Category: MENA

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Zoltek celebrates the founder’s 80th birthday

Leading the carbon fiber industry on a global scale

St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Dec. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zoltek Corporation, the largest global manufacturer of industrial grade carbon fiber, has recently celebrated the 80th birthday of its founder, Zsolt Rumy.

Born in December 1942 in Budapest, Hungary, Mr. Rumy was a carbon fiber industry pioneer that ultimately changed the carbon fiber world.  He created the first industrial-grade carbon fiber made to compete against other common building materials, and created Zoltek Corporation to drive the commercialization of carbon fibers.

Mr. Rumy fled Soviet communism after the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, and arrived in the US as a 14-year old war refugee through the International Red Cross and Catholic Charities.   He later graduated with a chemical engineering degree from the University of Minnesota, accepted a position with Monsanto Company and moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1966. After several years of corporate sales and engineering jobs in the chemicals industry, he started his own distribution business in 1975.   After years of selling carbon and graphite products, he plunged into carbon fiber manufacturing in 1988 with the acquisition of Stackpole Fibers in Lowell, Massachusetts.

His vision of a low-cost carbon fiber began on a pilot line in St. Louis, MO, and later became realized after acquiring an acrylic fiber factory, Magyar Viscosa, back in his native Hungary.  He led a team of engineers that were able to convert this acrylic fiber factory to the world’s first low-cost carbon fiber factory.  Zoltek repeated this feat by acquiring a second acrylic fiber factory in Mexico, and the rest is history.

In 2014, Zoltek was acquired by Toray Industries of Japan, who at the time was the world’s largest aerospace carbon fiber producer.  With the support of the Toray Group, Zoltek has now grown to the largest carbon fiber manufacturer in the world, with more than 30,000 MT of annual capacity.

“Zsolt is a true pioneer who lived the American dream.  He built a company and changed the carbon fiber industry forever.  We are all honored to be part of his journey and grateful for his leadership and friendship”, EVP of Sales & Marketing Dave Purcell. “Now it’s our job to carry his vision forward and bring our low-cost carbon fiber to new applications around the world,” he added.

“The Will To Do, The Soul Dare” is an autobiography that details Zsolt’s extraordinary life experiences and his visionary spirit and courage that revolutionized the carbon fiber industry.  Zsolt’s book is available in major book stores and Amazon.  You may also request a free copy of Zsolt’s book (while supplies last) by sending your request to [email protected].

Zsolt Rumy and Dave Purcell are current board members of Zoltek Corporation.

About Zoltek: Zoltek Corporation is the most trusted manufacturer of cost-efficient and customer-centric industrial grade carbon fiber used for automotive parts, wind turbine blades, thermoplastic compounding, marine infrastructure, and many more. In 2014, Zoltek joined the Toray Group (Japan) which has advanced the company’s technology and strengthened the technical and financial resources and positioned the company for further growth as the most reliable global leader of carbon fiber.

For more information, you may visit www.zoltek.com or follow us on any of our social media channels including www.linkedin.com/company/zoltek/ and https://www.facebook.com/ZoltekCorp. For more information about Toray Group, you may visit www.toray.com 

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Jen Olson

Zoltek

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8709508

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Calgon Carbon Reactivation Study Shows Removal and Destruction of PFAS

Peer-reviewed journal article details Calgon Carbon study findings

Pittsburgh, PA, Dec. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new study by Calgon Carbon Corporation (“Calgon Carbon”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd. (TYO: 3405) (“Kuraray”), has provided a definitive response to a persistent question about the fate of PFAS during reactivation of activated carbon. Reactivation is a high temperature thermal process that is commonly used by municipalities and industrial users to recycle their used activated carbon and destroy contaminants it has removed.

“The single-biggest conclusion from the study is that PFAS compounds are effectively removed from spent carbon through the reactivation process, as well as showing greater than 99.99% destruction of PFAS through our furnace and abatement system,” explained Rebecca DiStefano, Senior Applications Engineer at Calgon Carbon.

