Tammi Weir

Stavian Selects Spheripol Technology For PP Production Plant in Vietnam

Hanoi—
LyondellBasell announced that its Spheripol technology
has been selected by Stavian Quang Yen Petrochemical
Ltd. (Stavian) for a world-scale polypropylene (PP) production
facility in Vietnam (PCN, 1 Aug 2022, p 3).
The new 600,000-t/y PP plant, to be built in Quang
Ninh Province, will commence operation using Lyondell-
Basell’s Avant ZN catalyst. PCN earlier reported that the
project would cost $1.5-billion and was expected to begin
commercial operations from the fourth quarter of 2026.
“We are delighted Stavian Quang Yen Petrochemical
selected LyondellBasell as its polypropylene licensor for
their first polyolefin facility,” said Neil Nadalin, director of
licensing at LyondellBasell.
“The selection of the Spheripol process will enable Stavian
to produce benchmark polypropylene resins in a stateof-
the-art process technology, allowing them to best serve
the fast growing Vietnamese polyolefin market.”

 

SK Innovation Plans Recycling Complex For Waste Plastics at Its Site in Ulsan

Seoul—SK Innovation
expects to spend $1.19-billion on construction of a
new waste plastic recycling complex in Ulsan, South Korea,
according to the Korea Herald.
The complex will house units to collect 250,000 t/y of
waste plastic and recycle around 80-90% of them. Construction
is scheduled to start next September, with startup
expected by the second half of 2025.
PureCycle Technologies and Loop Industries will supply
the technologies for the project. SK Innovation has also
announced joint ventures with the two companies to build
and operate parts of the complex.
“We expect 250,000 tons of plastic waste feedstock to
yield about 220,000 tons of pure plastic every year,” said
the report quoting Park Chun-seok, GT1 squad professional
leader at SK Geo Centric, a plastic recycling business
of SK Innovation.

 

Tecnicas Reunidas Agrees to Carry Out FEED For Australian Methanol, Blue NH3 Plant

Darwin—
Tecnicas Reunidas and Allied Methanol Pty. have entered
into an agreement in which Tecnicas will carry out the
front-end engineering design (FEED) for Allied’s new integrated
methanol and blue ammonia production facility
planned in Darwin, Australia.
The $800-million project would include a 1,350 t/d
methanol plant and a 415-t/d blue ammonia unit, both
based on Haldor Topsoe technology. Subject to securing
the necessary funding and permits, the plant is scheduled
to be commissioned in 2026.
Tecnicas is expected to carry out the FEED of the facility
in the coming months, it noted, adding that the plant
configuration would enable carbon emissions to be cut in
half compared to traditional technologies.

 

MGC & Cement Australia Ink MoU to Study Manufacture, Sale of Methanol from CO2

Canberra—
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. (MGC) and Cement Australia,
a Holcim and Heidelberg Materials joint venture company,
have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
to study the manufacture and sale of green methanol made
from carbon dioxide (CO2) in Australia.
The proposed project, which would be based on MGC’s
newly developed green methanol production technology,
would manufacture the green methanol from hydrogen and
from CO2 captured at Cement Australia’s Gladstone plant.
The project would also include the use of renewable electricity.
MGC’s Carbopath technology recycles CO2, waste plastics,
biomass and other inputs into methanol for use in
chemical products, fuel, and power generation.

 

Ineos & Plastic Energy Partner to Produce Recycled Raw Material from Plastic Waste

Koln—
Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe and Plastic Energy have
entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to
use Plastic Energy’s patented TAC recycling technology to
produce recycled raw materials from plastic waste.
The plant, based in Koln, Germany, will turn difficultto-
recycle plastic waste otherwise destined for incineration
or landfill, into 100,000 t/y of the raw material Tacoil,
which can be used to create virgin-quality polymers. Production
is targeted for the end of 2026.
In addition, Ineos will invest in technology to process
the Tacoil further before feeding it to their steam crackers,
where it will replace traditional raw materials derived
from oil.
“We are pleased to announce this project with Ineos to
further scale our portfolio of plants in Europe,” said Plastic
Energy Chief Executive Carlos Monreal. “Tacoil from our
recycling process has already been used in products that
have been commercialized on the European market, and
we look forward to working with Ineos to enable the production
of more recycled content.”

 

Pembina Plans Fourth Fractionator At Its Redwater Complex in Alberta

Alberta—Pembina
Pipeline Corp., in its third quarter 2022 results, said
it was currently developing a project to add a fourth fractionator
at its Redwater fractionation and storage complex
in Alberta, Canada.
The proposed fractionator is envisioned as a 55,000-b/d
propane-plus facility. The company continues to work toward
a final investment decision, and has recently signed
commercial agreements with three leading NEBC (Northeast
British Columbia) producers that could provide volumes
to underpin the construction of the fourth fractionator.
No other details were available.
Pembina said it believes the additional fractionator is
necessary given rising utilization at its facilities and across
the industry.

 

OMV & Wood Sign MoU to Collaborate On Commercial Licensing of ReOil

Vienna—OMV and
Wood have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
to enter into a mutually exclusive collaboration agreement
for the commercial licensing of OMV’s ReOil technology.
The patented chemical recycling technology converts
end-of-life plastic waste into pyrolysis oil, which is primarily
used to produce new high-quality, sustainable plastics.
The parties expect to agree on a binding cooperation by the
middle of next year.
Last December, OMV made a final investment decision
to build a 16,000-t/y ReOil demo unit at its site Schwechat,
Austria, with operations expected to start in 2023 (PCN, 14
Mar 2022, p 3). The unit will be fully integrated within the
petrochemical site at the Schwechat refinery.
By the end of 2026, OMV plans to further scale-up
ReOil into a fully industrial-scale chemical recycling facility
with a processing capacity of 200,000 t/y at the refinery.
OMV and Wood intend to jointly bring the ReOil technology
to the market and possibly integrate some of Wood’s
other complementary technologies, the parties noted.
They will form a joint ‘technology and engineering delivery
team,’ which will support clients through the whole
process of adopting and successfully implementing the
technology at their sites. ReOil licenses will be provided
will full asset life cycle support.

 

Celanese Concludes Acquisition of Majority Of DuPont’s Mobility & Materials Business

Dallas—
Celanese has finalized the purchase of the majority of Du-
Pont’s Mobility & Materials (M&M) for $11-billion (PCN,
17 October 2022, p 4).
The transaction includes a broad portfolio of engineered
thermoplastics and elastomers, “industry-renowned brands
and intellectual property, global production assets and a
“world-class” organization, Celanese noted.
Last month, the European Commission said the combined
entity would be the “largest” producer of thermoplastic
copolyester (TPC) in the European Economic Area and
globally, with only a few alternative suppliers remaining.
To address the commission’s concern, Celanese offered
to sell its global TPC business, including its production
facility in Ferrara, Italy, and its Pibiflex and Riteflex TPC
brands.

 

Solvay and Orbia to Form Partnership To Produce PVDF in North America

Boston—Solvay
and Orbia have entered into a joint venture framework
agreement to create a partnership to produce suspensiongrade
polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in the southeastern
portion of the U.S.
The partners plan to use two production sites for the
PVDF project, one for raw materials and one for finished
product. Both facilities are scheduled to be fully operational
by 2026. Capacities of the plants were not given.
Estimated to cost around $850-million, the project will
create the “largest” capacity of PVDF in North America,
Orbia noted. It is expected to be funded in part by a $178-
million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy.
Formation of the joint venture is subject to finalizing
and entering into definitive agreements between the parties
and satisfaction of customary conditions, including
obtaining regulatory approvals.

 

CF, Mitsui & Co. Commence FEED Study For Proposed U.S. Blue Ammonia Plant

Deerfield—CF
Industries, in its third quarter 2022 earnings, said it has
initiated a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study
with Mitsui & Co. for their proposed joint venture to build
an export-oriented greenfield blue ammonia facility in Ascension
Parish, La. (PCN, 9 May 2022, p 3).
ThyssenKrupp Uhde is responsible for conducting the
FEED study and a final investment decision is anticipated
in the second half of 2023. Construction and commissioning
expected to take about four years from that point.
CF would be responsible for plant operations and
maintenance, while Mitsui & Co. would lead the marketing
and distribution for the facility. Capacity was not given.
The partners earlier said the facility would produce the
ammonia by leveraging carbon capture and sequestration
processes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than
60% compared to conventional ammonia.
The proposed joint venture would be owned 52% by CF
and 48% by Mitsui & Co.

 

Ineos Europe Increasing Ethane Fleet

London—Ineos
Europe AG and Pacific Gas (Hong Kong) Holdings Co. have
signed long-term time charter agreements for four new
very large ethane carriers (VLECs).
The new 99,000-cu m VLECs will bring Ineos’ ethane
fleet to 16 vessels, with eight VLECs and eight Dragon
class ethane carriers.
With these new agreements, Ineos will have a total of
six VLECs under time charter with Pacific Gas.
“The signing of the long-term time charter agreements
for four 99,000 cubic meter VLEC vessels will take Pacific
Gas’ ethane carrying capacity to the largest in the world,”
Ineos noted.

 

People on the Move

OMV—Daniela Vlad has been appointed executive
board member responsible for Chemicals & Materials to
succeed Chairman and Chief Executive Alfred Stern, effective
1 Feb. 2023. Stern will continue to be responsible for
Chemicals & Materials until that time. Vlad is currently
managing director of the industrial coatings business at
AkzoNobel.
Kraton Corp.—Pedro Lopes, formerly senior director
of performance chemical sales, has been named chief sustainability
officer.
Far Eastern Union Petrochemical (Taiwan)—Jack
Wu has become president of the company, a subsidiary of
Oriental Union Chemical Corp. He replaces James Chou.
Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Assn. (GPCA)—
Abdulrahman S. Al-Fageeh, acting chief executive of
SABIC, has been elected chairman of GPCA, replacing
Yousef Al-Benyan.
Sabri Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, managing director of Chemanol,
has joined the board of directors of GPCA to succeed
Ali Al-Asiri, previously chief executive of Chemanol.
Air Liquide—Dennis Norris has become vice president
– senior business owner at Air Liquide Large Industries
U.S. He was previously managing director of Air liquide
Trinidad and Tobago.

 

Evonik Inks Long-Term PPA with EnBW For Supply of Wind Energy in Europe

Essen—Evonik
has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA)
with energy supplier EnBW for the supply of wind energy
to cover approximately 25% of Evonik’s electricity needs in
Europe with renewable energy.
Under the 15-year PPA, EnBW will provide Evonik
with 100 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind energy from the
new 900-MW He Dreiht wind farm under construction in
the German North Sea. The wind farm is scheduled to
start operating at the end of 2025.
Evonik is also working on other agreements for green
electricity purchased directly from producers.
“Together with EnBW, we are accelerating the implementation
of our ambitious sustainability strategy,” said
Evonik Chief Executive Christian Kullmann. “We are becoming
less dependent on fossil fuels and their price fluctuations.
“Clearly, the less fossil and more green energy
we use, the better the future opportunities for our German
and European sites will be.”

 

Ineos, SIETF Undertaking Study to Improve Energy Efficiencies at Grangemouth Site

London—
Ineos is taking part in a co-funded feasibility study with
the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund
(SIETF) to lower carbon production through energy efficiency
improvements at Ineos’ primary manufacturing asset
in Grangemouth, UK – the KG ethylene plant.
The study will consider energy efficiency improvements
that will cut natural gas consumption at the site, which
could result in a decrease of carbon dioxide emissions by up
to 50,000 t/y.
“This feasibility study demonstrates our creative thinking,
innovative engineering and determination to address
the need to reduce our carbon footprint and deliver on our
commitment to net zero operations by 2045,” noted Andy
Hughes, operations director for Ineos O&P UK Grangemouth.
“The study will review the technical and economic viability
of redesigning the furnace convection section of the
ethylene manufacturing process.”

 

Lion Elastomers Enters Distribution Deals With ChemSpec Canada, Arisan Kimya

Austin—Lion
Elastomers has entered into distribution agreements with
Arisan Kemya, a Vinmar Group company, and ChemSpec
Canada for the distribution of its product portfolio in Turkey
and Canada, respectively.
Arisan Kimya is now offering Lion Elastomers’
Royalene ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM),
RoyalEdge EPDM, RoyalTherm silicone modified EPDM,
Trilene liquid EPDM, Trilene FreeFlow EPDM, Lion Elastomers
styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), Lion Elastomers
black masterbatch SBR, Duradene solution SBR, Diene
polybutadiene rubber (PBR) and Stereon styrene butadiene
styrene (SBS) in Turkey.
In Canada, ChemSpec Canada, a subsidiary of Safic-
Alcan Group, will now distribute Lion Elastomers’ portfolio
of Royalene EPDM, Royaledge EPDM, Royaltherm EPDM,
Trilene liquid EPDM, Duradene SSBR, Diene PBR and
Stereon SBS in the Canadian market

 

KBR Launches Mega Ammonia Technology To Meet Current and Future Demands

Houston—
KBR announced the launch of its mega 10,000-t/d blue and
green ammonia technology offering to help meet the current
future sustainable energy and fertilizer demands.
The new offering leverages the company’s experience in
capacity scale-up and integrates KBR’s implemented designs
with advanced digital technologies to provide owners
the reliability, flexibility and scale required to deliver clean
ammonia and hydrogen demands for energy transition, the
company noted.
“We are truly excited to launch our mega ammonia
technology for the green hydrogen and ammonia space,”
said Doug Kelly, president of technology.
“Given the projected volumes for green hydrogen and
ammonia, capacity scale will play a defining role in helping
owners implement projects with favorable economics, and
we are confident mega plants will allow our clients to realize
attractive returns on their low-carbon hydrogen investments.”

