Archive: October 14, 2022

Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Aniline Production Plant

Covestro broke ground today in Antwerp for a new world-scale production facility for the manufacture of aniline. With the capacity expansion, the company is strengthening its European production network for the foam component MDI. For this purpose, Covestro is investing more than €300 million. The plant is scheduled to be operational – depending on the volatile economic situation – in early 2025. This will create around 40 new jobs.

The basic chemical aniline is an important starting material for many chemical products, including the rigid foam component MDI. The product is mainly used for the production of insulation materials for buildings and refrigeration equipment. Due to the global trend towards sustainability and climate neutrality, the global MDI market is expected to grow by around six percent per year in the medium term. Given the current high electricity and gas prices, especially in Europe, demand for efficient insulation is likely to further increase.

“Even in challenging times, we must not lose sight of our goals. With the expansion of our aniline production, we are addressing the further increase in demand from our customers for energy-efficient solutions for the insulation of buildings and refrigeration appliances. At the same time, by using state-of-the-art technology, we are increasing the energy efficiency of production and thereby the competitiveness of the Antwerp site,” says Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer at Covestro.

An important milestone for the site

Dr. Georg Wagner, Covestro Site Manager in Antwerp, sees the investment as a crucial step into the future: “The groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of our aniline production is an important moment for our site. The capacity expansion will enable us to continue to ensure the sustainable and efficient supply of our MDI network in Europe. In doing so, we will continue to draw on the attractive infrastructure and logistics at the heart of the port, from where we also have direct access to the raw materials we need. This investment further anchors us here in Antwerp and also creates sustainable jobs for the future.”

For policymakers in Antwerp, Covestro’s capacity expansion is making a positive contribution to development in the region. “Belgium is the second most important export country for chemistry and life sciences within the European Union after Germany. The sector of chemistry and life sciences is today one of the most important industries in Flanders and heavily invests in R&D and innovation. Last year alone 2.6 billion euros or more than half of all the industrial investments in innovation in Flanders were announced in this sector. Today is another milestone in this respect”, explains Jan Jambon, Minister-President of the Flanders region.

The new plant will use state-of-the-art technologies that will help to significantly increase the energy efficiency of production in Antwerp. Currently, around 20 percent of the steam required on site is covered by using process heat generated during production. The remaining steam is generated using fossil resources. With the commissioning of the new plant, the share of steam generated from process heat will double to 40 percent of local demand, and the use of fossil fuels will decline. The potential savings correspond to up to 27,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year. The new plant thus makes an important contribution to achieving Covestro’s goal of being operationally climate-neutral by 2035.

The expansion of aniline production is part of Covestro’s global MDI strategy. The aim is to strengthen the production network for MDI in view of a further increase in demand. In Brunsbüttel, Germany, Covestro already commissioned a new plant for the production of MDI using the particularly energy-efficient AdiP technology in 2020. In Tarragona, Spain, a new chlorine production plant based on the likewise particularly energy-saving ODC technology is nearing completion.

How can one turn beautiful old sarees into curtains

Mr. Ekant Singh, Founder & CEO – Page 2813

Everyone wants to have a lovely home furnished with timeless items. Home decoration can be a time-consuming endeavour, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. There are several no-cost solutions to give your property a timeless look and feel. Instead of rearranging your flowerbeds or repainting your walls, try something as simple as hanging some saree curtains to give your home a fresh new look.

The saree is the most liberating garment ever created for women; it forces them to stop hiding. Because of how it falls, the saree is very cosy and looks chic. Old woven sarees can also play a fantastic role as everyday clothing in the home. The sell-outs are stunning, but the saree’s patterns and motives also set the mood for the holiday.

The saree isn’t just beautiful to look at; it also gives out the vibe that an elderly woman is giving you a warm, motherly hug of dedication, love, and gratitude. Most Indian households have a treasure trove of sarees made of silk, cotton, velvet, or chiffon, none of which should be worn or thrown away due to their sentimental importance. These relics may have lost their lustre due to being passed down through the years, or the cloth may have worn out, or the needlework may have unravelled. But there’s no need to let your old sarees take up valuable space in your closet when you can upcycle them into something useful around the house.

While the history of curtains may not be nearly as interesting or as colourful as, say, a celebrity’s background, it surely does shine an interesting light on why curtains are not just useful but must-have decor items as well. The curtain evolved from the practice of homeowners draping thick pieces of fabric over their windows to block the wind. According to historical accounts, the first curtains were crafted from
animal skins. When the fad became widespread, individuals started wondering how they might make them trendy. Advancements in textile production and a new generation of materials led to linens and flax being initially produced in Egypt. Later, wool, silk, and cotton were woven into materials that would change the course of curtains and drapery forever.

The drapes you make with a saree’s six meters of fabric are up to you. The sheer curtains in any room can be made using a combination of net sarees and other sarees. Curtains can be made to last longer if the saree is lined with another fabric.

