facility at Bhuj (Gujarat province, 330km west of Ahmedabad). The companyhas been mining and processing kaolinin Gujarat for several decades.However, in recent years, most of itsmanagement attention has beenfocused on the facility near Trivandrumin the southern state of Kerala, wherenew 180,000 tonnes/y facilities forproducing hydrous and calcined gradesof kaolin were commissioned in 2008.

Original Source: Chemical Weekly, 4 Dec 2012, 140(Website: http://www.chemicalweekly.com/) © SevakPublications & Chemical Weekly Database P Ltd 2012

India: Deepak Nitrite – opticalbrighteners

As part of its $40 M plan to establish agreenfields chemicals complex atDahej (Gujarat province, 110 kmsouthwest of Vadodara/Baroda),Deepak Nitrite plans to install a91,000 tonnes/y optical brightenersplant. This will mark a newdiversification for Deepak Nitrite. Thecompany is a long establishedmanufacturer of sodium nitrite. It alsoproduces a wide variety of organicchemicals, including xylidines andtoluidine, as well as various anilineand nitrobenzene derivatives.

Original Source: Speciality Chemicals, Dec 2012, 32(12), (Website: http://www.specchemonline.com/) © Quartz Business Media Ltd 2012

Indonesia: DIC – phthalo blue

DIC Corp (formerly Dai Nippon Inks &Chemicals, of Tokyo) has taken overthe running of the chemical plants atKarawang (60 km east of Jakarta,Indonesia) from PT Monokem Surya.The plants have a floor area of 7.9hectares. About 300 people areemployed here, making crudephthalocyanine blue and pigments.Monokem will continue to run its mainbusiness as before, trading zircon andilmenite.

Amplifying on its decision to buythe Indonesian plant, DIC noted thatthe world has come to rely mainly onIndian and Chinese sources forclassical organic pigment supplies.India and China have attractedpigment manufacturers by offering lowproduction costs and robust supplychains encompassing everything fromraw materials through to finishedproducts. As one of the world’s

leading organic pigment suppliers andas a major consumer, DIC haspigment production and procurementcapabilities in both India and China.

However, in recent yearsproduction cost increases, combinedwith tighter environmental regulationsand more rigorous enforcement, haveadversely affected classical pigmentproduction in India and China.Production by locally ownedproducers has been particularly hardhit. As a company seeking to furtherthe global expansion of its printinginks and organic pigmentsbusinesses, DIC has recognised thatlowering its dependence on India andChina, thereby reducing business risk,is essential to stable growth. It waswith this in mind that DIC took thedecision to acquire the Indonesianphthalocyanine plant.

Original Source: DIC, 7-20 Nihonbashi, 3-chome,Chuo-ku, Tokyo 1038233, Japan, website:http://www.dic-global.com (21 Dec 2012) © DIC Corp2012

Indonesia & Saudi Arabia: Clariant –plastics masterbatch

At the same time as announcing its 3Q2012 financial results, ClariantInternational noted progress on twoprojects for expanding its plasticsmasterbatch capacity. At Tangerang (40km west of Jakarta, Indonesia), Clariantis doubling its masterbatch capacityand the project should be completedbefore the end of September 2013.Clariant has two production sites inIndonesia – one at Cilegon, one atTangerang. In total, Clariant currentlyemploys 550 people in Indonesia,producing in total around 50,000tonnes/y of masterbatches, pigmentpreparations, optical brighteners, dyesand speciality chemicals. Clariant alsoreferred to “further investments in high-growth regions” as including theexpansion of capacity at its Riyadh(Saudi Arabia) plant, producing whiteand coloured masterbatches.

Original Source: Clariant International, Rothausstrasse61, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland, website:http://www.clariant.com (31 Oct 2012) © ClariantInternational Ltd 2012

Kazakhstan: Tenir Logistics – TiO2 fromtitaniferous magnetite

Tenir Logistics is seeking investmentpartners for a project to establish aTiO2 pigment plant in the Taraz

Special Economic Zone in Zhambylprovince, about 1200 km south ofAstana, near the border withKyrgyzstan. As feedstock, the plantwould use titaniferous magnetite fromthe nearby Tymlay mine. In addition toproducing 10,000 tonnes/y of TiO2pigment, the plant would generate10,000 tonnes/y of by-product silica.About 85-90% of the output would beexported, mainly to China and Russia.Tenir Logistics estimates thatinvestment requirements for thisproject would be of the order of $25-30 M.

Original Source: RCCnews, 17 Dec 2012, (Website:http://www.rccnews.ru/eng) © RCCnews.ru 2012

Luxembourg: Ampacet – masterbatch

In December 2012, Ampacet openedits new masterbatch plant at Dudelange(20 km south of Luxembourg city-centre). The company spent €25 M tobuild this plant, which will initially focuson producing black and whitemasterbatches only. Its commissioninghas lifted by 60% Ampacet’s capacityfor black and white masterbatches inEurope, the Middle East and Africa.(See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, May2012, 5).

Original Source: Plastics News, 9 Jan 2013, (Website:http://www.plasticsnews.com) © CrainCommunications Inc 2013

Russia: Arkmineral – TiO2 fromperovskite (calcium titanate)

SGK Arkmineral has announced plansto mine perovskite deposits in thePolar Zory district within Murmanskoblast. The deposits are located nearthe village of Afrikanda, about 170 kmsouth of Murmansk in northwesternRussia. The first stage of the projectwill entail opening up the mine andbuilding processing facilities toproduce perovskite concentrates,containing mainly calcium titanate.The second stage of the project willentail building a plant to convertcalcium titanate into TiO2. At thesame time, the mineral separationplant will be upgraded, so as toenable the recovery of by-products,including zircon, tantalum, hafniumand niobium.

Mr Andzhey Trenin (Chairman ofSGK Arkmineral) has estimatedfinance requirements of the order of

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