 

BASF’s New Low Water Chem Tanker Arrives in Rotterdam for Outfitting

Rotterdam—
BASF and Stolt Tankers announced that Stolt Ludwigshafen,
an innovative new chemical tanker that can operate
in extreme low-water conditions on the Rhine, has arrived
in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and will now be fitted
out (PCN, 25 Jan 2021, p 2).
Built by Mercurius Shipping Group in China, on behalf
of Stolt, the ship has a transport capacity of about 2,500
tons at average water depths twice that of conventional
inland vessels, Stolt earlier said. It will be operated exclusively
by Stolt with its first voyage anticipated in spring
2023.
“Following the unprecedented low water levels of the
Rhine in 2018, I am pleased that with our robust contingency
measures already taken, we were able to manage the
challenges of this year’s low water period quite well,” noted
Uwe Liebelt, president of European Verbund sites at BASF
SE.
“The innovative design of the Stolt Ludwigshafen will
be another crucial element for further increasing the supply
security and thereby competitiveness of our largest
manufacturing site in the world.”

 

Iran Sells Stake in PGPIC to Ahdaf

Tehran—The government
of Iran has sold 12% of its shares in Persian Gulf
Petrochemical Industries (PGPIC) to Ahdaf Investment
Co., a subsidiary of Iran’s Oil Pension Fund, for around
$3.3-billion, according to local reports.
Last December, the Iranian government said it intends
to divest its entire stake in PGPIC, which equals 18% of
the shares in the company.

 

Bolder Selects Three Partners to Launch Its ‘First’ Tire Recycling Plant in the EU

Antwerp—
Bolder Industries, manufacturer of recovered carbon black
and other petrochemicals from end-of-life tires, has formed
partnerships with Antea Group, Cyclops and OSQB to advance
its “first” European Union (EU) tire recycling facility
planned in the Port of Antwerp, Belgium.
The facility, to be located in the NextGen District, will
be based on the design of its first two plants in the U.S.
Phase 1 will house three reactors on site, which will process
over 3-million end-of-life tires per year for the production
of BolderBlack and BolderOil. Commercial operations
are scheduled to begin in 2024.
Antea Group was involved in helping Bolder identify
the site of the new plant and will support permitting moving
forward; Cyclops was chosen as project management
partner because of their experience with industrial recycling
facilities; and OSQB was selected for the build-out of
the site.
The location of the project will boost Bolder’s environmental
savings by using 98% less carbon dioxide and 85%
less water and energy than traditional methods of virgin
carbon black production, while utilizing 98% of every scrap
tire, Bolder noted.
“Bolder made a smart move by developing in the specific
location near the largest petrochemical cluster in
Europe – the multimodal transport possibilities, and the
site’s focus on circular make it the ideal choice,” said Jan
Parys, general manger of Antea Group Belgium.

 

QatarEnergy Orders 5 Newbuild LNG Carriers, Lets Charter Contracts to MISC Consortium

Doha—
MISC Berhad, through its wholly-owned Portovenere and
Lerici (Labuan) subsidiary, together with its consortium
partners, have been awarded long-term time charter contracts
by QatarEnergy for five newbuild liquefied natural
gas (LNG) carriers.
The 174,000-cu m LNG ships, to be built by Hudong-
Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., will be equipped with
eco-efficient technologies to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Together with seven long-term time charter contracts
that were secured earlier this year, these new contracts
bring the total to 12 newbuilding LNG carriers awarded by
QatarEnergy (PCN, 15-22 Aug 2022, p 4).
The consortium partners include Nippon Yusen Kabushiki
Kaisha, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha and China LNG
Shipping (Holdings).

 

Maire Tecnimont Subsidiary Inaugurates Polymers Re-Processing, Upcycling Unit

Abu Dhabi—
Maire Tecnimont’s NextChem subsidiary, through its associate
company GCB Polymers, has inaugurated a new reprocessing
and upcycling facility for polymers in the Kezad
Industrial Zone, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The plant, built by GCB, processes a wide range of
polymer products, from near to prime to the lower end of
plant scraps, post-industrial and post-consumer waste and
recycled polymers, and upcycles it into higher-value, qualified
products fit for specific industrial applications. The
unit is expected to produce as much as 180,000 t/y of polymers
in the next few years.
“The plant at Kezad is an example of made in Italy
know-how, which was developed at home and now has been
exported to help countries like the UAE develop circular
economy on an industrial scale,” said Maire Tecnimont
Chairman Fabrizio Di Amato.
“By converting lower quality polymers into higher value
products, and at the same time upcycling plastic waste, we
are industrializing an innovative and effective way to decisively
put circularity into the picture in the UAE.
“We are glad to keep on supporting the country in the
realization of its vision in the energy transition with more
energy produced and less emissions.”
GCB Polymers is a joint venture of NextChem, P2
Polimeri and Polyme General Trading.

 

Petronas Temporarily Shuts Petchem Units After Fire at Integrated Complex in Johor

Johor—
Petronas recently experienced an explosion and fire at its
integrated refinery and petrochemical complex joint venture
with Saudi Aramco in Malaysia, resulting in the temporary
shut down of its petrochemical plants there,
Reuters reported.
The fire occurred at the Pengerang Integrated Complex
(PIC) causing damage to interconnecting pipes. The incident
did not occur within the petrochemical plants.
“However, due to the integrated nature of PIC and to
ensure the safety and wellbeing of the employees, workers
and surrounding communities, the petrochemical plants
have been temporarily shut down,” said the report quoting
Petronas Chemicals.
Petronas is assessing the damage to the interconnecting
pipes. Start-up activities will begin once all safety
measures and other considerations have been undertaken,
the company added.
The refining and petrochemical complex, a joint venture
with Saudi Aramco, consists of a 300,000-b/d refinery and
1.2-million-t/y naphtha cracker.

EC Okays Ineos & Sinopec’s Acquisitions Of Three Chinese Petchem Producers

Brussels—The
European Commission (EC) has approved three separate
joint acquisitions by Ineos and Sinopec that include the
takeover of Shanghai Secco Petrochemical Co., Shanghai
Ineos Sinopec HDPE (Tianjin) Ltd. and Ineos Styrolution
Advanced Materials (Ningbo) Pte., all based in China.
The commission concluded that the proposed acquisitions
would raise no competition concerns because of the
limited activities of the three Chinese companies in the
European Economic Area.
This past July, Ineos and Sinopec signed three agreements
for petrochemical deals in China with an aggregate
value of $7-billion (PCN, 1 Aug 2022, p 1).
Under the first agreement, Ineos will acquire a 50%
stake in Shanghai Secco Petrochemical, a subsidiary of
Sinopec. Shanghai Secco has a production capacity of 4.2-
million-t/y of petrochemicals, including ethylene, propylene,
polyethylene, polypropylene, styrene, polystyrene,
acrylonitrile, butadiene, benzene and toluene.
In the second deal, Ineos and Sinopec will establish a
50-50 joint venture for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
(ABS) production. This will include a 600,000-t/y facility
being built by Ineos Styrolution in Ningbo, which is scheduled
to begin operations by the end of 2023.
The ABS venture is also expected to build two 300,000-
t/y plants, one in Tianjin and one at a site not yet decided.
In the third agreement, Ineos and Sinopec will establish
a 50-50 joint venture to build a new 500,000-t/y highdensity
polyethylene (HDPE) plant in Tianjin.
The companies also plan to build at least two additional
500,000-t/y HDPE units in the future to produce Ineos pipe
grade under license.

 

Braskem and Sojitz Launch Sustainea JV To Produce & Market BioMEG, BioMPG

São Paulo—
Braskem and Sojitz have launched Sustainea, a new joint
venture that will produce and market bio-MEG (monoethylene
glycol) and bio-MPG (monopropylene glycol) at an
undecided location (PCN, 28 Mar 2022, p 4).
Subject to the approval of technology, the joint venture
plans to build three industrial plants, with a combined
production capacity of up to 700,000 t/y of bio-MEG. The
plants could be located in Europe, Asia, the U.S. or Brazil.
The first unit is expected to start up in 2026.
“Sustainea is born as a disruptive initiative in the petrochemicals
markets,” said Gustavo Sergi, chief executive
of Sustainea Bioglycols.
“We wish to positively impact the polyester and PET
[polyethylene terephthalate] markets, which are continuing
to grow, especially in Asia, driving the strong demand
for sustainable and renewable products.
“Sustainea will also establish an entire production
chain to ensure the supply of sustainable and competitive
feedstock, as well as a logistics operation that ensures the
lowest carbon footprint.”

 

Celanese Lifts Force Majeure Declared On Certain Acetyl Chain Products

Dallas—Celanese
announced it is lifting the force majeure declared on 11
May 2022 on certain Western Hemisphere acetyl chain
products (PCN, 16 May 2022, p 1).
The products include acetic acid, vinyl acetate monomer,
ethyl acetate, acetic anhydride, vinyl and acrylic
emulsions, redispersible powders and ethylene vinyl acetate
polymers.
Celanese is currently unable to lift the force majeure in
connection with its acetate tow products, due to ongoing
supply chain disruptions and an inability to reliably obtain
certain necessary raw materials.
“Celanese is continuing to assess our suppliers’ and logistics
partners’ ongoing operational issues and will provide
notice of when normal supply of these products will
resume,” the company noted.

 

Milliken and PureCycle Jointly Create Sustainable Concentrate Using rPP

Ghent—Milliken
& Co. and PureCycle Technologies announced they have
created the “first” fully sustainable concentrate for polypropylene
(PP) on the market using recycled PP (rPP)
resin.
The new concentrate enables the production of parts
that are free of odor and color, which makes using rPP an
attractive option for PP converters because it can be used
in various applications, provides the same quality as virgin
PP and has crystal clear clarity, the companies noted.
Also, customers should not need to adjust their operations
to accommodate the concentrate, unlike using alternative
recycled material, which typically requires color or
formulation adjustments.
“This development advances circularity, since the concentrate
based on PureCycle materials will allow for
greater use of 100% recycled content,” the parties noted.
“Additionally, when used in combination with PureCycle’s
recycled PP, it produces a formulation with a carbon footprint
approximately 35% lower than that of virgin PP.”

 

Inovyn Gets Renamed Ineos Inovyn; Hydrogen Business Also Renamed

London—Vinyl
chloride producer Inovyn announced that it will now be
referred to as Ineos Inovyn.
The company also unveiled a new logo, which sees
Inovyn fully align its company brand as a full member of
the Ineos family.
In addition, Inovyn’s hydrogen business will now be renamed
Ineos Hydrogen. The name of most legal entities
and commercial products of Ineos Inoyvn, however, will
remain unchanged.
In October 2021, Ineos announced plans to invest over
€2-billion, through its Inovyn business, into electrolysis
projects to make zero carbon, green hydrogen projects
across Europe.

 

Rohm, OQ Chem Officially Break Ground For New MMA Plant on U.S. Gulf Coast

Houston—
Rohm and OQ Chemicals have broken ground on a new
world-scale methyl methacrylate (MMA) facility at OQ’s
production site in Bay City, Texas, on the U.S. Gulf Coast
(PCN, 1 Aug 2022, p 2).
The 250,000-t/y MMA plant, being built by Rohm, will
utilize Rohm’s proprietary LiMA technology. Completion
is scheduled for early 2024. Cost of the project was not
disclosed.
OQ will supply the MMA plant with key raw materials
and provide site services and utilities. Earlier this year, it
announced a final investment decision to increase capacity
of propionic aldehyde to supply the MMA unit.
“With our project ‘Propel,’ short for ‘Propyls Elevated,’
we are expanding portfolio applications whilst supporting
Rohm’s new MMA plant . . .,” said OQ Chief Executive Dr.
Oliver Borgmeier.
“Our business in North America is strong, sustained
and successful, and the Bay City site is a core site for OQ
Chemicals.
“Our significant investment in additional capacity for
propionic aldehyde and infrastructure there emphasizes its
importance and the trust we put in the Bay City site and
its employees.”

 

Shunli Begins Production at ‘World’s First’ Commercial Scale CO2-to-Methanol Plant

Anyang—
Carbon Recycling International (CRI) announced that
Shunli, majority owned by Henan Shuncheng Group, has
started production at the “world’s first” commercial scale
carbon dioxide (CO2)-to-methanol facility in Anyang, Henan
Province, China (PCN, 27 May 2019, p 2).
The plant, based on CRI’s Emissions-to-Liquids process,
can capture 160,000 t/y of CO2 emissions. The captured
CO2 is then reacted with recovered hydrogen in CRI’s proprietary
reactor system with the capacity to produce
110,000 t/y of methanol. Shunli is owner and operator of
the project.

 

Oxy’s OLCV & NRP Ink Agreement to Study Possible CO2 Sequestration Hub in Texas

Houston—
Occidental’s (Oxy) Low Carbon Ventures (OLCV) subsidiary
has signed an agreement with Natural Resource Partners
to evaluate and potentially develop a permanent carbon
dioxide (CO2) sequestration hub located in Southeast
Texas.
The agreement gives OLCV exclusive rights to develop
a CO2 sequestration hub on a site controlled by NRP that
offers proximity to a large number of industrial CO2 emissions.
The approximate CO2 storage potential is at least
500-million tons. OLCV expects its 1PointFive subsidiary
to complete the development of the project.
“We look forward to working with Natural Resource
Partners LP as we advance our sequestration hubs that
will provide industrial emitters with an economic and practical
solution to capture and securely store CO2,” said Dr.
Doug Conquest, vice president of OLCV.
“This agreement furthers our commercial-scale decarbonization
solutions as we work to achieve net zero and
help others do the same.”