The upcycling of sarees, for example, has the lightest carbon footprint and most unblemished ethical credentials while still delivering a delightful sense of newness and nostalgia.

Old sarees are unparalleled in their fabric and workmanship. These sarees are transformed into lovely curtains by being narrowed to a predetermined width and bordered on both ends in a way that complements the design rather than detracts from it. Repairing, revitalising, cleaning, and darning the curtains may be necessary, but the extra effort will only make them more beautiful.

Credai Announces the Property Show for North Hyderabad

Hyderabad: 14th October 2022: CREDAI, the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India, the country’s apex body of private real estate developers, announced the 12th CREDAI Hyderabad Property Show for North Hyderabad at Auspicious Convention Centre in Kompally on the 5th and 6th of November 2022. This will be the 1st edition of the property show focusing on North Hyderabad. The announcement was made in the presence of the CREDAI senior leadership team comprising Shri P. Rama Krishna Rao, President, Shri. V. Rajashekar Reddy, General Secretary along with the Vice Presidents Shri G Anand Reddy, Shri K Rajeshwar, Shri N Jaideep Reddy, Shri B Jagannath Rao; Shri Aditya Gowra, Treasurer, and Joint Secretaries Shri Shivraj Thakur and Shri K. Rambabu, along with other committee members.

In view of the overall development across the city, and the development of industries and demand for housing and commercial real estate, CREDAI Hyderabad has conceptualized the Property Show focusing on the best and most credible real estate projects in the North region of Hyderabad. At the property show, the best projects featuring Apartment complexes, Villas, Plots, and Commercial Spaces in the areas of Balanagar, Kompally, Shamirpet, Medchal, Alwal, Patancheru, etc will be on display under one roof.

Mr. P Ramakrishna Rao, President, CREDAI Hyderabad, said, “The real estate industry in Hyderabad has been strong and expanding quickly. The smart and proactive governance by the State Government has played a critical role in driving the growth. Like most cities, only one part of the city – ‘The Western part of Hyderabad’ had witnessed considerable growth, investments, and development for a long time. The proactive governance in the state realized the perils of lopsided development and the pressure it puts on the infrastructure. The government adopted the GRID (Growth in Dispersion) policy to ensure growth all across the city. This would prevent lopsided growth and over-congestion in one part of the city and no development in the others putting unnecessary pressure on the infrastructure. The government has built industrial corridors with incentives as per the GRID policy spreading the growth all across the ORR and supporting it with prompt development of radial roads under SRDP to improve connectivity. As a result, many companies are exploring setting up units in these industrial parks. The prompt approval mechanisms under TS-iPASS for industries and TS-bypass for projects are acting as a catalyst in driving growth, creating employment, and helping boost the demand for real estate across the city.”

He further added, “The north part of Hyderabad was always known for warehouses of e-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart, also houses ‘Genome Valley’ – a destination for R&D focused on life sciences, Medical Devices Park. We have decided to bring the focus on this rising hub for growth in the city, we are planning the 1st edition of Property Show focusing on North Hyderabad on the 5th and 6th of November 2022. We look forward to a great response to this initiative.”

Adding to this Mr. V. Rajashekar Reddy, General Secretary, CREDAI Hyderabad said, “The growth of the real estate sector in a city is dependent on the policies by the Government encouraging industrial and infrastructure development. The proactive and visionary leadership provided by Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri K Chandrashekar Rao not only facilitates sustainable growth but also strives to remove bottlenecks in the future. The GRID policy is one such initiative, which is preventing congestion in the west corridor. The government is encouraging the setting up of industrial corridors across the city, particularly in the East and North corridor. They are also creating zones for various industries like IT/ ITeS, Life Sciences, Medical Devices, Manufacturing, Warehousing, etc. generating employment for people with diverse skill sets and making the city a hub for growth and opportunities. This is attracting diverse talent to the city and boosting the demand for the real estate sector in Hyderabad. Hyderabad is a preferred global destination for business, particularly for the largest business establishments for MNCs, and a rapidly growing local entrepreneurship ecosystem driving the growth and job creation in the city. The policies like TS-iPASS and TS-bypass are facilitating industrial growth and ease of doing business in the city.”

Adding to this he also stated, “The North corridor of Hyderabad has greatly benefitted from the GRID Policy. In an effort to make this corridor at par with the west, the Government has decided to set up the tallest IT Tower at Kandlakoya with a capacity to host 100 companies in 1st phase and employ over 50,000 people. This part of the city is the home to Genome Valley – the bio-medical R&D cluster with world-class infrastructure facilities lies in the North Corridor. It houses over 200 companies with a scientific workforce of over 15,000 employees including some marquee global companies like Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Ferrings, etc. The North Corridor will greatly benefit from Hyderabad-Nagpur Industrial Corridor (HNIC) and witness the rapid growth of infrastructure and industry. This will also spur major growth in job creation leading to the increased demand for housing in this corridor. Due to this, we are planning this property show in North Hyderabad. The price increase is on the anvil, so prospective homebuyers should take advantage of today’s low real estate prices, particularly in the North corridor and choose the property at the most credible 1st CREDAI Property Show for North Hyderabad and the 12th in the series of CREDAI Hyderabad Property Shows on 5th & 6th November 2022.”