Remediation-The Journal of Environmental Cleanup Costs, Technologies, & Techniques, featured the findings of Calgon Carbon’s study in a peer-reviewed article published in the autumn issue of the esteemed quarterly journal that focuses on the practical applications of remediation techniques and technologies.

“The data detailed in our article effectively demonstrated the removal of PFAS compounds from granular activated carbon (GAC) and greater than 99.99% destruction of PFAS compounds through the furnace and off-gas abatement system,” said DiStefano, the lead author of the Remediation article.

The study’s findings come at a time of growing concern and increased focus about the impact of PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their inability to break down over time in the environment.

“This is research that no one else in the industry has published.,” DiStefano said. “We don’t want to have these unknowns stay out there and linger in people’s minds. We wanted to answer these questions and move the industry forward and continue promoting GAC as the best available treatment (BAT) technology for removing PFAS.”

Calgon Carbon’s FILTRASORB® GAC, sourced from bituminous coal, has demonstrated superior PFAS-removal capabilities compared to other carbons for two decades.

GAC is the most widely used and well-established treatment technology for the removal of PFAS contaminants from drinking water and wastewater. Thermally treating GAC at the end of its useful service life – known as spent carbon – is called reactivation, a process that vaporizes and destroys adsorbed contaminants at extremely high temperatures and restores the GAC to a near-virgin state so it can be reused.

In the first stage of Calgon Carbon’s proprietary reactivation process, PFAS-laden GAC is heated in a furnace for several hours at temperatures of up to 1750 degrees Fahrenheit, imparting enough energy to break down PFAS’s carbon-fluoride bonds, the strongest in chemistry.

The off gas from the reactivation furnace then moves into an abatement system, which features a thermal oxidizer/afterburner designed to destroy any organics that were not destroyed in the furnace. From there, it proceeds through a scrubber to neutralize any acid gases, such as hydrogen fluoride, and remove them from the abatement air. Finally, it passes through a baghouse to eliminate particulate matter.

“It’s a combination of our reactivation furnaces and the abatement systems that achieves these very high levels of destruction,” said John Matthis, Global PFAS Team leader at Calgon Carbon. “With other technologies, you may be removing PFAS from the water, but the question is, what do you do with that media once it has PFAS on it? Activated carbon and reactivation are unique because not only are we removing the contaminants from your water, we also are effectively removing them from the carbon – and from the environment as well.”

For its study, Calgon Carbon enlisted the services of an independent, third-party vendor to test air samples for 36 PFAS compounds. Another third-party vendor analyzed well water and treated motive water samples for PFAS, as well as analyzing samples of spent carbon, reactivated carbon, abatement dust, and bicarbonate raw material for extraction and targeted PFAS.

Since creating the first activated carbon products from bituminous coal in the 1940s, Calgon Carbon has been a pioneer in developing high-performing granular activated carbon products for water purification.

Jenalle Brewer, Senior Vice President – Drinking Water, Innovative Carbon Tech & Global Business at Calgon Carbon said, “PFAS is portrayed in the media as a relatively recent problem. However, we’ve been offering treatment solutions for PFAS for more than 20 years. Our FILTRASORB activated carbon products help to ensure that ‘forever chemicals’ are forever no more. It’s a problem people thought they had to live with, but as our study has proven, they really don’t.”

To learn more about Calgon Carbon’s study and the FILTRASORB product, visit NoMorePFAS.com.

About Calgon Carbon
Calgon Carbon, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd. (TYO: 3405) (Kuraray), is a global leader in the manufacture and/or distribution of innovative coal-, wood- and coconut-based activated carbon products – in granular, powdered, pelletized and cloth form – to meet the most challenging purification demands of customers throughout the world. Calgon Carbon provides purification solutions for more than 700 distinct applications, including drinking water, wastewater, pollution abatement, and a variety of industrial and commercial manufacturing processes. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Calgon Carbon employs approximately 1640 people and operates 20 manufacturing, reactivation, innovation and equipment fabrication facilities in the U.S., Asia, and in Europe, where Calgon Carbon is known as Chemviron. Calgon Carbon was acquired by Kuraray in March of 2018.  With complementary products and services, the combined organization will continue to focus on providing the highest quality and most innovative activated carbon and filtration media products, equipment, and services to meet

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Amanda Lofty
Calgon Carbon Corporation
724-541-2658
[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8709420

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Sweegen announces growth capital investments and manufacturing partnership ahead of Food Ingredients Europe 2022

Momentum from global regulatory approvals and customers’ product launches drives strong valuation and investment demand.