 

Denka and SCGC Agree to Establish JV To Manufacture, Sell Acetylene Black

Tokyo—Denka
and SCG Chemicals (SCGC) have entered into an agreement
to form a joint venture company to operate an acetylene
black manufacturing and sales business.
The joint venture, to be owned 60% by Denka and 40%
by SCGC, is expected to build acetylene black facilities
with about 11,000 t/y of capacity. Production is anticipated
to start at the beginning of 2025.
The partnership will combine Denka’s high-purity
acetylene black manufacturing technologies and sales network,
with SCGC’s extensive and stable raw materials
supply capabilities.
Denka currently produces Denka Black and Denka
Black/Li acetylene black at three sites located in Japan
and overseas.

 

Nova Commercializes 100% Post-Consumer Mechanically Recycled Polyethylene Resin

Calgary—
Nova Chemicals has launched its new post-consumer mechanically
recycled polyethylene (PE) resin (EX-PCR-NC4)
to enable a fully circular plastics economy for flexible film.
The new PE resin, available commercially, contains
100% post-consumer recycled PE (rPE) and offers highly
versatile design flexibility, the company noted.
The rPE is sourced from distribution center flexible
film, which includes a blend of back-of-store stretch and
front-of-store consumer drop off, and is processed using
state-of-the-art technology resulting in a low odor, consistent
and stable product, it added.

 

Eastman & PepsiCo Sign Definitive Deal For New Molecular Recycling Facility

Kingsport—
Eastman Chemical Co., in announcing its third quarter
2022 financial results, said it has reached a definitive
agreement with PepsiCo for its third planned molecular
recycling facility.
The proposed project would process around 160,000
tons of hard-to-recycle polyethylene terephthalate, carpet
and textiles for the production of over 150,000 tons of recycled
polymers for packaging and textiles to supply to PepsiCo
and other brands. Start-up is expected in 2026.
“PepsiCo’s sustainable packaging vision is to build a
world where packaging never becomes waste, and we collaborate
with suppliers and partners to scale new technologies
to meet that ambition,” noted PepsiCo Chief Sustainability
Officer Jim Andrew.
“Molecular recycling, enabled through agreements like
this one, can drive systemic change by diverting landfillbound
plastic, delivering a lower carbon footprint, and providing
infinite circularity.”

 

People on the Move

Agilyx—Jan Secher has become chair of the board of
directors to succeed Peter Norris, who has stepped down as
chair but will remain on the board. The appointments,
effective 21 Oct. 2022, are for a two-year term. Secher was
previously chief executive of Perstorp Group before it was
recently acquired by Petronas Chemicals Group (PCN, 17
Oct 2022, p 2).

 

U.S. Biden-Harris Administration Expands Cybersecurity Initiative to Chem Sector

Washington–
The U.S. White House announced that the Biden-Harris
administration has expanded the Industrial Control Systems
(ICS) Cybersecurity Initiative to include a fourth sector
– the chemical sector.
“The majority of chemical companies are privately
owned, so we need a collaborative approach between the
private sector and government,” the administration said.
“The nation’s leading chemical companies and the government’s
lead agency for the chemical sector – the Cybersecurity
and Infrastructure Agency – have agreed on a plan
to promote a higher standard of cybersecurity across the
sector, including capabilities that enable visibility and
threat detection for industrial control systems.”
The plan will serve as a roadmap to guide the sector’s
review of their current cybersecurity practices over the
next 100 days. The Chemical Action plan will:
Focus on high-risk chemical plants that present
significant chemical release hazards with the ultimate
goal of supporting enhanced ICS cybersecurity
across the entire chemical sector;
Drive information sharing and analytical coordination
between the federal government and the
chemical sector;
Foster collaboration with the sector owners and operators
to facilitate and encourage the deployment
of appropriate technologies based on each chemical
facility’s own risk assessment and cybersecurity
posture. The federal government will not select,
endorse, or recommend any specific technology or
provider; and,
Support the continuity of chemical production critical
to the national and economic security of the U.S.

 

QatarEnergy Picks Shell, TotalEnergies As Partners in NFS Expansion Project

Doha—
QatarEnergy has selected Shell and TotalEnergies as international
partners in the North Field South (NFS) liquefied
natural gas (LNG) expansion project in Qatar (PCN,
27 June 2022, p 2).
The NFS project comprises two LNG trains with a combined
capacity of 16-million t/y, which will raise Qatar’s
total LNG export capacity to 126 million-t/y.
Shell and TotalEnergies will each have an effective net
participating interest of 9.375% in the project, out of a 25%
interest available for three international partners. Qatar
Energy will hold the remaining 75% interest. The third
partnership will be announced in due course.
The North Field Expansion Project, comprising NFS
and the North Field East (NFE) expansion projects, is the
industry’s “largest ever” LNG project, QatarEnergy noted.
It will begin production in 2026 and will add over 48-
million t/y by 2027.
The NFE project will add four new LNG trains with a
total capacity of 32-million t/y.

 

Vopak Singapore Mulls Expansion Of NH3 Storage Infrastructure

Jurong Island—Vopak
Singapore said it is exploring expanding its ammonia storage
infrastructure with full import/export capabilities at
its Banyan Terminal on Jurong Island in Singapore.
The terminal, which has around 1.5 million cu m of
storage capacity, is an integrated oil, chemical and gas hybrid
storage terminal. It currently owns and operates a
refrigerated ammonia tank with 10,000 cu m of capacity,
which is supporting petrochemical activities in Singapore.
Subject to a final investment decision, the expansion
project would add new ammonia storage capacity mainly
for the power and maritime sectors. The conceptual design
of the project has been completed and a quantitative risk
assessment study has begun.
“In line with Singapore’s ambition on net-zero carbon
emissions, Vopak can leverage on our proven expertise of
safely storing ammonia in Banyan,” said Vopak Terminals
Singapore Managing Director Rob Boudestijn.
“We have the right expertise and are at the right location
to facilitate new supply chains for low carbon ammonia.
We do see a strong potential in Singapore that supports
the momentum of developing ammonia ready infrastructure
ahead of other locations.”

 

Port Arthur LNG, Bechtel Amend Contract For EPC of Liquefaction Project in Texas

Houston—
Port Arthur LNG, a subsidiary of Sempra, and Bechtel Energy
have amended and restated the fixed-price engineering,
procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the
proposed Phase 1 liquefaction project under development
in Jefferson County, Texas (PCN, 27 June 2022, p 3).
Phase 1 is permitted and expected to include two new
natural gas liquefaction trains and liquefied natural gas
(LNG) storage tanks, and associated facilities capable of
producing up to around 13.5-million t/y of LNG, under optimal
conditions. No schedule was available.
Under the amended contract, Bechtel will perform the
detailed engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning,
start-up, performance testing and operator
training activities for Phase 1 at an updated price of about
$10.5-billion.
Phase 2, which would be similar in size to the first
phase, is under active marketing and development.
Development of the two-phase project is contingent
upon a final investment decision, completion of required
commercial agreements and securing all necessary permits,
among other factors.

 

Univar, Arkema Expand Distribution Deal To Include Belgium, France and Turkey

Chicago—
Univar Solutions said it has expanded its authorization
with Arkema to distribute Arkema’s cross-linking organic
peroxides in Belgium, France and Turkey, starting 1 Jan.
2023.
The agreement adds to the companies’ existing distribution
partnership currently serving rubber and plastic
additives customers in Portugal and Spain’s cross-linking
markets.
The distribution agreement covers Arkema’s Luperox
and Retic organic peroxides for cross-linking of rubber and
elastomers.

 

Denbury Agrees to Provide CO2 Services To LCM’s Planned Blue Methanol Plant

Plano—
Denbury Carbon Solutions, a subsidiary of Denbury Inc.,
has signed a 20-year definitive agreement with Lake
Charles Methanol (LCM) to supply carbon dioxide (CO2)
transportation and storage services to LCM for a planned
blue methanol project along the Calcasieu River near Lake
Charles, Louisiana.
The 3.6-million-t/y blue methanol plant will utilize Topsoe’s
SynCor technology to convert natural gas into hydrogen,
which will be synthesized into methanol, while incorporating
permanent carbon capture and sequestration. A
final investment decision is anticipated next year with
production expected to start in 2027.
LCM expects to capture around 1-million t/y of CO2
that will be transported by Denbury to its Green Pipeline
and then to one of several planned sequestration sites
along Denbury’s Gulf Coast CO2 pipeline network.
Denbury, in connection with the project, plans to build
a pipeline connection from the Lake Charles industrial
area to its Green Pipeline, located approximately 10 miles
from LCM’s proposed facility.
It is anticipated that the new pipeline will facilitate the
transportation and storage of “significant” additional CO2
emissions from the Lake Charles industrial area, currently
estimated at 20-million t/y, Denbury noted.

 

QatarEnergy, ExxonMobil to Offtake, Market LNG from New Golden Pass Export Project

Doha—
Affiliates of QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil have agreed to
independently offtake and market their respective proportionate
equity shares of liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced
by the Golden Pass LNG export project being built in
Sabine Pass, Texas (PCN, 25 Feb 2019, p 3).
A joint venture of QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, the
$10-billion Golden Pass project will have a production capacity
of 18-million t/y of LNG. Production is expected to
begin by the end of 2024.
Under the agreement, QatarEnergy’s wholly-owned
subsidiary, QatarEnergy Trading, will offtake and market
70% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced by Golden
Pass.
As a result of this arrangement, OceanLNG, a joint
venture established in 2016 between affiliates of QatarEnergy
and ExxonMobil for the purpose of offtaking and marketing
the entire production of Golden Pass, has ceased
operations and will be wound down, QatarEnergy noted.

 

Toyotsu PET Recycling Systems Starts Up Horizontal PET Bottle Recycling Facility

Tokyo—
Toyotsu PET Recycling Systems, manufacturer of recycled
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for beverage bottles, has
begun full-scale operations at its new horizontal PET bottle
recycling facility in Japan (PCN, 5 Oct 2020, p 4).
The company, established in 2020 by Toyota Tsusho,
Utsumi Recycle Systems, Chuo Warehouse and others,
sorts, shreds and washes used PET bottles to recycle them
into around 40,000 t/y of recycled PET resin for new PET
bottles.
“In Japan, approximately 97% of disposed PET bottles
are collected, of which 88.5% are recycled (98% as an effective
utilization rate when heat recovery is included),” noted
Toyota Tsusho. “However, only 15.7% of PET bottles are
horizontally recycled from PET bottle to PET bottle,” said
the company citing the Council for PET Bottle Recycling’s
PET Bottle Recycling Annual Report 2021.

 

Shell to Supply Sustainable Butadiene For Use in Zeon’s S-SBR Production

Tokyo—Shell has
entered into a memorandum of understanding to supply
biomass-derived butadiene to Zeon Chemicals Singapore
(Pte) Ltd. (ZCS), a subsidiary of Zeon Corp., for future use
in ZCS’s production of solution-polymerized styrene butadiene
rubber (S-SBR).
Zeon, which has been actively shifting to sustainable
raw materials, said it is currently in the process of obtaining
international certification for biomass-derived raw materials,
and it considers sales of S-SBR made from sustainable
butadiene as a certified product.

 

Nova Chem Plans to Select Tricon Energy As European Distributor of Sclairtech

Calgary—Nova
Chemicals said it intends to enter into a letter of intent
with Tricon Energy to be a branded distributor of its Advanced
Sclairtech technology and other high-performance
polyethylene resins in the European market.
The arrangement would provide European converters,
manufacturers and brand owners with expanded access to
Nova’s entire portfolio of products, increased traceability,
local sales and service, and manufacturer technical support
starting early next year.

Ineos O&P Plans €30-Million Upgrade Of Lillo Polyolefins Unit in Belgium

Antwerp—Ineos
O&P said it will spend €30-million in the conversion of its
polyolefins facility in Lillo, at the Port of Antwerp, Belgium,
to enable its existing capacity to produce either
monomodal or bimodal grades of high-density polyethylene.
Following the upgrade, the site will increase production
of the highly engineered polymers that Ineos combines
with recycled plastic to form the Recycl-IN range. A
schedule for the project was not given.
The Recycle-IN range enables converters and brand
owners to produce products that meet consumer demands
for increased use of recycled materials, while continuing to
deliver the high-performance specifications they expect,
Ineos noted.
“This investment will enable our business to support
the growing use of products that play a key role in the
transition to net zero, as well as other uses essential to
homes and businesses,” said Rob Ingram, chief executive of
Ineos O&P Europe North.

 

Air Liquide, LyondellBasell and Two Others Study Gulf Coast Hydrogen, NH3 Plant

Houston—Air
Liquide, LyondellBasell, Uniper and Chevron announced
plans to partner in a joint study that will evaluate and potentially
advance the development of a hydrogen and ammonia
production facility along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Specifically, the consortium will assess the feasibility of
producing hydrogen using natural gas with carbon capture
and storage (CCS) and renewable hydrogen via electrolysis
to supply end-use markets, including the petrochemicals,
ammonia, power and mobility markets.
Collectively, the companies will bring capabilities and
expertise in air separation technology, hydrogen technologies,
lower carbon intensity and renewable natural gas,
CCS, electrolysis-based technologies, and petrochemicals.
The proposed project could use existing advantages
along the U.S. Gulf Coast, including pipeline infrastructure,
to supply lower carbon and renewable hydrogen to
local industrial clusters. Also, ammonia infrastructure
could support exports to both Europe and the Asia Pacific
region.
“While our products plan an important role in helping
to enable greenhouse gas emissions reductions through
their use in renewable energy technologies, such as wind
turbines, solar panels and electric batteries, we are also
taking concrete steps to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions
from our operations,” said Aaron Ledet, senior vice
president, olefins and polyolefins, Americas at Lyondell-
Basell.
“We look forward to collaborating with the members of
this consortium to continue evaluating and advancing
clean hydrogen as a potential solution for reducing the
greenhouse gas emissions of our U.S. Gulf Coast manufacturing
assets.”

