Nobian in lithium deal
Chlor-alkali producer Nobian , which was separated from the rest of Nouryon last year , has signed an agreement with German-Australian lithium developer Vulcan Energy to assess the feasibility of producing lithium hydroxide from lithium chloride in Germany . Nobian has an electrolysis and crystallisation demo-plant at its site in Frankfurt , near to Vulcan ’ s own geothermallithium reservoir sites in the Upper Rhine Valley area , where it plans to build several geothermal plants and a central lithium hydroxide plant . They plan to build a demonstration plant to be ready by Q3 , which will assess the possibility for a commercial lithium plant in which lithium chloride will be extracted from Vulcan ’ s geothermal brine using a direct process and converted to lithium hydroxide through electrolysis , without the need for fossil fuels or evaporation ponds . The process
Vulcan has lithium reservoir sites in the Upper Rhine Valley
is also said to require less groundwater , land and energy than more common methods to extract lithium . Vulcan has recently concluded lithium supply agreements with Volkswagen , Renault and Stellantis , which brought together Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot-Citroen in 2021 . This is one of several such partnerships aimed at securing the supply chain for lithium for batteries in Europe .
Asymchem buys Snapdragon Chemistry
Tianjin-based CDMO Asymchem Laboratories has agreed to buy Snapdragon Chemistry , a US specialist in continuous manufacturing and early stage chemical process development services , for just under $ 58 million . This follows an ongoing collaboration since 2020 , when Asymchem invested in Snapdragon to help expand its cGMP drug substance manufacturing suites .
Asymchem said that this would expand its footprint in the US , while offering customers “ a seamless path from preclinical process R & D through commercial cGMP manufacture ”. The company has been active in continuous flow manufacturing for over a decade and , said CEO Dr Hao Gong , believes that this “ represents the future of pharmaceutical production ”.
Snapdragon will operate as a stand-alone division , and will continue with its ongoing lab and manufacturing facility expansion with additional capacity to support larger , pilot scale manufacture in Waltham , Massachusetts . The management team will remain intact . Subject to regulatory approval , the deal will close within Q2 .
BASF Venture Capital and Orbia Ventures have made undisclosed investments in the Israeli biotech start-up FortePhest , which is has developed several classes of herbicides with a new mode of action based on the homeostasis of free amino acids in plant cells to selectively target a weed ’ s meristems in order to prevent the develop of weeds . FortePhest will use the money to accelerate its development programmes and work to commercialise novel crop protection products .
12 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981