The Celo Foundation Aims to Bring $20B in Impact Investing Funds to Web 3 by 2025

(San Francisco, October 13, 2022) – Earlier today, the U.S.-based Celo Foundation announced the launch of its “2% for Web3 Impact” pledge at the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) Investor Forum in The Hague. An industry-wide initiative incubated within the Foundation’s Social Impact Collective, the pledge is kicking off by actively helping onboard 100+ impact investors to Web3 and make their first investment in the space or provide liquidity, for example, to impact lending protocols.

The GIIN Investor Forum, where Celo Foundation President and Co-Founder Rene Reinsberg spoke of Web3’s potential to solve mass-coordination problems, is the largest in-person global gathering of over 1,200 attendees from 60+ countries with a goal to advance and scale the global impact investing market.

In total, the GIIN estimates that over 3,349 organizations currently manage $1.164T in impact assets under management (AUM), with 2% representing $20B. “Celo’s mission is to create the conditions for prosperity––for everyone,” says Reinsberg. “The Celo ecosystem brings together the Global South and North by making access to capital easier and shifts our financial system to become regenerative. We look forward to bridging impact investors and Web3, and highlighting the potential of crypto to have real-world benefits.”

Through the Foundation, impact investors will have access to learning sessions on Web3 investing, 150+ Alliance for Prosperity members, including Kickstarter, Deutsche Telekom, IDEO, Uniswap, and Climate Collective, the Celo Camp Web3 startup accelerator, and the Foundation’s Social Impact Collective, including Grameen Foundation and Mercy Corps Ventures, a leading impact investment fund.

“We are delighted to be members of the Celo Foundation’s Alliance for Prosperity,” says Scott Onder, Mercy Corps Ventures’ Managing Director, “With the Foundation’s proven track record of leveraging innovative Web3 tools to drive the financial inclusion and climate resilience of underbanked communities, and partnering with them on pilots across Kenya, we’re excited about this two-percent pledge to scale collaboration with impact investors from around the world.”

Currently, the Celo ecosystem consists of over 1,000 mission-aligned projects in 135+ countries, with builders creating innovative Web3 applications. For more information and to join the Celo Foundation’s “2% for Web3 Impact” pledge, please email socialimpact@celo.org.

HMS Networks Expands Range of High-Performance Anybus Gateways

Halmstad, October 14, 2022, HMS Networks now expands its second-generation Anybus Communicator range of high-performance gateways, enabling more and faster data to be transferred across networks in industrial applications. Thirteen new versions for data connectivity between EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, PROFIBUS, and ProfNet make it simple for users to connect between different control systems, remove automation islands and maximize operational performance.

Proven and fast communication using Anybus NP40 technology

The award-winning Anybus NP40 industrial network processor ensures that the Communicators meet demanding requirements in terms of industrial performance, reliability, and security. Featuring new hardware and software, the gateways enable instant data transfer – up to 10 times faster than their predecessors. Users can also exchange significantly more data between the networks as the gateways transfer up to 1 500bytes to and from connected PLCs.

Robust and secure communication

Built using carefully selected industrial components and verified against the CE and UL industry standards, the gateways are designed to handle harsh industrial environments. To protect users from cyberattacks, the gateways have an onboard physical security switch that prevents unauthorized configuration changes and secure boot functionality to resist attacks and infections from malware.

Fast installation and intuitive configuration

Fast installation and configuration procedures are guaranteed thanks to an optimized housing design, an intuitive GUI, and easy-to-understand documentation.

Installation is simplified thanks to the compact gateway design with forward-facing ports and DIN-rail mounting, which enables gateway installation close to connected devices, reducing the amount of needed wiring.

Users can configure the gateways using drag-and-drop functionality in the web-based GUI, which is accessible via a dedicated Ethernet port on the gateways. In the GUI, users can also monitor network traffic and diagnose issues before they become problems.

Hands-on assistance is also available, as a QR code in the GUI provides a step-by-step installation and configuration guide.

“We are very excited to release these Communicators, our most advanced range of gateways,” explains Fredrik Brynolf, Product Manager for Anybus gateways at HMS Networks. “The Communicators are reliable, powerful, and secure. On top of this, they offer a new level of user-friendliness thanks to the optimized design and the intuitive GUI. All this makes the Communicators excellent choices for anyone looking to connect data between industrial networks. The Communicators make it simple to connect PLCs, remove automation islands, and maximize operational performance.”

Anybus Communicators are available off the shelf as stand-alone ready-to-install units. Users can personalize the Communicators to meet OEM and brand labeling requirements. The gateways can also be configured and locked to be used as tightly integrated communication components of an automation device or a machine.