 

GS Caltex Awards KBR Technology Contract For Plastics Circularity Facility in S. Korea

Yeosu—
KBR has been awarded a contract from GS Caltex to provide
plastics recycling technology for GS Caltex’s planned
plastics circularity project in South Korea.
The 50,000-t/y unit, based on KBR and Mura’s Hydro-
PRT process, will convert waste plastics into raw materials
for conversion into new plastics, “achieving total circularity,”
KBR noted. No other details were available.
Early this year, PCN, citing a report by the Korea Herald,
said that GS Caltex would begin pilot production of
propylene using oil extracted from plastic waste in a pyrolysis
process at its Yeosu site in South Korea (PCN, 3 Jan
2022, p 4).
According to the report, GS Caltex said if the pilot project
proved successful, the company would build a waste
plastic oil production facility with 50,000 t/y of capacity,
which would start up in 2024.

 

Mitsui Enters MoU with Shell for Supply Of Ethylene Derived from Plastic Waste

Tokyo—
Mitsui Chemicals has signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with Shell Eastern Petroleum for the supply
of ethylene from plastic waste to be used in the production
of chemically recycled polyethylene (PE).
Prime Polymer Co., part of the Mitsui Chemicals
Group, will begin efforts toward the production of chemically
recycled PE via its Prime Evolue Singapore Pte. subsidiary.
The circular polyethylene will be supplied by
Prime Evolue Singapore as a new part of the Evolue lineup
it manufactures and sells.
Mitsui Chemicals and Prime Polymer each aim to
achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through a two-pronged
approach that combines recycling with a biomass transition
for chemicals and plastics, the companies noted.

 

Borealis Plans Commercial-Scale Borcycle M Advanced Mechanical Recycling Facility

Vienna—
Borealis said it is designing a first-of-its-kind commercialscale
advanced mechanical recycling plant to be built in
Schwechat, Austria.
The plant, which will be based on Borealis’ Borcycle M
technology, will have the capacity to produce over 60,000
t/y of advanced mechanical recycled polyolefin solutions
and compounds. Operations are expected to begin in 2025.
NextChem will be responsible for the front-end engineering
design (FEED). Once the FEED phase is complete,
Borealis expects to take a final investment decision in the
second half of 2023 and begin construction by the end of
2023.
Borealis decided to go ahead with the project following
positive feedback from the market on recycled polyolefins
delivered by a demonstration plant based on the same
technology.

 

PureCycle & SKGC Agree to Create JV For Asia’s ‘First’ PP Recycling Facility

Ulsan—
PureCycle Technologies and SK geo centric (SKGC) announced
the signing of a joint venture agreement to build
Asia’s “first” polypropylene (PP) recycling plant in Ulsan,
South Korea.
The facility, which will have an operating capacity of up
to 60,000 t/y, will turn contaminated plastic feedstock into
ultra-pure recycled resin that can be infinitely reused and
recycled, PureCycle noted. Completion is expected by the
second quarter of 2025.
The parties will jointly invest in construction of the
plant and will each have a 50% ownership in the joint venture.
PureCycle has also agree to provide SKGC with certain
first rights to participate with PureCycle should it
decide to expand in the Asian region.
PureCycle will provide its patented purification recycling
technology/IP and contribute technical capabilities to
the venture, while SKGC will bring its marketing capabilities
related to market development, strategy, and sales.
“Asia’s first commercial production of ultra-pure recycled
PP is in sight,” noted SKGC Chief Executive Na
Kyung-soo. “This will take SK geo centric to the next level.
“We will continue to contribute to making Korea play a
key role in the rapidly growing global recycling industry.”

 

Chemfab Lets EPCM Contract to Nuberg For Chlor-Alkali Plant Project in India

New Delhi—
Nuberg EPC has been awarded an engineering, procurement
and construction management (EPCM) contract from
Chemfab Alkalis for a chlor-alkali plant project in Karaikal,
Puducherry, India.
The new 250-t/d chlor-alkali plant, which will utilize
the latest bipolar membrane-based electrolysis system
technology, will produce caustic soda, hydrochloric acid,
sodium hypochlorite, and others. Production is expected to
begin in 22 months.

 

Ineos Signs Deal with Bigshire Mexico To Buy Chlor-Alkali Producer Ashta

Columbus—Ineos
Enterprises has entered into an agreement to acquire
chlor-alkali producer Ashta Chemicals from Bigshire Mexico
for an undisclosed amount.
The deal includes a facility in Ashtabula, Ohio, with
100,000 t/y of potassium hydroxide capacity and 65,000 t/y
of chlorine capacity. The plant is located close to the Ineos
Pigments facility. Subject to regulatory approvals, the
transaction is targeted to close before the end of the year.
“Ashta has undergone significant investments in the
past few years under Bigshire’s ownership, most notably
the construction and commissioning of a modern membrane
cell chlor-alkali plant, which utilizes Ineos’ Bichlor
technology,” noted Bigshire Chief Financial Officer Ruy
Zavala.
“Once completed, we believe the deal presents an excellent
strategic fit for the long-term local supply and use of
chlorine between Ashta and Ineos Pigments,” said Ineos
Enterprises Chief Executive Ashley Reed.
“In addition, Ashta Chemicals will bring a wellestablished
and respected North American potassium hydroxide
business into the Ineos Enterprises portfolio.”

 

Cyclyx, ExxonMobil & LyondellBasell To Advance Plastic Processing Unit

Houston—Cyclyx
International, ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell announced
the signing of an agreement to advance the development of
a “first-of-its kind” plastic waste sorting and processing
facility in the Houston area of Texas.
The Cyclyx Circularity Center, estimated to cost $100-
million, will be designed to produce 150,000 t/y of plastic
feedstock to supply ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell advanced
recycling projects, as well as mechanical markets.
The feedstock can be used for both mechanical and advanced
recycling, making it unique among plastic recovery
facilities, Cyclyx noted.
A final investment decision is expected in early 2023,
with start-up anticipated in 2024.
“We are growing our global recycling capacity and actively
pursuing opportunities to help capture more plastic
waste from landfills in order to make it suitable for recycling,”
noted Yvonne van der Laan, executive vice president
of circular and low-carbon solutions at LyondellBasell.
“This agreement is a perfect example of how collaboration
across the value chain can help close the gaps to make
a circular economy possible, such as access to plastic waste
feedstock.”

 

LyondellBasell & Shakti Plastic Ink MoU For Indian Mechanical Recycling Plant

Mumbai—
LyondellBasell said it has signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with Shakti Plastic Industries, India’s
“largest” plastic scrap recycler and waste collection company,
to build and operate a fully-automated, mechanical
recycling facility in India.
The new plant, which is envisaged to become the “largest”
of its kind in India, is expected to process rigid packaging
post-consumer waste and produce 50,000 t/y of recycled
polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Start-up is anticipated
at the end of 2024.
LyondellBasell will be responsible for marketing the recycled
products under its Circulen Recover range of PE and
PP materials.
“The proposed joint venture will allow us to address the
issue of plastic waste in the second most populated country
in the world and expand our circular polymer product offering
to India,” noted Yvonne van der Laan, executive vice
president of circular and low carbon solutions at Lyondell-
Basell.
“Combining our respective expertise with Shakti . . .
will create an innovative system that can be scaled as the
circular economy grows.”

 

People on the Move

Lummus Technology—Marlene DellaCrosse has become
senior business development specialist. She was
previously sales operations projects specialist at Axens.
Sulzer AG—Suzanne Thoma, chairwoman of the board
of directors of Sulzer, has been appointed executive president.
She will succeed the current chief executive, Frederic
Lalanne, who is resigning at the end of this month.
Incitec Pivot Ltd.—Christine Corbett has been named
chief executive designate of the proposed standalone Incitec
Pivot Fertilisers business, beginning 9 Jan. 2023.

 

GCR Investing in Recycling Facility To Meet Demand for R-Polyolefins

Barcelona—GCR
Group said it plans to open a new dedicated recycling plant
in Spain to serve the increased global demand for its Ciclic
range of recycled polyolefins (R-polyolefins).
The 200,000-t/y facility, to be built in Castellet i La
Gornal, Barcelona, will be “one of the largest of its kind”
the company noted. Commissioning is expected in 2023,
with full operations in 2025.
“The Ciclic [R]-polyolefins are based on upcycling fully
traceable waste streams and can deliver similar and consistent
material properties as the virgin plastic,” GCR
noted. “By replacing virgin plastic with these grades, carbon
footprint certification can be 60-80% lower without
compromising performance and quality.”

 

Cefic Calls for Action from EC, Member States To Tackle Energy Crisis’ Affect on Chems

Brussels—
The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), in a call
for action to the European Commission (EC) and European
Union (EU) member states, said the current energy crisis
has reached an unsustainable level for the European
chemical industry and it is reaching its breaking point.
For the first time, the EU imports more chemicals than
it exports, both in volume and value, resulting in a trade
deficit of €5.6-billion for the first half of 2022, Cefic noted.
The energy crisis is making a dent in the competitiveness
of the chemical industry, which is one of the most energy
intensive in Europe, having to compete on the global
market with players from regions with more favorable energy
prices, it added.
“We are approaching the point of no-return: if no emergency
solution to the energy prices is provided to our sector,
we are not far off the breaking point,” said Cefic Director
General Marco Mensink.
“Hundreds of businesses in the chemical sector are already
in survival mode and we have started seeing the first
closures. We need action now.”
Cefic calls on the EC and member states to immediately
design and implement closely coordinated pan-European
measures to limit the impact of energy prices vis-à-vis
competing economies, increase energy supply and incentivize
reductions in energy consumption, which both target
the upcoming winter and prepare for 2023 and beyond.

 

Ascend Launches ReDefyne Portfolio Of Recycled Polyamide Materials

Houston—Ascend
Performance Materials has launched ReDefyne, a new
portfolio of sustainable polyamides created with up to
100% pre- and post-consumer recycled polyamide 66 or 6.
ReDefyne products, which are third-party certified, provide
a low carbon footprint and reliable performance, even
in demanding applications, the company noted.
“ReDefyne combines our expertise from Poliblend with
our integrated operations and our global application development
expertise to produce a recycled polyamide that performs
in areas recycled materials have typically been ruled
out of,” said Steve Manning, senior director for engineered
materials.
In addition, the company said it is partnering with ITW
Global Fasteners to pilot blockchain traceability through
Plastic Finder’s Certified Circular Plastic program.

 

Reliance Gets CCI Approval to Purchase Certain Businesses of SPL and SPTex

New Delhi—
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved
Reliance Polyester’s proposed acquisition of certain businesses
of Shubhalakshmi Polyesters Ltd. (SPL) and
Shubhlaxmi Polytex Ltd. (SPTex).
The transaction involves the acquisition of SPL and
SPTex’s business undertakings pertaining to the manufacture
of polyester products on a slump sale basis for a lump
sum consideration.
Reliance Polyester is a subsidiary of the Reliance Industries
Ltd. group.

 

Dow Accelerating Sustainability Goals With ‘Transform the Waste’ Target

Midland—Dow
said it will accelerate the sustainability goals set by the
company in 2020 by expanding its “Stop the Waste” target
to a “Transform the Waste” target.
By 2030, Dow will transform plastic waste and other
forms of alternative feedstock to commercialize 3-million
t/y of circular and renewable solutions.
In order to achieve its goal, Dow will expand its efforts
to stop the waste by building industrial ecosystems to collect,
reuse and recycle waste and expand its portfolio to
meet “rapidly” growing demand.
“We are expanding our commitments to address plastic
waste and meet customers’ increasing demands for more
sustainable and circular products,” noted Dow Chairman
and Chief Executive Jim Fitterling.
“Through investments in key technologies, infrastructure
and strategic collaborations, we are expanding our
Stop the Waste goal to reflect the transformation of Dow’s
plastic franchise and leadership to enable a circular economy.
“We will increase the value of waste and enable a new
industrial ecosystem to grow, which in turn will allow Dow
to scale our ability to produce circular and low-carbon
emission solutions.”
The company recently formed a new business platform,
Circular & Renewable Solutions, aligned within the Packaging
& Specialty Plastics segment.
“The creation of the Circular & Renewable Solutions
business platform will accelerate our ability to deliver on
these enhanced commitments and advance our circular
plastics business model,” said Diego Donoso, president of
Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics.

 

ExxonMobil Divesting Billings Refinery; Will Invest in Higher-Value Products

Irving—
ExxonMobil and its affiliates have agreed to divest the
Billings refinery, as well as associated pipelines and product
terminals in Montana and Washington, to Par Pacific
Holdings.
The sales agreement includes the Silvertip pipeline,
ExxonMobil’s interest in the Yellowstone pipeline and Yellowstone
Energy, and its stakes in product terminals in
both states. The transaction is expected to close in the
second quarter of next year.
“ExxonMobil is focused on investing in facilities where
we can manufacture higher-value products such as lubricants
and chemicals,” said ExxonMobil Product Solutions
President Karen McKee.

