• GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS MAP: RENEWABLE ENERGY •
The Renewable Energy Industry
From developing systems that enable low-carbon agricultural practices to significant facility expansions, major investments in the renewable energy sector are taking place and a variety of projects are currently in progress throughout 2026.
• By KCI Editorial
United States Burns & McDonnell Provide EPC Service for BioMADE Pilot Plant; INEOS Acetyls and Sandpiper Develop Low Carbon Methanol Project
Burns & McDonnell has been awarded an EPC contract for BioMADE’ s first demonstration-scale facility within its Pilot Plant Network. The Maple Grove, Minnesota-based facility is designed to help move biotechnology from the laboratory to reliable U. S. manufacturing. The move marks a step toward bringing production, jobs, and supply chain strength back to the U. S.
The 122,000-square-foot facility will transform an existing commercial structure into a flexible, multiproduct bio-industrial manufacturing environment. It supports fermentation and downstream processing technologies from lab scale to 25,000 liters with provisions for future expansion.
Designed with advanced safety features and capabilities, the facility will focus on chemicals and materials, including the ability to process defense materials including lightweight composites, anticorrosive lubricants, and energetic precursors.
Elsewhere, in the U. S. Southwest, INEOS Acetyls and Sandpiper Chemicals have collaborated to support
Sandpiper’ s low carbon methanol production facility in Texas City, Texas.
The project represents Sandpiper’ s commitment to accelerate the clean energy transition and deliver competitively priced chemical feedstocks to global markets.
The facility will leverage the region’ s established petrochemical infrastructure, deep-water port access, and skilled workforce. Sandpiper’ s plant is designed to produce approximately 1.1 million metric tons per annum( MTPA) of low-carbon methanol utilizing natural gas with carbon capture. Up to 300,000 tons per year will be consumed by INEOS for its Acetic Acid production.
The project has entered the front-end engineering and design( FEED) with a final investment decision( FID) targeted for 2027. First production is anticipated in 2030, and the total project investment is estimated at USD $ 1.7 billion.
Mexico Cox Acquires Iberdrola México for USD $ 4 billion
Additional news in the renewable energy sector includes the acquisition of Iberdrola México for USD $ 4 billion by Cox, a global integrated water and energy utility. The move marks an acceleration in its growth for a key market and the transaction was executed in line with the announcement made in July 2025.
The acquisition incorporates a generation platform with an operational installed capacity of 2,600 MW and the largest energy supplier in Mexico, with a market share of over 25 %. It will also add a pipeline of approximately 12,000 MW of renewable projects in various stages of development.
34 Valve World Americas | June 2026 | www. valve-world-americas. com