Chemical Companies Interests in the Use of Nuclear Energy

Interest in using nuclear energy to replace energy generated by fossil fuels is being reflected by a few chemical companies in their public announcements and annual reports.  A major reason for this interest is the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

Arkema stresses in its 2021 annual report that 33% of its total electricity used in 2021 came from nuclear energy versus 37% from fossil fuels and 18% from renewables. 

Dow Chemical’s management has announced recently that the company expects to employ a small modular reactor within a few years at one of its chemical production’s sites. 

Kemira has invested in a Finnish nuclear plant in order to increase its use of nuclear energy in its electricity requirements.  Kemira is projecting that its electricity use in Finland, now approximately 40% provided by nuclear energy, will increase to approximately 75% provided by nuclear energy in the coming years.

Synthos is partnering with the nuclear energy company, GE-Hitachi, in developing small modular reactor use at its chemical sites in Poland. 

The technical developments of small modular reactors apparently is progressing significantly to where their use at chemical plants is being seriously considered, e.g., by Dow and Synthos.  A World Nuclear Association report provides details on the use of small modular reactors in such applications as at chemical plants.   Click here to read that report.

 

Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert – July 2022

The purpose of this blog is to identify chemical and metal shortages reported on the Internet.  The sources of the information reported here are primarily news releases issued on the Internet.  The issue period of the news releases is July 2022. 

Section I below lists those chemicals and metals that were on the previous month’s Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list and continue to have news releases indicating they are in short supply.  Click here to read the June 2022 Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list. 

Section II lists the new chemicals and metals (not on the June alert).  Also provided is some explanation for the shortage and geographical information.  This blog attempts to list only actual shortage situations – those shortages that are being experienced during the period covered by the news releases.  Chemicals and metals identified in news releases as only being in danger of being in shortage status are not listed. 

Section I. 

• Construction materials:  United States, Canada, the European Union, and New Zealand; production not keeping up with demand
• Helium: Global; production not keeping up with demand 

Section II.   Shortages Reported in July not found on the Previous Month’s Lists 

• Carbon dioxide: United States, Italy; supply not keeping up with demand
• Fiber optics cable: Global; production not keeping up with demand
• Magnesium: United States; supply not keeping up with demand
• Natural gas: European Union; supply not keeping up with demand 

Reasons for Section II shortages can be broadly categorized as:  

• Mining not keeping up with demand: none
• Production not keeping up with demand: fiber optics cable
• Sources no longer available: none
• Insufficient imports:  none
• Supply not keeping up with demand: carbon dioxide, magnesium, natural gas

Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert – June 2022

The purpose of this blog is to identify chemical and metal shortages reported on the Internet. The sources of the information reported here are primarily news releases issued on the Internet. The issue period of the news releases is June 2022. 

Section I below lists those chemicals and metals that were on the previous month’s Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list and continue to have news releases indicating they are in short supply. Click here to read the May 2022 Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list. 

Section II lists the new chemicals and metals (not on the May alert). Also provided is some explanation for the shortage and geographical information. This blog attempts to list only actual shortage situations – those shortages that are being experienced during the period covered by the news releases. Chemicals and metals identified in news releases as only being in danger of being in shortage status are not listed. 

Section I. 

• Chlorine: United States; supply not keeping up with demand
• Construction materials:  United States, the European Union, and New Zealand; production not keeping up with demand
• Dye used in imaging for contrast: United States; production not keeping up with demand
• Helium: Global; production not keeping up with demand
• Pesticides: United States; supply not keeping up with demand 

Section II.   Shortages Reported in June not found on the Previous Month’s Lists 

• Diesel exhaust fuel/urea: United States: supply not keeping up with demand

 Reasons for Section II shortages can be broadly categorized as:  

• Mining not keeping up with demand: none
• Production not keeping up with demand: none
• Sources no longer available: none
• Insufficient imports:  none
• Supply not keeping up with demand: diesel exhaust fuel/urea

Bio-based Raw Materials Being Used at Several Chemical Companies

The annual reports of several large, global chemical companies were searched to identify bio-based raw materials being used by those companies.  The following table identifies eight chemical companies, which identify in their annual reports, chemicals being made from bio-based raw materials:

 

company	chemicals being made from bio-based raw materials
akzo nobel	paints
arkema	polyamides
basf	surfactants
covestro	aniline; resins; wood hardeners; polycarbonate films
dow	polyolefin elastomers; plasticizers
dsm	polyethylene fibers; intermediates in flavors and fragrances production
evonik	surfactants; rhamnolipids
wacker	acetic acid; methanol

 

Finding bio-based raw materials to replace fossil fuels as the raw material for producing chemicals has become a high priority for many chemical companies.  Not only are chemical companies responding to social and political pressures to reduce fossil fuels a raw material, but the chemical companies are responding to their customers who are buying the chemicals.  For example, those customers that use the chemicals to produce personal care products are finding that their customers want products made from bio-based raw materials. 

Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert – May 2022

The purpose of this blog is to identify chemical and metal shortages reported on the Internet. The sources of the information reported here are primarily news releases issued on the Internet. The issue period of the news releases is May 2022. 

Section I below lists those chemicals and metals that were on the previous month’s Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list and continue to have news releases indicating they are in short supply. Click here to read the April 2022 Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list. 

Section II lists the new chemicals and metals (not on the April alert). Also provided is some explanation for the shortage and geographical information. This blog attempts to list only actual shortage situations – those shortages that are being experienced during the period covered by the news releases. Chemicals and metals identified in news releases as only being in danger of being in shortage status are not listed. 

Section I. 

• Aluminum: Europe; production not keeping up with demand
• Construction materials:  United States and the European Union; production not keeping up with demand
• Pesticides: United States; supply not keeping up with demand 

Section II.   Shortages Reported in May not found on the Previous Month’s Lists 

• Chlorine: United States; supply not keeping up with demand
• Dye used in imaging for contrast: United States; production not keeping up with demand
• Fertilizers: Global; supply not keeping up with demand
• Helium: Global; production not keeping up with demand
• Neon: Global; production not keeping up with demand
• Polyethylene plastic for packaging: Switzerland; supply not keeping up with demand 

Reasons for Section II shortages can be broadly categorized as:  

• Mining not keeping up with demand: none
• Production not keeping up with demand: dye used in imaging for contrast, helium, neon
• Sources no longer available: none
• Insufficient imports:  none
• Supply not keeping up with demand: chlorine, fertilizers, polyethylene plastic for packaging 

Chemical Products Based on Synthetic Biology Technologies

An Internet search was made to find companies that are offering chemical products based on synthetic biology technologies and are products, when produced using synthetic biology technologies, and used in significant quantities, might significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions compared to how they are mostly produced now. 

The flowing table identifies eight companies and the products being produced based on synthetic biology technologies: 

company	products produced
Genomatica	alcohol, from microbes
Lanzateck	alcohol, from microbes
Huue	dyes from microbes
Colorifix	dyes, from microbes
Pivot Bio	nitrogen for fertilizing, using microbes
Bolt Threads	polymer, (protein-based), used in textiles
Geltor	polymer, (protein-based), used in textiles
Spider	polymer, (protein-based), used in textiles

 

Each of these products (alcohols, dyes, nitrogen, and polymers) currently are produced needing substantial amounts of fossil fuel raw materials (RM) and when produced from this RM source generate enormous amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. 

If producing these products using synthetic biology technologies do release significantly less carbon dioxide than producing them using fossil fuel RM, and if producing by synthetic biology technologies could produce needed product quantities, this, it seems to me, would be of significant importance.

 

Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert – April 2022

The purpose of this blog is to identify chemical and metal shortages reported on the Internet.  The sources of the information reported here are primarily news releases issued on the Internet.  The issue period of the news releases is April 2022. 

Section I below lists those chemicals and metals that were on the previous month’s Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list and continue to have news releases indicating they are in short supply.  Click here to read the March 2022 Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list.

Section II lists the new chemicals and metals (not on the March alert).  Also provided is some explanation for the shortage and geographical information.  This blog attempts to list only actual shortage situations – those shortages that are being experienced during the period covered by the news releases.  Chemicals and metals identified in news releases as only being in danger of being in shortage status are not listed. 

Section I. 

• Aluminum: Europe; production not keeping up with demand
• Construction materials:  United States and the European Union; production not keeping up with demand
• Nickel: Global; supply not keeping up with demand
• Pesticides: United States; supply not keeping up with demand 

Section II.   Shortages Reported in April not found on the Previous Month’s Lists 

• Iron: Germany, United States; supply not keeping up with demand
• Nylon: United States; supply not keeping up with demand
• Polysilicon: Global; production not keeping up with demand
• Stainless steel scrap: United States; supply not keeping up with demand
• Wood: European Union; supply not keeping up with demand 

Reasons for Section II shortages can be broadly categorized as:  

• Mining not keeping up with demand: none
• Production not keeping up with demand: polysilicon
• Sources no longer available: none
• Insufficient imports:  none
• Supply not keeping up with demand: iron, nylon, stainless steel scrap, wood