 

Agilis & SpecialChem Launch PIM System For Chem Producers and Distributors

Newark—
Agilis and SpecialChem have launched ionicPIM, a cloudbased
product information management (PIM) system designed
specifically for chemical producers and distributors.
IonicPIM is a digital platform that enables companies
to centralize, organize, enrich and distribute product information,
helping them maintain a single source for all
product data and documents.
The PIM system is preconfigured for chemicals, making
it easy to implement and adopt, the partners noted. It also
allows for producers and distributors to connect their PIMs
to share product information.
IonicPM is currently in the pilot phase. Full availability
is expected in January 2023.

 

Planic JV Announces Full Operation At Japanese Plastic Recycling Plant

Tokyo—Planic, a
joint venture of Veolia Japan, Toyota Tsusho and Kojima
Sangyo, recently announced the start of full operation at
“one of Japan’s” largest plastic recycling plants in
Omaezaki-shi, Shizouka (PCN, 8 Apr 2019, p 2).
The 40,000-t/y facility collects mixed plastic from recycling
and other facilities and sorts and compounds the
mixed plastic based on material type to recycle them back
into plastic raw materials. The plant uses an advanced
gravity separation technology licensed by Galloo Plastics.

 

ASC to Buy Renewable Energy from PLN For Its Chemical Production in Indonesia

Jakarta—
Asahimas Chemical (ASC), a subsidiary of AGC Group, has
signed a contract to purchase renewable energy certificates
from Indonesia’s state-owned electricity company (PLN) for
its integrated chlor-alkali to polyvinyl chloride production
complex in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The contract, which involves the supply of around
18,000 gigawatt hours for about 15 years, is effective from
October 2022.
The market for ASC’s caustic soda and polyvinyl chloride
is expected to continue to grow at about 4% a year in
line with economic growth in the Southeast Asia region,
AGC noted.
ASC will continue to expand in the region to meet demand
and, at the same time, focus on reducing the environmental
impact of our production.

 

SABIC Begins Commercial Operations For EG Unit at JUPC’s Jubail Site

Jubail—SABIC, in
an announcement to Tadawul, said it has started commercial
operations at its third ethylene glycol (EG) plant
within its Jubail United Petrochemicals Co. (JUPC) subsidiary
site in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia (PCN,
22-29 Nov 2021, p 1).
The plant has a production capacity of 700,000 t/y of
monoethylene glycol. Samsung was responsible for the
engineering, design, supply and construction of the unit.

 

Arakawa to Permanently Shut Down European Hydrocarbon Resin Plant

Tokyo—The
board of directors of Arakawa Chemical Industries Ltd. has
decided the company will permanently shut down the
Arkon hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin production facility
at its Arakawa Europe GmbH consolidated subsidiary in
Germany.
The 20,000-t/y hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin plant,
which will cease production on 31 Mar. 2023, was acquired
from Dow Chemical in 2010.
“After the shutdown of production at Arakawa Europe,
we will supply Arkon resin continuously from two plants,
Mizushima and Chiba Arkon Manufacturing Co. Ltd. [both
in Japan],” the company noted.
“The global sales and marketing strategy will be restructured
to ensure a stable supply and improve our competitiveness
in the hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin business.
Arakawa Europe will continue its business activities
as [a] sales and marketing organization in Europe.”

 

Chemanol & GDI Sign HoA to Partner In Production of Specialty Chemicals

Riyadh—
Methanol Chemicals Co. (Chemanol) and the Global Company
for Downstream Industries (GDI) have signed a
heads of agreement (HoA) for a strategic partnership to
produce specialty chemicals in Saudi Arabia (PCN, 21 Feb
2022, p 1).
Under the HoA, Chemanol and GDI would form a strategic
partnership to produce specialty chemicals, including
methyl diethanolamine, choline chloride, and other chemicals
at a cost of around SAR 500-million.
Earlier this year, the two companies signed a nonbinding
memorandum of understanding in which Chemanol
would supply methanol to GDI, and the parties
would jointly explore opportunities for future collaboration
in the field of petrochemical products.
The two companies are currently working on the preparation
of the economic and technical feasibility studies for
the future projects.

 

 

LyondellBasell and Genox Sign Agreement To Form Plastics Recycling Joint Venture

Beijing—
LyondellBasell and Genox Recycling have signed a memorandum
of understanding to establish a joint venture to
build a plastics recycling facility in China.
The plant, to be located in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province,
will use mechanical recycling technology to turn postconsumer
plastic waste into new polymers that will be sold
under the LyondellBasell CirculenRecover product portfolio.
Start-up is expected in 2023.
“This new joint venture will help develop the local plastics
recycling infrastructure in China and is an important
milestone for LyondellBasell to contribute to its goal to
produce and market two million metric tons of recycled and
renewable-based polymers annually by 2030,” noted Limin
Fu, vice president of LyondellBasell China Polyolefins.
“Genox Recycling believes that innovation and collaboration
are necessary ways to achieve carbon neutrality,”
said Jingfa Jiang, chairman of Genox. “We are delighted to
join hands with LyondellBasell to lead the development of
plastics recycling with a complementary mix of strengths
from both parties and accelerate a circular and low-carbon
future together.”

 

Linde Starts Up New ASU to Support Wanhua Chem’s Yantai Site in China

Yantai—Linde
has started up a new separation unit (ASU) to supply
gaseous oxygen and nitrogen to Wanhua Chemical’s integrated
chemical site and production center at the Yantai
Industrial Park in China.
The new ASU joins four existing ASUs, also built,
owned and operated by Linde, and concludes a major expansion
project for Wanhua at the Yantai site, Linde
noted, adding that Wanhua is the “world’s largest” isocyanate
producer (PCN, 15 Feb 2021, p 1).
“Linde’s advanced technology and engineering expertise
means all five ASUs have the capacity to operate flexibly,
resulting in higher reliability, improved energy efficiency
and lower carbon emissions,” said Linde.
The industrial complex will also provide industrial
gases to other customers within the Yantai Chemical Industrial
Park.

 

BASF Investing in NPG Facility At New Zhanjiang Verbund Site

Hong Kong—BASF
announced it will invest in a new world-scale neopentyl
glycol (NPG) plant at its new Zhanjiang Verbund site in
China.
The NPG facility will increase the company’s global
NPG capacity to 335,000 t/y from 255,000 t/y currently.
The new unit is expected to come on stream in the fourth
quarter of 2025.
BASF also has NPG production facilities in Ludwigshafen,
Germany; Freeport, Texas; and in Nanjing and
Jilin, China.

 

Covestro Breaks Ground in Antwerp For New World-Scale Aniline Plant

Antwerp—
Covestro said it has broken ground for a new world-scale
aniline production facility in Antwerp, Belgium.
The aniline plant, requiring an investment of over
€300-million, is scheduled to be operational in early 2025,
depending on the “volatile” economic situation, the company
noted. It will use state-of-the-art technologies to increase
energy efficiency. Capacity of the plant was not
available.
Currently, about 20% of the steam required on site is
covered by using process heat generated during production.
With the start-up of the new plant, the share of steam generated
from process heat will double to 40% of local demand.
“The capacity expansion will enable us to continue to
ensure the sustainable and efficient supply of our MDI
network in Europe,” said Dr. Georg Wagner, site manager
for Covestro in Antwerp.
“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.”

 

LyondellBasell and 23 Oaks to Form JV For New Recycling Facility in Germany

Berlin—
LyondellBasell and 23 Oaks Investments have entered into
an agreement to establish a new joint venture, named
Source One Plastics, to build an advanced plastic waste
sorting and recycling plant in Germany.
The new energy-efficient facility is designed to process
the amount of plastic packaging waste generated by approximately
1.3-million German citizens per year, LyondellBasell
noted.
The sorting and recycling plant will provide a material
part of the feedstock for an advanced recycling facility that
LyondellBasell plans to build at its Wesseling, Germany,
site. Based on LyondellBasell’s MoReTec technology, the
plant will be the first commercial scale, single-train advanced
recycling plant.
LyondellBasell’s planned advanced recycling facility is
designed to convert hard-to-recycle post-consumer plastic
waste into feedstock for new plastic materials, such as
multi-layered food packaging items or mixed plastic containers.
A final investment decision on this project is
scheduled for the coming months.
“With our global experience at all levels of the circular
economy and our extensive knowledge in all areas of the
plastic recycling value chain, combined with our strong
hands-on approach, we feel we have the right mix of competencies
to make Source One Plastics a success,” noted
Kai Hoyer, managing partner of 23 Oaks.
“Together with LyondellBasell’s commitment to expand
on its circular polymer product offering and its work to develop
advanced recycling into an industrial scale technology,
23 Oaks can contribute its part to make this a reality.”

 

Hyundai Chem JV Finalizes Construction Of Heavy-Feed PC Complex in S. Korea

Seoul—
Hyundai Chemical, a joint venture of Hyundai Oilbank and
Lotte Chemical, has completed construction on a new
heavy-feed petrochemical complex (HPC) at Hyundai Oilbank’s
Daesan complex in South Korea, reported Yonhap
News Agency citing South Korea’s industry ministry.
PCN earlier reported that the project would cost around
$2.5-billion and include the production of 750,000 t/y of
polyethylene and 400,000 t/y of propylene (PCN, 4 Feb
2019, p 4). Operations had been expected to begin at the
end of 2021.
According to the industry ministry, the new complex
will have the capacity to produce 850,000 t/y of ethylene
and 500,000 t/y of polypropylene.
“This HPC project has heightened the competitiveness
of the domestic petrochemical industry,” said the report
quoting Second Vice Industry Minister Park-Il Jun.
“The government will ease regulations to help companies
better achieve goals through new projects and investment.”

 

Iran’s Fanavaran Petrochemical Launches Project to Produce Methanol, PE and PP

Tehran—
Iranian petrochemical company Fanavaran has begun construction
of a new project to produce methanol for the
manufacturer of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP)
in Iran, according to local reports.
The plant, being built in Mahshahr Special Economic
Zone, would produce methanol from natural gas feedstock
for the production of 280,000 t/y of linear low- and highdensity
PE and 450,000 t/y of PP, as well as other products.
Cost of the project and an expected completion date
were not given.

 

Inovyn’s ‘Electra’ Project to Electrify Vinyl Chloride Production in Rafnes

Rafnes—Inovyn
announced, as part of its “Electra” project, it will develop
and install new “world leading” technology to electrify the
production of vinyl chloride at its site in Rafnes, Norway.
Project Electra, which has just entered its industrial
demonstration phase, will cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
from the operations at Rafnes by up to 21,000 t/y.
In this next phase, Inovyn intends to build the groundbreaking
electrical reactor at industrial demonstration
scale.
“The project is part of a roadmap for the stepwise decarbonization
of our activities in Norway, in which the use
of renewable hydropower will play an important role,” said
Nils Eirik Stamland, project director and chairman of
Inovyn Norge.
In parallel with Electra, Inovyn is already well advanced
on project Aquarius, which involves the installation
of a 20-megawatt hydrogen production facility at Rafnes
(PCN, 2 May 2022, p 3). Both projects combined are expected
to cut CO2 emissions in Norway by a total of approximately
40%.
Enova, owned by Norway’s Ministry of Climate and the
Environment, earlier said it would award NOK 10-million
in funding to Inovyn for project Aquarius, and NOK 138-
million to support project Electra.

 

Grupa Azoty Companies Resume Production At Some Polish Plastics, Fertilizer Units

Warsaw—
Grupa Azoty Group’s Grupa Azoty S.A. and Grupa Azoty
Pulawy, which temporarily shut down or scaled down production
of ammonia, caprolactam, polyamide 6 (PA6) and
other products this past August in response to record high
gas prices, have decided to resume production of some of
the Polish units (PCN, 29 Aug 2022, p 2).
Grupa Azoty S.A. restarted production at its nitrogen
fertilizer, caprolactam and PA6 plants in Tarnów, Poland,
as of 12 Oct. 2022.
Grupa Azoty Pulawy has decided to increase capacity
utilization and start up process units in the agro segment
that are used to make nitrogen fertilizers, as of 12 Oct.
2022.
The caprolactam unit and melamine unit at Grupa
Azoty Pulawy will remain shut down after the full start-up
of the fertilizer production units.

 

PCG Completes Purchase of Perstorp From PAI Partners’ Financiere Foret

Malmö—
Petronas Chemicals Group (PCG) has finalized the acquisition
of the entire equity stake in Perstorp from Financiere
Foret Sarl, a company under European private equity firm
PAI Partners.
The deal, valued at around RM10.5-billion, will add up
to 2.3-million t/y to PCG’s production capacity and immediately
contribute about 28% incremental revenue to PCG
based on 2021 results. It will also support PCG’s mediumterm
goal of establishing 30% revenue generated from nontraditional
businesses by 2030, PCG earlier noted.
“We are delighted to have completed this acquisition,”
said PCG Managing Director and Chief Executive Mohd
Yusri Mohamed Yusof. “The acquisition is part of our
stepping-out strategy, creating a new platform for our
growth in the specialty chemicals industry.
“It also goes beyond earnings potential; Perstorp is a
strategic fit with similar values and talented workforce
who are experts in the industry. We are excited to welcome
the Perstorp team to the PCG family.”

