Checking In on Successes of Our Top Chemical Industry Clients

Sustainability is an important concept that should be at the forefront of all business operations and procedures. EquipNet’s Sustainability Initiative shows the importance of extending the lifespan of equipment and assets that may be unneeded but are not past their usage. Similarly, we proudly offer a wide variety of Chemical Investment Recovery and Redeployment Solutions to help your company make the most of unneeded assets. It is because of this that it is exciting to find that some of our top clients in the Chemical Industry also have sustainability in mind in their day-to-day operations and their plans for the future.

BASF

BASF has been making successful strides in moving towards sustainable business practices and operations. Just a few weeks ago, BASF achieved its 2020 Palm Achievement, where the company pledged in 2015 to utilize palm kernel oil only from sources certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Palm kernel oil is one of BASF’s key raw materials, used in the manufacturing of a variety of products, including cosmetics and cleaning materials. Now, BASF is set on fulfilling another part of their 2015 commitment: to source certified sustainable palm kernel oil to any necessary intermediaries by the year 2025.

In September, BASF signed an agreement with New Energy, a company specializing in decomposing waste tires through elevated heat processes. The agreement states that New Energy will provide BASF with up to 4,000 metric tons of pyrolysis oil from waste tires to be integrated in some of BASF’s chemical manufacturing facilities. This process helps divert mixed plastic waste from landfills or incineration. These efforts will also help the two companies develop a new circular economy for plastics. The initiative has already led to the replacement of fossil resources at one manufacturing site. Read more about the agreement in BASF’s news release.

AkzoNobel

Despite the global impacts of COVID-19, AkzoNobel experienced considerable growth throughout 2020. Its Fourth Quarter, the second consecutive quarter showing growth, was up 6 percent. During that period, it also saw almost 34 million Euros in cost savings, almost three-quarters of which was from structural savings from transformative initiatives. The company was able to reach its 15 by 20 Promise, which vowed to achieve a 15 percent return on sales and a 20 percent return on investments. In a statement, AkzoNobel CEO Thierry Vanlancker explained how this achievement will help the company move towards becoming a reference in the industry again. More specific figures and a breakdown on the company’s achievements can be found here.

With these achievements, it is no surprise that AkzoNobel is also working towards a more sustainable future. The company, along with the Dutch Advanced Research Center Chemical Building Blocks Consortium, conducted research on how to create more sustainably-manufactured paints and coatings. The manufacturing process removes unsustainable sources, instead relying on UV light, oxygen, and renewable raw materials to create the more sustainable products. AkzoNobel hopes that these achievements in research and development will change the future of chemicals for the better, creating more sustainable and renewable processes.

DSM

DSM is making process on its People, Planet, and Profit initiative to create a healthier and more sustainable world. Through the pandemic, the company has provided its employees with resources to care for their emotional and physical health, and it has made moves to expand its Inclusivity and Diversity initiatives. Efforts to decrease the company’s carbon footprint are in action, including a decrease of greenhouse gas emissions, which now sit at about 18 percent of the baseline the company set in 2016. In addition to some significant strategic acquisitions, DSM saw a year of growth despite the effects of COVID-19.

Part of DSM’s sustainable efforts came in the November announcement of a partnership with Neste to create high-performance materials from sustainable feedstock. This move with Neste, a leader in renewable and sustainable fuels, will help DSM and its customers reduce their carbon footprints while investing in a circular economy helping the chemical industry add more sustainable methods to its manufacturing. The partnership will work to replace thousands of tons of fossil feedstock with renewable forms to reduce waste and unnecessary resource use. The materials in the new processes will also have ISCC Plus certification.

Clariant

Clariant also had a successful 2020 despite COVID-19. Though sales decreased 5 percent for the year, cash flow remained strong, in part due to mitigation programs enacted in response to the crisis. The company’s EBITDA ended up at 15 percent, which was higher than its forecast. Clariant also launched an efficiency program that discontinued excess operations and reallocated certain resources to ultimately save the company 20 million Swiss Francs. Though the company still forecasted that COVID-19 impacts would interrupt 2021, it remains committed to prioritizing employee safety and business continuity until the public health crisis has passed. To find more details on Clariant’s 2020 review, click here.

Last month, the company announced an acceleration in its plans to create a sustainable future. The company plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions significantly, and has been reviewing ways to limit intake and usage of natural resources. With these initiatives, Clariant hopes to increase energy efficiency, including digitalizing some operations, and will closely monitor current outputs to adapt processes to decrease the effect they have on the environment. Because of its continued work to move towards sustainable behaviors, Clariant has found itself noted on the last eight Dow Jones Sustainability Index listings.

Johnson Matthey

Another company listed by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index is Johnson Matthey. The company counts sustainability as an integral part of its strategy, and can be seen in the fact that almost 86 percent of the company’s sales aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. To be listed by the index, a company is measured on a variety of aspects of business operations, including innovation and environmental management, climate strategy, and health and safety. Johnson Matthey continuously develops new processes to protect the environment, including a pledge to create clean fuel cells to guarantee zero emission power.

Another step the company has taken comes with its partnership with Bazan and EM Renewables to launch the Environmental Sustainability Innovation Lab. This initiative will establish a lab in Israel, a nation known to have a strong focus on entrepreneurship. Johnson Matthey hopes to use its experience, coupled with its belief in sustainability and innovation, to promote the vision of a cleaner future. The location is also strategic, as businesses have found that Israel has a significant number of technologies and resources beneficial to growth. The partnership and lab development will also help the company plan future growth and expansion.

Sustainability and sustainable practices start with even the smallest steps, and EquipNet is ready to help you in any way possible. Whether you are looking to offload unneeded equipment or need to close an entire facility, we can help. We offer an extensive selection of Chemical Investment Recovery and Redeployment Solutions to fit any need. Regularly, we help companies sell idle assets to other companies who can make good use of the machinery while earning the seller extra cash, recycle unneeded equipment while guaranteeing complete compliance with local and federal safety and environmental regulations, and organize complete facility closures, among other services. Interested in how we can help your company recover investment or redeploy assets? Contact us today at 781-821-3482 or at [email protected]!

Categorias: Chemical/API

Tags: AkzoNobel asset redeployment BASF chemical chemical supply Clariant DSM investment recovery Johnson Matthey,