leadership in the nuclear materials research community.“ TMS has been instrumental in my professional development and has enabled me to achieve far beyond what I thought my capabilities were. Being amongst the eminent scientists who have been named Brimacombe Medalists is a tremendous honor. Thank you to the students and post-docs who have entrusted me with several years along their professional journeys – this recognition is a testament to their scholarship. I am grateful to my nominators, collaborators, and confidantes who have shown me what effective mentorship and advocacy look like. And most importantly, thank you to my husband for his endless support of my professional journey,” Wharry said. Award recipients will be honored at the TMS Annual Meeting, held in Las Vegas, in March.
AIMPLAS joins the REFEST Project
The EU-funded project addresses the growing need to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in traditional fishing vessels. It focuses on retrofit requirements for fishing vessels, environmental and biodiversity impact assessments, battery design and sensor integration, and economic and social evaluations. Launched on May 1, 2024, and funded under the EU Mission
“ Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030,” the REFEST project seeks to develop scalable solutions capable of reducing emissions by up to 40 %. The technologies developed will be practical, easily deployable, and economically sustainable, making a significant impact on small fishing fleets. The REFEST consortium comprises 14 experienced academic and
industrial partners from 10 countries, including Italy, Spain, Turkey, Lithuania, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, and Poland. This group brings multidisciplinary expertise from the maritime, scientific, technological, and industrial sectors to develop concrete and innovative solutions. AIMPLAS contributes its expertise in materials research and innovation, ensuring success in meeting European environmental standards. The company aims to improve fibrereinforced composites currently used in the marine industry to produce hull appendages. A commercially available thermoplastic resin will be modified to reduce the effect of seawater ageing in composites and increase the compatibility of the manufactured composite with the selected paintings and coatings. Additionally, and in collaboration with the project’ s partners CALSENS
and RISE, AIMPLAS will integrate optical and piezoelectric sensors in the proposed composites so that a range of pre-defined variables, such as the hydrodynamic pressure or the mechanical performance, can be measured in real-time. It will also develop novel thermoplastic composites, in UD-Tape format, specifically formulated to produce battery box components and comply with the standards governing the marine industry, particularly those regarding fire protection and electromagnetic interference. The REFEST project has initiated important networking activities and synergies with other EUfunded initiatives in the maritime and environmental sectors. These collaborations are expected to enhance the impact of the REFEST solutions and foster further innovation through exchanging knowledge, technologies, and best practices.
Rio Tinto completes acquisition of Arcadium Lithium
Rio Tinto has completed its acquisition of Arcadium Lithium plc( Arcadium Lithium)( ALTM)( LTM) for USD 6.7bn, following the sanctioning of the Scheme of Arrangement by the Royal Court of Jersey. Rio Tinto is now the ultimate parent company of Arcadium Lithium, which will become Rio Tinto Lithium, and will also include the Rincon lithium project. The acquisition establishes Rio Tinto as a global leader in the supply of energy transition materials and as a major lithium producer, with one of the world’ s largest lithium resource bases. Rio Tinto Lithium aims to grow the capacity of its Tier 1 assets to over 200 thousand tonnes per year of lithium carbonate equivalent( LCE) by 2028. Complementary technologies and geographies offer compelling value driven by accelerating volume growth in a rising market, projecting significantly higher EBITDA and operating cash flow in the coming years.
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