 

LanzaTech Touts Specialized Biocatalysts To Directly Produce Ethylene from CO2

Chicago—
LanzaTech NV said it has successfully engineered specialized
biocatalysts to directly produce ethylene from carbon
dioxide (CO2) in a continuous process.
The company has previously produced ethylene via the
indirect ethanol pathway, taking ethanol produced from
carbon emissions and then converting the ethanol to ethylene.
This latest development bypasses this conversion step
in sustainable ethylene production, making the process
less energy intensive and more efficient, LanzaTech explained.
“Ethylene production is one of the three largest carbon
emitters in the chemical industry,” noted LanzaTech Chief
Executive Dr. Jennifer Holmgren. “Now is the time to
break free from relying on virgin fossil inputs as a feedstock
for the things we use in our daily lives.
“With the ability to directly produce this bulk chemical
commodity, we aim to make synthetic biology accessible
and bring it to people in everyday consumer goods.”

 

CF Signs Agreement with ExxonMobil For New Emissions-Reduction Project

Irving—CF
Industries has entered into a commercial agreement with
ExxonMobil to capture and permanently store up to 2-
million t/y of carbon dioxide emissions from its manufacturing
complex in Louisiana.
Earlier this year, CF said it will invest $200-million to
build a carbon dioxide (CO2) dehydration and compression
facility in Donaldsonville, La., to enable captured CO2 to
be transported and stored (PCN, 16 May 2022, p 4). Startup
of the project is scheduled for early 2025.
ExxonMobil will transport and permanently store the
captured CO2 from CF’s complex in secure geologic storage
it owns in Vermilion Parish, La.
Also, as part of the project, ExxonMobil has signed an
agreement with EnLink Midstream to use EnLink’s transportation
network to deliver CO2 to permanent geologic
storage.
Once CF’s unit is in service and sequestration is initiated,
the complex will be able to produce up to 1.7-million
t/y of blue ammonia, which is equivalent to 1-million tons
of net-zero carbon ammonia.

 

Synpet Planning to Build Plant to Process Used Plastics into Circular Feed for PCs

Genk—
Synpet Technologies said it plans to invest €90-million in
Genk, Belgium, to build a unit to process difficult-torecycle
plastics into circular naphtha for the petrochemical
industry.
The new plant would use Synpet’s cost-effective proprietary
technology, which provides a continuous process
that is scalable and carbon neutral, Synpet noted. The
technology is currently deployed at pilot scale.
At the same time, Kolmar announced its intention to
invest in Synpet. As part of the investment, Kolmar will
have marketing exclusivity of products produced from the
Synpet technology.
Kolmar will work with Synpet to provide around
150,000 t/y of circular feed to the market by 2027. The
first volumes will be available in 2025.
“This investment supports Kolmar’s strategic ambition
to invest in renewable, bio and low carbon technologies to
gain access to the associated products and markets, and to
serve the chemical markets’ continuing and evolving
needs,” said Kolmar Chief Executive Ruth Sandelowsky.

 

Borealis Signs PPA with Axpo Nordic For Wind Power to Stenungsund Site

Stockholm—
Borealis and Axpo Nordic have signed a wind power purchase
agreement (PPA) for the supply of renewable electricity
to Borealis’ production operations in Stenungsund,
Sweden.
Under the 10-year deal, Axpo will supply more than
130,000 megawatt/hr of wind power generated by the 60-
megawatt Hultema wind farm currently under construction
in Sweden. Delivery will begin in January 2024.
The renewable electricity will reduce Borealis’ indirect
carbon dioxide emissions (Scope 2 emissions) at the site by
around 10,000 t/y.
The Hultema wind farm is owned by Swiss infrastructure
asset manager Reichmuth & Co.

 

IVL & Coca-Cola Open Joint Venture Bottle-to-Bottle PET Recycling Plant

Bangkok—
Indorama Ventures (IVL) and Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines
have opened their joint venture polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) recycling facility in General Trias,
Cavite Province, Philippines (PCN, 16 Mar 2020, p 2).
The joint venture, PETValue Philippines, is the country’s
“first” food-grade, bottle-to-bottle recycling facility,
and the largest in the country.
IVL earlier said the plant was expected to be able to
process around 30,000 t/y of PET bottles using advanced
recycling technology and have an output of 16,000 t/y of
recycled PET resin. The recycled PET resin is suitable for
use in food-contact applications.
Last year, IVL’s post-consumer PET for recycling
reached 317,064 t/y, almost half of its goal of 750,000 t/y by
2025, IVL noted.

 

Lanxess Digitally Transforming Facilities With Emerson’s Automation Technology

Berlin—
Lanxess has selected advanced automation technology
from Emerson for upgrading its control and safety systems
and digitally transforming its production plants.
As Lanxess’ global alliance partner for automation
technology, Emerson will help drive the adoption of advanced
automation technologies and enable more efficient
project implementation that will allow Lanxess to achieve
shorter time-to-market for new products.
The agreement, which will initially run for a period of
five years, will be supplemented by joint projects to develop
and implement applications and analytics software to identify
opportunities for increased efficiency and performance,
said Lanxess.

 

BASF Begins Construction in Mumbai On PU Application Development Lab

Mumbai—BASF
said it broke ground on a new Polyurethane Application
Development Laboratory in Mumbai, India.
The lab, which will open in the first half of 2024, will
house state-of-the-art application equipment to offer improved
customer support services ranging from troubleshooting
to customized formulations, line trials, and customer
training sessions, BASF noted.

 

SIDPEC Mulls 100% Stake in Ethydco

Cairo—Sidi
Kerir Petrochemical Co. (SIDPEC) is considering the purchase
of the remaining stake in Egyptian Ethylene Production
Co. (Ethydco), pending an evaluation by an independent
financial adviser, according to Daily News Egypt.
SIDPEC, which already owns an approximately 20% interest
in Ethydco, plans to make a decision on the transaction
once it receives the results of the evaluation, which is
expected within a month.
According to Ethydco’s website, its petrochemicals complex
in Alexandria is the “largest” in Egypt and Africa, and
has a production capacity of 460,000 t/y of ethylene,
400,000 t/y of polyethylene, 20,000 t/y of butadiene and
26,000 t/y of butadiene derivatives.
SIDPEC produces ethylene, polyethylene, butene-1 and
liquefied petroleum gas at its complex in Alexandria.

 

EC Gives Conditional OK for Celanese’s Acquisition of DuPont’s M&M Business

Brussels—The
European Commission (EC) has approved the planned acquisition
by Celanese of DuPont’s Mobility and Materials
(M&M) business, subject to conditions (PCN, 21 Feb 2022,
p 3).
This past February, Celanese said it had signed a definitive
agreement to purchase a majority of DuPont’s
M&M business, including a broad portfolio of engineered
thermoplastics and elastomers, for $11-billion.
Following completion of the transaction, the combined
entity would become the “largest” producer of thermoplastic
copolyester (TPC) in the European Economic Area and
globally, with only a few alternative suppliers remaining,
the commission noted.
To address the commission’s concerns, Celanese offered
to divest its global TPC business, including its production
facility in Ferrara, Italy, and its Pibiflex and Riteflex TPC
brands.
The commitments consist of the sale of a stand-alone
business, which fully removes the overlap between the parties’
activities.
Celanese earlier said the sale was expected to close
around the end of this year.

 

Uniper Lets FEED Contract to Technip For Dutch Green Hydrogen Project

Rotterdam—
Uniper has awarded a front-end engineering design
(FEED) study contract to Technip Energies for its
H2Maasvlakte green hydrogen project at the Maasvlakte
power plant site within the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands
(PCN, 20 Sept 2021, p 3).
The project will have an initial electrolysis capacity of
100 megawatt in 2025, with the aim to gradually scale up
the electrolysis capacity to a total of 500 megawatt by
2030.
The electrolysis plant, which will run on power generated
by North Sea wind farms, will be connected to the
HyTransport.RTM pipeline running through the Port of
Rotterdam. The pipeline also connects the Uniper plant to
the national hydrogen infrastructure and the Delta Corridor
pipeline bundle.
Under the contract, which is effective immediately,
Technip Energies will be responsible for the full FEED
package, including a design for a large-scale water electrolysis
system, the balance of plant as well as site integration.

 

Indaver to Supply Recycled PC Feedstock To TotalEnergies for Circular Polymers

Antwerp—
Indaver and TotalEnergies have signed an agreement, in
which Indaver will supply recycled petrochemical feedstock
to TotalEnergies to be processed into high-quality circular
polymers at its plants in Antwerp, Belgium.
Under the commercial offtake agreement, TotalEnergies
will purchase petrochemical feedstock produced from
Indaver’s first Plastics2Chemicals plant in Antwerp, which
is currently under construction. Operations are expected
to begin by 2024.
Indaver will transform post-consumer mixed plastic
waste, such as polyolefins and polystyrene, into the petrochemical
feedstock utilizing its proprietary depolymerization
technology. The feedstock has properties and quality
identical to virgin polymers, and is suitable for a wide
range of high demanding applications, the companies
noted.
“This partnership contributes to our ambition of producing
30% circular polymers by 2030,” said Valerie Goff,
senior vice president of Renewable Fuels & Chemicals at
TotalEnergies

 

Repsol Acquires 27% Interest in Acteco To Ensure Its Access to Plastic Waste

Madrid—Repsol
said it has purchased a 27% stake in comprehensive waste
management and recovery company Acteco to guarantee its
access to plastic waste and promote the circular economy of
its Reciclex range of products.
The two companies have been collaborating since 2018
to promote new circular economy models through the recovery
of polymers after their useful life and their reincorporation
into new high-added value products, Repsol noted.
In 2020, the partners launched a joint project to increase
the capacity of Acteco’s recycled material production
plant in Ibi, Alicante, Spain.
With Repsol as a shareholder, Acteco will double its
plastic recycling capacity in five years.
“This new step in the collaboration between the two
companies represents an essential boost to achieve Repsol’s
goal of recycling the equivalent of 20% of its polyolefins
production by 2030,” said Jaime Martin Juez, refining
and chemicals executive director at Repsol.

MCG Postpones FID for MMA Facility Citing Current Market Volatilities

Geismar—Mitsubishi
Chemical Group (MCG) has decided to defer a final
investment decision (FID) by six to 18 months for its proposed
methyl methacrylate (MMA) facility in Geismar, La.,
due to current market volatilities.
The 350,000-t/y MMA plant, on which a FID is expected
in fiscal year 2023, will be based on Lucite’s ethylene-based
Alpha technology. The project will also include integrated
production units for key raw materials, such as carbon
monoxide and methanol.
The front-end engineering design stage was recently
completed and the company is in the process of applying
for the required wetland and air permits, which are expected
to be granted in 2023.
“MCG remains committed to working with its suppliers
and partners in Geismar in preparation for FID and sourcing
all of its customers’ requirements from its global asset
base,” MCG noted.

 

BASF Awards Two Contracts to Flour For EO/EG Unit at Zhanjiang Site

Beijing—Fluor has
received two reimbursable engineering, procurement and
construction management contracts by BASF for an ethylene
oxide (EO)/ethylene glycol (EG) plant at BASF’s new
Verbund site in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China
(PCN, 12 Sept 2022, p 2).
The site, which is being built in phases, will also include
a steam cracker and downstream plants for the production
of various petrochemicals and intermediates. Capacities
were not given. The site is expected to be fully
operational by 2030.
Fluor’s scope of work includes two primary packages,
including the EO/EG derivative unit and the infrastructure,
offsites and utilities scope, comprised of site infrastructure,
utility generation and site logistics.
Fluor is also performing services as part of the centralized
program management team activities. Value of the
contracts is valued at over $2-billion.

 

Meghmani Expands Caustic Soda Capacity At Integrated Complex at GIDC Dahej

Dahej—
Meghmani Finechem said it has commissioned additional
caustic soda capacity at its fully integrated complex at
GIDC Dahej, a Petroleum, Chemicals & Petrochemicals
Investment Region in Gujarat, India.
The company added 106,000 t/y of caustic soda capacity
with a 36-megawatt captive power plant, resulting in a
total capacity of 400,000 t/y of caustic soda and 132 megawatt
of captiva power plant.
Meghmani also recently commissioned India’s “first”
epichlorohydrin unit based on 100% renewable resources,
and India’s “largest” chlorinated polyvinyl chloride resin
facility with 30,000 t/y of capacity.

 

Borealis Resumes Construction in Kallo; Selects New Contractor for PDH Plant

Kallo—
Borealis said it has restarted construction on its new propane
dehydrogenation (PDH) unit in Kallo, Belgium, after
carrying out a re-tendering process for the mechanical and
piping construction works, which were previously awarded
to IREM Group (PCN, 29 Aug 2022, p 1).
The world-scale PDH plant will have a targeted production
capacity of 750,000 t/y of propylene, utilizing Honeywell
UOP’s Oleflex technology. Start-up was originally
expected in mid-2022, but is now planned during the second
half of 2024.
This past August, Borealis decided to terminate all contracts
with IREM Group after Belgian authorities investigated
alleged human trafficking by contractor IREMPonticelli.
After careful consideration, Borealis has now granted a
majority of the mechanical and piping construction works
to Ponticelli, Borealis noted.

 

Technip Energies Wins Contract from Ineos For Belgian Project One Ethane Cracker

Antwerp—
Ineos has awarded a contract to Technip Energies for the
proprietary equipment supply for Ineos’ Project One ethane
cracker being built in Antwerp, Belgium (PCN, 15-22 Aug
2022, p 1).
Estimated to cost between €3-billion and €4-billion, the
cracker will have a production capacity of about 1.5-million
t/y of ethylene. Operations are expected to begin in 2026.
The cracker is designed using Technip Energies’ latest
enhancement on technologies to achieve a carbon dioxide
footprint less than 50% of the best 10% of European crackers,
Technip Energies noted.
The furnaces are modularized and designed to fire high
hydrogen fuel, and to transition to 100% hydrogen firing in
the future, in addition to the plant being carbon capture
ready.
The contract, valued at between €250-million and €500-
million, consolidates the successful completion of the ethylene
license and extended front-end engineering and design
previously awarded to Technip Energies by Ineos.