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Dec. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sweegen announced its strategic investment and partnership snapshot ahead of the FI Europe 2022, where it will exhibit zero sugar solutions in immersive food experiences, displaying consumers’ favorite foods and beverages with zero sugar solutions in Paris, France, Dec. 6-8.

In the wake of the 2022 company developments of major customer launches, a growing global footprint, and regulatory approvals on its sweeteners and stevia technology, Sweegen is attracting major partners and moving forward with additional growth capital raised from current shareholders, Pasaca Capital and Sumitomo Chemical Co. (Sumitomo), reaching the “unicorn” status.

“Our growth is meaningful in the world of sweetener innovation as we are bringing wellness solutions to food and beverage brands and consumers in new global regions where sugar reduction is not only a major health trend and need but also a movement for a wellness lifestyle,” said CEO Steven Chen. “We’re grateful that these shareholders continue to have confidence in our vision to open new markets with our global regulatory plans and explore exciting wellness technologies for food and beverages.”

Largest CPG Companies as Customers

Sweegen’s Signature Bestevia® Reb M was the first new-generation stevia technology to receive approval from the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA).

This landmark approval in 2021, combined with the approval of the regulatory framework for steviol glycosides by the international food safety authority CODEX in 2022, is opening new markets and creating significant opportunities for Sweegen’s customers to launch new products.

The world’s largest food and beverage producers, including top brands for beverage (non-alcoholic and alcoholic), condiment, dairy, and plant-based products, have entered into commitments, contracts, and purchase orders with Sweegen.

Manufacturing Alliance

With Sumitomo, Sweegen entered into a strategic alliance in which Sumitomo will contribute one of its manufacturing factories in Asia to a joint venture between the two companies.

Sumitomo will assist in quality assurance and quality control at both the Asian facility and Sweegen’s manufacturing site in Europe.

“Our manufacturing alliance with an exceptional partner like Sumitomo gives Sweegen’s customers the added security and benefit of multiple production facilities and is expected to accelerate Sweegen’s market penetration greatly,” said Chen.

New Technologies

In addition to the industry’s widest range of non-GMO better, tasting Signature stevia ingredients, Sweegen is introducing more advanced sugar-reducing products, such as the sweet proteins Ultratia™ brazzein and thaumatin.

Sweegen’s disruptive peptide technology enables industrial-scale production of brazzein for great cost savings to CPG customers. The commercialization of brazzein has already begun, and Sweegen anticipates a first regulatory approval for the product in 2023.

Thaumatin is 100,000 times sweeter than sugar on a molar basis. The high sweetness factor can translate into a strategic, cost-effective sugar reduction solution for brands seeking to get the most out of natural sweeteners. Sweegen has recently announced the successful scale-up production of these high-intensity sweeteners, and the company expects to receive regulatory approval in the near future.

The Market

The global sugar market is currently at $160 billion. Many global food and beverage companies are currently incorporating Sweegen’s products to replace artificial sweeteners, reduce sugar, and launch branded products containing these Sweegen products.

Contacts at FIE

At the FI Europe 2022 trade fair in Paris, Sweegen’s booth will be at Stand #7.1D20, where Sweegen’s management and global food and beverage applications teams will welcome all food and ingredient customers and business partners.

About Sweegen

Sweegen provides sweet-taste solutions for food and beverage manufacturers around the world.