 

MPL Receives Government Approval For PG Expansion Project in India

Mumbai—Manali
Petrochemicals Ltd. (MPL) has been granted clearance
from India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change to increase propylene glycol (PG) capacity at its
existing “Plant 2” in India (PCN, 28 Sept 2020, p 2).
The two-phase project, estimated to cost around Rs 150
crore, will boost PG production capacity by 48,000 t/y to a
total of 70,000 t/y.
In the first phase, which is expected to be completed
within 18-21 months of receipt of other regulatory approvals,
MPL will add 24,000 t/y of PG capacity. The second
phase will add another 24,000 t/y of PG capacity.

 

Ingevity Completes Capa Polyols Expansion; Increases Global Polyols Capacity by 40%

DeRidder—
Ingevity has concluded an expansion of its DeRidder, La.,
facility that included launching new Capa polyols production
and producing the first commercial quantities of its
high performance caprolactone polyols in the U.S.
The completion of the expansion project increases the
company’s global capacity for producing polyols by 40% and
positions Ingevity to better meet increasing demand for the
Capa portfolio and more effectively serve its customers by
reducing global lead times, the company noted.
“The investment in Ingevity’s DeRidder plant includes
installation of monomer storage capacity to not only support
the manufacturing of polyol derivatives, but also to
streamline and enable bulk monomer shipments to U.S.
customers,” said Ingevity.
Ingevity acquired the Capa Carolactone Division of Perstorp
in 2019 for $652.5-million (PCN, 18 Feb 2019, p 3).
The transaction included a polycaprolactone production
facility in Warrington, UK, which is still in operation.

 

Dow Makes Additional Investment in Mura To Build HydroPRS Units in Europe, U.S.

Horgen—
Mura Technology said it has received an additional strategic
investment from Dow that will enable Mura to develop
several HydroPRS advanced recycling facilities in Europe
and the UK.
This past July, the two companies announced plans to
build multiple world-scale 120,000-t/y advanced recycling
plants in the U.S. and Europe, adding as much as 600,000
t/y of aggregate advanced recycling capacity by 2030 (PCN,
19 Sept 2022, p 3).
The HydroPRS process is a highly scalable form of advanced
recycling, which uses supercritical water to convert
waste plastics, including difficult to recycle flexible and
multi-layered materials, into high yields of stable hydrocarbon
products for use in the manufacture of new plastics
and materials, Mura explained.
“Mura brings an important element to Dow’s lowcarbon
circular plastics business model,” noted Diego
Donoso, president of Dow’s packaging and specialty plastics.
“The collaboration not only accelerates the strategic
transformation of our feedstock slate and enables us to
secure circular feedstocks, it also helps us meet strong and
growing customer demand for circular polymers.
“Importantly, this capacity will help Dow scale these
technologies globally as we continue to drive our long-term
strategy to decrease use of virgin fossil-based feedstocks.”

 

PTTGC’s GCM Completes Purchase Of Remaining Interest in PT GCM

Jakarta—GC Marketing
Solutions Co. (GCM), a wholly owned subsidiary of
PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC), has purchased the remaining
33% stake in PT GCM Marketing Solutions Indonesia
(PT GCM) from PT Cipta Aneka Air, making GCM sole
owner of PT GCM.
GCM established PT GCM to support its import and
export trading business (PCN, 13 Jan 2020, p 4). PT GCM
engages in the retail and wholesale distribution of polymer
products in Indonesia.

 

KBR Confirms Technology Contract Award For OCI’s Blue NH3 Project in the U.S.

Houston—
KBR confirmed it has received a technology contract from
Tecnimont SpA, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont, for OCI
NV’s new low-carbon blue ammonia facility being built in
Beaumont, Texas (PCN, 12 Sept 2022, p 1).
The world-scale plant will have a capacity of 1.1-million
t/y of blue ammonia with infrastructure to double capacity
to 2.2-million t/y. Production is scheduled to begin in the
first quarter of 2025.
The project will be designed to transition from blue to
green ammonia production as green hydrogen becomes
available at larger scale in the future.
Under the terms of KBR’s contract, it will supply the
technology license, basic engineering design, proprietary
equipment and catalyst.
Maire Tecnimont was recently awarded the project on
an engineering and procurement basis.

 

Orlen Unipetrol Starts Up New Facility For the Production of DCPD in Europe

Praha—Orlen
Unipetrol said it has opened a new 26,0000-t/y dicyclopentadiene
(DCPD) production unit in the Czech Republic,
making it “one of the four largest” producers in Europe.
The CZK 831-million plant utilizes a process developed
by Orlen Unipetrol researchers in collaboration with the
University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague, Czech
Republic.
DCPD will be produced with a distillation purity between
80% and 94% for use in the further production of
polymer materials, resins and chemical specialties.
“There is high demand for this product on global markets,”
noted Tomasz Wiatrak, chairman of the board. “In
Europe, there is currently a deficit in DCPD production
capacity. We expect demand to increase by an additional
26%, by 40% in American markets and by 60% in Asian
markets by 2030.
“The implementation of our own production technology
allows us to use the flexibility of the unit and produce a
product in a wide range of qualities from basic technical
DCPD to highly pure DCPD for more demanding applications,
for example for the production of transparent substances.”

 

Deltech Finalizes StanChem Purchase

Baton Rouge—
Deltech Holdings, a portfolio company of SK Capital Partners,
has completed the acquisition of StanChem, an emulsion
polymers and protective coatings provider.
StanChem will operate as StanChem Resins, a division
of the larger Deltech platform, and will continue to be
overseen by existing management. Value of the transaction
was not disclosed.
“StanChem’s advanced R&D [research and development]
capabilities, portfolio of innovative products, excellent
manufacturing flexibility, and strong customer relationships
will complement Deltech’s existing monomers
business, creating opportunities for the company to better
serve its customers and find commercial opportunities in
line with its vision,” Deltech noted.
Funds advised by SK Capital acquired Deltech’s monomers,
polymers and European businesses in August 2021,
giving SK Capital a minority interest in Deltech (PCN, 30
Aug 2021, p 2).

 

Neste, Idemitsu, Chimei & Mitsubishi Partner To Build Renewable Plastics Supply Chain

Espoo—
Neste, Idemitsu Kosan, Chimei and Mitsubishi have
agreed to partner to create a renewable plastics supply
chain utilizing Neste RE bio-based hydrocarbons from
Neste.
Neste RE is produced from 100% bio-based raw materials,
such as waste and residues, and its use can “significantly”
reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional
fossil feedstock use, Neste noted.
Neste will provide Neste RE to Idemitsu Kosan in Japan
for the production of styrene monomer (bio-SM) based
on the mass balance method. Idemitsu will then supply
the bio-SM to Chimei, the “biggest” acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene manufacturer in the world, for its renewable plastics
production, said Neste.
Mitsubishi will coordinate the collaboration between
the partners to develop the renewable products’ market.
The bio-SM production in Japan and the renewable
plastics production in Taiwan will mark the first of such
production in each country, and they are planned to take
place in the first half of 2023.

 

ACC’s CPI Announces Two Recipients Of Distinguished Leadership Awards

Annapolis—The
Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) of the American
Chemistry Council (ACC) has named Nigel Barksby of
Covestro and Mary Bogdan of Honeywell as the two CPI
Distinguished Leadership Award recipients.
Barksby, who will be retiring next year after 45 years in
the polyurethane industry, is currently a science fellow at
Covestro in their performance materials business. His accomplishments
include, among other things, new product
development and commercialization that have resulted in
several technical presentations, reviewed papers, and
granted patents.
Bogdan is a senior principal scientist for Honeywell and
is the technology lead for the Blowing Agent Technical
Sales and Service Group.
Her accomplishments, to name a few, include over 30
U.S. patents and numerous published technical articles on
the development and use of fluorocarbons.

 

Ascend Making Progress Towards Goal To Cut Carbon Footprint of Products

Houston—
Ascend Performance Materials, as part of its aim to reduce
its carbon footprint, said it has made its global compounding
operations carbon neutral, and has secured ISCC+ certification
for the use of bio-based materials.
The company is the first integrated polymer producer to
decarbonize a substantial part of its operations, Ascend
noted. It has seven compounding sites in North America,
Europe and Asia, which produce its Vydyne, Starflam and
HiDura engineered materials.
Carbon neutrality for the sites’ Scope 1 and 2 emissions
was accomplished through a mix of process improvements,
renewable energy and carbon offsets.
With the ISCC+ certification, Ascend is able to use biobased
feedstocks to produce acrylonitrile, adiponitrile, hexamethylene
diamine and polyamide 66 utilizing a massbalanced
approach. Customers would have the option to
request grades with as much as 40% bio-based material.

 

Topsoe, Skogaard & Vestas Break Ground On Green Ammonia Project in Denmark

Egtved—A
Danish partnership comprising Topsoe, Skovgaard Energy
and Vestas have begun construction on a demonstration
plant that will produce green ammonia based on renewable
power and electrolysis of water near Lemvig, Denmark
(PCN, 14 Dec 2020, p 4).
The “first-of-its-kind” project will show how renewable
power can be coupled directly to the ammonia plant while
taking fluctuations in power production into account, and
at the same time making it a cost-effective way of producing
green ammonia, Topsoe noted.
The plant will produce more than 5,000 t/y of green
ammonia, preventing 8,200 t/y of carbon dioxide from being
emitted into the atmosphere. Operations are scheduled to
begin by 2023.
The partnership has received around €11-million in
funding from the Danish Energy Technology Development
and Demonstration Program for the project.
“We are very excited to begin this next chapter going
from maturing the project to actually begin construction of
this cutting-edge green ammonia plant,” said Kim Gron
Knudsen, chief strategy and innovation officer at Topsoe.
“The plant will serve as a prime example of how we can
replace fossil-based fuels and fertilizer by carbon-neutral
alternatives via electrolysis.”

 

Borealis Plans Joint Project with Verbund To Produce Hydrogen for Linz Operations

Linz—
Borealis and Verbund have begun a joint decarbonization
project that will produce green hydrogen for use in the production
of fertilizers, melamine and technical nitrogen at
Borealis’ operations in Linz, Austria.
The project, taking place within the framework of the
pan-European IPCEI (Important Projects of Common
European Interest) process, involves the production of hydrogen
at an industrial electrolysis plant using electricity
from renewable sources and deionized water. The oxygen
generated by water splitting during the electrolysis process
will be used directly in production.
The electrolyzer plant, which will also provide grid services
for the transmission network, is scheduled to begin
operations in 2025, with projected carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions reductions of up to 90,000 t/y.
“We are pleased to continue the successful co-operation
with Verbund in Linz in order to jointly develop solutions
for the energy transition,” said Borealis Chief Executive
Thomas Gangl.
“For Borealis, green hydrogen is an alternative to natural
gas in ammonia production, and using it will lead to a
reduction in CO2 emissions. This joint effort is another
example of how we are reinventing essentials for sustainable
living.”

 

LyondellBasell Opens New Plant in Germany For Expanded Catalyst Production Capacity

Berlin—
LyondellBasell has started up a new catalyst production
plant at its site in Frankfurt, Germany, to support the increasing
demand for high performance polyethylene (PE)
resins.
“The expansion of our catalyst production capacity in
Frankfurt secures the supply of Ziegler Avant Z catalysts
for our license technology customers throughout the
world,” said Andrei Gonioukh, site manager.
“Operating one of the most advanced catalyst production
facilities that is using industry-leading production
technology, this investment is also a commitment to the
catalyst production at the Frankfurt site and the growing
market for our products.”
The new plant directly correlates to investments in infrastructure
projects, increased demand for polymers by a
growing population, particularly in emerging countries,
and the value of the Hostalen ACP PE technology, the
company noted.

 

Repsol-Led Consortium Planning Project To Build Spain’s ‘Largest’ Electrolyzer

Madrid—
Repsol announced that a consortium led by Repsol, and
made up of Enagas, Iqoxe and Messer, are working on the
design and construction of the “largest” electrolyzer in
Spain.
The electrolyzer, to be built in the petrochemical pole of
Tarragona, is expected to have a capacity of 150 megawatts
of renewable hydrogen in the first phase. Commissioning
is scheduled for 2025. In a second phase, expected to start
in 2027, production capacity will be raised to 1 gigawatt.
“The electrolyzer will preferentially use renewable energy
from the surrounding environment and will have the
best technologies to minimize water consumption to produce
renewable hydrogen and oxygen,” Messer noted.
Hydrogen from the project will be used as a feedstock in
the local industry, as an industrial fuel, in mobility, and
will be fed into the natural gas transportation network.
Also, a hydrogen collector will be built to transport gas
between the electrolyzer in the northern industrial area of
the petrochemical park and the southern area, connecting
different consumers through an open network.
Renewable oxygen will also be used in the surrounding
industry and distributed through Messer’s existing gas
pipeline network at the petrochemical park. Iqoxe will use
the oxygen to produce ethylene oxide.