We are on a mission to reduce sugar and artificial sweeteners in the global diet. Partnering with customers, we create delicious zero-sugar products that consumers love. With the best modern sweeteners in our portfolio, such as Bestevia® Rebs B, D, E, I, M, and N, and sweet proteins brazzein and thaumatin, along with our deep knowledge of flavor modulators and texturants, Sweegen delivers market-leading solutions that customers want, and consumers prefer. Well. Into the Future.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1996. Sweegen’s actual results may differ from the estimates, assumptions, and other illustrative material contained herein, and consequently, a reader should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, illustrative information regarding Sweegen’s bottom-up assumed market potential, assumed hit rate, and the resulting revenue based on these model inputs. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results.

Industry, Market, and Other Data
In this press release, we rely on and refer to information and statistics regarding market participants in the sectors in which Sweegen competes and other data. We obtained this information and statistics from our own internal estimates and third-party sources, including reports by market research firms and company filings. We do not expressly refer to these sources. All of this information involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and the sources of such information cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. The industry in which Sweegen operates is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of important factors, any of which could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the estimates made by Sweegen or third parties.

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Ana Arakelian, Head of Public Relations and Communications

Sweegen
+1.949.709.0583

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8708571

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Tusk Limited Announces the Market’s Largest Deal

LONDON, Dec. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tusk Inc Limited (tusklimited.com), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of solar modules and complete solutions, recently launched new products such as the T.640 Solar Unit, T.150 Solar Panel with Crypto miner (complete), T.640 Solar panel with Crypto Miner, and so on. And these have piqued the interest of industry professionals. The reason is simple. Power consumption for crypto mining can be burdensome. This new technology platform is the result of feedbacks from miners and has been met with development and testing, hence this announcement.

Charging speed, battery life, security guarantees, and user experience have all improved over previous innovations. The T.640 Solar Panel Kit is compatible with a wide range of devices, tools, equipment, home and electronic industries, including cryptocurrency miners and provides security, long backup, and other areas, regarding power supply.

Tusk Inc has tested the efficiency of combining their solar products with cryptocurrency miners over time with their recent transition from polycrystalline to photovoltaic materials, and this has proven to be the most effective. Tusk Inc investors can now mine their coins with ease and maximum profit.

You do not have to worry about electricity, which has been a major issue for miners. There is 5-10 years guarantee on the panels, ensuring that they can be used for a longer period of time while you still make money from mining. This is the combination of good products.

About Tusk
Established in 2012 by team of management experts, and later joined by a team of technology experts, Tusk Inc. is now one of the leading electrical solution providers. They pride themselves also in their ability to manage risk effectively, since they have been in the business of managing risks for over a decade. And through several advancements in technology, they have incorporated less risky ventures into the Risk Management system, one of which is cryptocurrency mining, using photovoltaic materials.

PR Manager
John Walls
[email protected]
(+44)7451214344

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000770519

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Building a bridge to the future: “Cloud Open Day” of China-South Africa enterprises has been held successfully

JOHANNESBURG and BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — On December 1, “Bridge to the Future,” a theme activity of “Cloud Open Day” of China-South Africa enterprises, jointly organized by NEC Longyuan Power, South China Economic and Trade Association, and People’s Daily Online South Africa, was held simultaneously in China (Beijing, Gansu) and South Africa (Johannesburg, Northern Cape) via live video link. This commemorated the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa.

The event encouraged “One Belt, One Road” people-to-people interactions, highlighted the tale of clean energy cooperation in developing “One Belt, One Road,” and displayed the positive international reputation of Chinese businesses through cross-border cultural exchanges.

Cedric Thomas Frolick, House Chairperson of Committees, Oversight and ICT in the National Assembly of Parliament for the Republic of South Africa, Liu Guoyue, Chairman of National Energy Group, H.E. Siyabonga Cwele, Ambassador of South Africa to China, and Wang Wen’an, President of South China Economic and Trade Association delivered speeches, and Chen Xiaodong, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa delivered a video message.

Lazarus Mahlangu, Director of IPP Programme monitoring, Minister Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa to China, Mogamat Mahdi Basadien, Yusuf Timol, Minister Economic, South African Embassy in the Peoples Republic of China, Gary Smith, Deputy Director General of the Propaganda Bureau of the SASAC, State Council, and Mr. Hou Wenan, First Class Inspector.

Mr. Hou Jie, Deputy Director General and First Inspector of the Publicity Bureau of SASAC, Mr. Zhang Bin, Deputy Director General of the Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were amongst many distinguished guests invited to attend the online event.

“China Meets Rainbow,” “Hello, New Energy,” and “Talking About Low Carbon Future” were the three segments that made up the event’s “Rainbow to the Future” theme.

The Yumen Wind Farm in Gansu Province, which has a climate and landscape resembling South Africa, and the De Aar Wind Farm in South Africa, the nation’s first Chinese wind power project to integrate investment, construction, and operation, were the stops on the joint journey through the cloud, from China to South Africa.

This “Cloud Open Day” is the third consecutive year since 2020 that NEC Longyuan Power has held an open day for the public in the country where the project is located.

Video: https://www.facebook.com/LongyuanSA/videos/1217276935489954/

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1961297/De_Aar_Wind_Farm.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1961298/Yumen_Wind_Farm.jpg

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The Generation Z Forum 2022 at Tsinghua University Sees Youths Share Their Thoughts on China and the World

Student Liu Dibo Shares the Experiences of Volunteering at Winter Olympics in Beijing During the Forum

BEIJING, Dec. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Student Liu Dibo from Tsinghua University (“Tsinghua”) shared his experiences of volunteering at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games during The Global Generation Z Forum 2022 (“the Forum”) lately. The Forum, co-held by Tsinghua University and China Daily, invited Chinese and foreign attendees from more than 30 countries to share their stories and their thoughts on where China and the world are heading remotely and in presence.

Liu Dibo, who studies at Tsinghua’s School of Environment, spoke to the audience about being a volunteer at both the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, during which he was an assistant to Francesco Ricci Bitt, president of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations. Liu spoke about how he cultivated a ‘friendship of generations’ with Bitt, how he told him how much China had changed since Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics, and how he shared him about Chinese culture and places of interest in Beijing. After he had returned to his home country, Liu was thrilled to receive a letter of gratitude from Bitt, thanking his ‘outstanding friend’ for making his ‘stay at Beijing 2022 enjoyable and easygoing’ and inviting him to the next Winter Olympics, which will be held in Italy in 2026.

Youths from countries including Russia, India, South Africa, France, Egypt, Georgia, and the United States, gave speeches. By bringing together youths from all around the world, the forum showcased the positive experiences of young people striving to fulfill their potential.

Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, gave a speech on the forum to encourage youth all over the world to promote the construction of “a community with a shared future for mankind” and encouraged young people to try to better understand China.

Qiu Yong, secretary of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee and chairman of Tsinghua University Council, said during his opening remarks: “The youth represent hope and are the architects of the future. A better shared future depends on the friendships of young people continuing from generation to generation.”

Other youths that spoke at the forum included Nik Gu, a Russian who is studying international relations, and a global student ambassador at Tsinghua University. Gu spoke about how he had seen rapid development in China in recent years. Having lived in China for 17 years, Gu said he has been deeply influenced by the cultural concept of “harmony without uniformity” and called on young people to join hands worldwide to promote a “a community with a shared future for mankind”.

Tamar Kvlividze, a Georgian vlogger living in China, told the forum how she hosts videos on social media platforms in both China and Georgia on her experiences of living in China. Her channels have proven to be very popular both in China and Georgia, she said, and she expressed her hope of deepening cultural ties between the two countries.

Minh Thao Chan, a French PhD student majoring in autonomous driving at Tsinghua University, talked of his thoughts and understanding of the “Chinese path to modernization”, and how he admires how China has placed an emphasis on developing the fields of science, technology and education.

For more information, please visit Tsinghua University.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1960574/image_5002812_21192964.jpg