 

BASF Petronas JV Investing in Project To Boost 2-EHA Capacity in Malaysia

Kuantan—
BASF Petronas Chemicals (BPC), a joint venture (JV) of
BASF and Petronas Chemicals Group (PCG), has decided
to invest in an expansion of its 2-ethylhexanoic acid (2-
EHA) production plant in Malaysia.
The project, to be built at BPC’s integrated Verbund
site in Kuantan, will double 2-EHA production capacity to
60,000 t/y. Start-up is planned by the fourth quarter of
2024.
“BPC is one of our strategic JV investments, which
capitalizes on the integration between BPC and other PCG
plants in the Kuantan Verbund site,” said Mohd Yusri Mohamed
Yusof, managing director and chief executive of
PCG.
“The integration allows BPC to maximize the value
chain by improving the quality and cost competitiveness of
the products to continue delivering innovative solutions to
our customers. 2-EHA has been an integral part of BPC’s
growth and this expansion will capture the growing market
demand.
“The expansion is also in line with PCG’s sustainable
growth strategy to expand our portfolio with higher value
products,” he concluded.

 

PetroChemical News Briefs

Ineos Styrolution said it has launched Terluran Eco
B100, the “world’s first” fully bio-attributed acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene.
Cray Valley has received ISCC Plus certification for
the production of its renewable resins in Carling, France.
The Carling Saint-Avold petrochemical platform produces
specialty resins, as well as value-added polymers, and is
also TotalEnergies’ main polystyrene production site in
Europe.
Japanese firms are interested in investing in Alberta,
Canada, for the production of ammonia and methanol, said
Reuters citing a provincial minister. As part of these efforts,
the companies plan to increase investment in liquefied
natural gas and low-carbon fuels, such as hydrogen
and ammonia. Japan aims to be carbon neutral by 2050.
Olin expects to discontinue production of methylene
chloride and chloroform at its facility in Stade, Germany,
by the third quarter of next year. The company will continue
to produce both products at its Freeport, Texas,
plant.
Iran and Uzbekistan plan to establish a joint working
group to develop relations between the two countries in the
field of petrochemicals, as well as oil and gas, said Hossein
Alimorad, head of international affairs at the National Petrochemical
Co. of Iran. According to Alimurad, there was a
66% increase in the export of Iranian petrochemical products
to Uzbekistan in 2021, compared to 2020.

Lihuayi Weiyuan Picks Lummus’ Technology For New Polypropylene Facility in China

Beijing—
Lummus Technology’s Novolen technology has been selected
by Lihuayi Weiyuan for a new polypropylene (PP)
plant to be built in Shandong Province, China.
Lummus’ scope includes the technology license for the
PP unit, as well as basic engineering, training and services.
A schedule for the project was not given.
“We are grateful for Lihuayi Weiyuan’s selection of Novolen,
and proud to support our customer across the full
value stream from propane feedstock to high-value polypropylene
product,” said Lummus President and Chief Executive
Leon de Bruyn.
“Our technology has proven to yield our customers significant
CAPEX and OPEX advantages, coupled with the
ability to produce a comprehensive range of highperformance
polymers.”
Last year, Lihuayi Weiyuan also chose Lummus’ Catofin
technology for a new 600,000-t/y propane dehydrogenation
unit in China.

 

Red Sea Awards Technology Contracts For PE Lines and PP Plant in Egypt

Cairo—Red Sea
National Petrochemicals Co. has selected polyethylene
(PE) technology and polypropylene (PP) technology from
Univation Technologies and W. R. Grace & Co., respectively,
for its planned refinery and petrochemicals complex
in Ain Sokhna, Egypt (PCN, 21 Feb 2022, p 2).
The project, to be located in the Suez Canal Economic
Zone, would convert around 4-million t/y of crude oil into
refined products and petrochemicals, including jet fuel, low
sulfur oil, ethylene, PE, PP, paraxylene and monoethylene
glycol. Cost of the project and a schedule were not given.
Univation’s Unipol PE process was selected for two reactor
lines, each designed to achieve world-scale nameplate
capacities. Specific capacities were not available.
Red Sea will also use Univation’s high-density PE
(HDPE) technology platforms, including Prodigy Bimodal
HDPE technology and Acclaim Unimodal HDPE technology.
In addition, Univation will supply its XCat metallocene
process and its APC+3.0 advanced process control
platform.
Grace will provide its Unipol PP technology for the industry’s
“largest” single PP reactor line with the capacity
to produce homopolymers and random copolymers, Grace
noted.
Red Sea recently signed an agreement with Linde Engineering
for a steam cracker unit to produce ethylene
feedstock for the two PE reactor lines. Linde will be responsible
for the basic design engineering package for the
two lines.
Univation and Linde have signed a cooperation agreement,
which was formed “to enable measurable capital investment
synergies and overall lower operation cost derived
from a high degree of integration of the Unipol PE
process with the cracker platform,” said Univation.

 

EC Approves Proposed Joint Venture Between ADNOC, ADQ and Reliance

Brussels—The
European Commission (EC) has cleared the creation of a
joint venture by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC),
Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Co. (ADQ) and Reliance
Industries Ltd. (RIL) to produce and sell caustic soda, ethylene
dichloride (EDC) and polyvinyl chloride in Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The commission concluded that the proposed concentration
would raise no competition concerns, given the joint
venture’s negligible foreseen activities and assets in the
European Economic Area.
Earlier this year, RIL and Abu Dhabi Chemicals Derivatives
Co. (TA’ZIZ), a joint venture of ADNOC and ADQ,
signed a formal shareholder agreement for the TA’ZIZ EDC
& PVC joint venture project planned in Ruwais, UAE
(PCN, 2 May 2022, p 1).
TA’ZIZ EDC & PVC will invest more than $2-billion to
build and operate an integrated facility at the TA’ZIZ Industrial
Chemicals Zone with the capacity to produce
940,000 t/y of chlor-alkali, 1.1-million t/y of EDC and
360,000 t/y of PVC.

 

Anqing Chooses Dow, JM Technology For Expansion of Chinese Oxo Plant

Beijing—Anqing
Shuguang Petrochemical Oxo Co. has licensed LP Oxo
technology by Dow and Johnson Matthey (JM) for a new
oxo facility in China.
The plant, expected to come online in 2024, will have a
production capacity of around 200,000 t/y of 2-ethylhexanol
and 25,000 t/y of isobutyraldehyde.
This will be Anqing’s second plant utilizing LP Oxo
technology in China. The first oxo unit, which started up
in 2016, has a production capacity of 100,000 t/y of 2-
ethylhexanol, 115,000 t/y of normal butanol and 23,000 t/y
of isobutanol.
“This is a significant endorsement of our technology,”
said Hector Miravete, global commercial director of catalyst
technologies at JM.
“The new design includes improvements we have made
to ensure LP Oxo technology remains world leading. We
have started the process design and look forward to working
closely with Anqing as they construct the plant.”

 

LyondellBasell Delays Berre Cracker Restart

Berre—
LyondellBasell announced it will postpone the restart of an
ethylene cracker at its integrated olefins and polyolefins
production site in Berre, France.
The cracker, which was damaged by a fire on 2 Aug.
2022, will not restart until early 2023.
“While repairs should be completed by November, the
combination of persistently high energy costs, compressing
margins and falling demand for products in the region contributed
to the decision to delay the restart,” the company
explained.

 

Trinseo Initiates Process for Possible Closure Of Styrene Production Site in Germany

Berlin—
Trinseo said it has begun an information and consultation
process with the Works Council of Trinseo Deutschland
GmbH regarding the potential closure of its styrene
monomer production site in Boehlen, Germany.
The plant, which has a nameplate capacity of 300,000
t/y, has generated negative profitability of around $30-
million over the last four quarters ending second quarter
2022, the company noted.
“Given the current economic outlook of higher inflation,
lower customer demand and elevated energy costs, we are
evaluating asset optimization across our portfolio,” said
President and Chief Executive Frank Bozich.
“The cost position of the Boehlen facility is challenged
due to the current energy cost environment in Europe, as
well as the facility’s smaller scale, and it’s difficult to envision
significant earnings improvement at the site in the
near to medium term. Therefore, we have decided to evaluate
the potential closure of this plant.
“In addition to improved profitability for Trinseo, we believe
a closure will aid in achieving our 2030 sustainability
goals, as Boehlen is one of our most carbon intensive
plants.”

 

Biotrend Energy Picks Honeywell Process For Plastics Recycling Facility in Turkey

Istanbul—
Honeywell announced that its UpCycle process technology
has been selected by Biotrend Energy for a planned advanced
plastics recycling plant in Turkey.
The facility is expected to have the capacity to transform
30,000 t/y of mixed waste plastics into Honeywell recycled
polymer feedstock. Once complete, it will become
the “first” commercialized waste plastics recycling facility
in Turkey using the UpCycle process. A schedule for the
project was not disclosed.
Honeywell UOP will provide related engineering and
technical services, including start-up, commissioning, and
technical support services during the plant’s lifetime.
Biotrend and Honeywell intend to also collaborate on
multiple, additional waste plastic recycling facilities in the
future.
“Honeywell’s UpCycle process technology will help Biotrend
Energy tackle the challenge of plastic waste in Turkey,”
said Barry Glickman, vice president and general
manager, Honeywell Sustainable Solutions.
“Turkey will be able to increase the range of plastics
that can be recycled, which offers the potential to displace
a portion of fossil feedstocks for new plastic production.”

 

Stepan Buys PerformanX Specialty Chem’s Surfactant Business, Associated Assets

Springfield—
Stepan Co. has completed the previously announced purchase
of the surfactant business and associated assets of
PerformanX Specialty Chemicals (PCN, 19 Sept 2022, p 4).
The acquisition includes intellectual property, commercial
relationships and inventory. Financial terms of the
transaction were not disclosed.
“Alkoxylates are a core surfactant technology critical to
Stepan’s agriculture, oilfield, construction and household
end use markets,” noted Stepan President and Chief Executive
Scott R. Behrens.

 

Infinity Invests in Chem Recycler Clariter To Support Chem Upcycling Process

Luxembourg—
Infinity Recycling and chemical recycler Clariter announced
a strategic investment by Infinity’s Circular Plastics
Fund for the scale-up of Clariter’s proprietary, breakthrough
chemical upcycling technology.
“Clariter is on the cusp of a new phase in its evolution,
with its impending global rollout and rapid growth,” said
Clariter Founder and Chief Executive Ran J. Sharon.
“We have spent 19 years perfecting our technology to
create a viable solution to plastic waste – creating highquality,
high-value products from most types of plastic
waste using a highly efficient process with minimal waste
and emissions.
“Having achieved a mature and market-ready technology,
it is the perfect time to partner with expansionoriented
impact investors like infinity. This investment
will accelerate our growth, bringing us faster towards a
sustainable future for all.”

 

LyondellBasell Making Company Changes To Show Deliberate Steps in Its Evolution

Houston—
LyondellBasell announced organizational changes, effective
1 Oct. 2022, to increase value from existing assets and
targeted growth opportunities while accelerating the development
of its circular and low carbon solutions, signifying
deliberate steps it is taking in the company’s evolution.
The company’s business unit executive officers will be
as follows: Kimberly Foley, executive vice president, Refining,
Intermediates and Derivatives; Kenneth Lane, executive
vice president, Olefins and Polyolefins (O&P); Torkel
Rhenman, executive vice president, Advanced Polymer Solutions;
James Seward, executive vice president and chief
innovation officer, and Yvonne van der Laan, executive
vice president, Circular and Low Carbon Solutions.
To align business strategy with execution, business
units will now have global responsibility for manufacturing
operations.
In addition, the following leaders will be the executive
officers for the various central functions within the organization:
Tracey Campbell, executive vice president, sustainability
and corporate affairs, and Dale Friedrichs, executive
vice president, operational excellence and HSE. Friedrichs
will also serve in the interim as executive vice president,
people and culture, until a new leader is named.
James Guilfoyle will assume the role of senior vice
president, O&P Europe, Africa, Middle East and India.
The new Circular and Low Carbon Solutions business
unit will focus on the growth of LyondellBasell’s Circulen
renewable and circular solutions, and accelerate the development
of scalable sustainable and circular technologies.

 

People on the Move

Nova Chemicals—Danny Dweik, a Nova board member
and head of industrials at Mubadala Investment Co.,
has been appointed chief executive of Nova, effective 1 Oct.
2022. He succeeds Luis Sierra, who is stepping down as
chief executive and will serve as an adviser to the company.
IRPC Public Co. Ltd.—Kris Imsang has become president,
chief executive and director to replace Chawalit Tippawanich.

 

India’s CIL, IOCL, Gail & BHEL Planning To Set Up New Coal-to-Chem Projects

New Delhi—
Coal India Ltd. (CIL), under the aegis of India’s Ministry of
Coal, will partner with Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. (IOCL), Gail
(India) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) to set up
four new coal-to-chemical projects in India.
Utilizing a surface coal gasification (SCG) route, coal is
converted into syngas, which can be subsequently processed
for the downstream production of value added chemicals
such as dimethyl ether, synthetic natural gas and
ammonium nitrate.
The Ministry of Coal has set a target to achieve 100-
million tons of coal gasification by 2030.

 

SCGC Invests in PCR Expansion at Sirplaste To Meet Rising Demand in Europe, Africa

Bangkok—
SCG Chemicals (SCGC), majority shareholder in Portuguese
recycling firm Sirplaste-Sociedade Industrial de Recuperados
de Plastico, said it recently invested in Sirplaste
to expand production capacity of high quality postconsumer
recycled resin (PCR) to address the growing
market demand in Europe and Africa.
In order to increase PCR or recycled high-density polyethylene
capacity by 9,000 t/y to over 45,000 t/y, PCGC has
invested in new technologies and machinery at Sirplaste.
Completion is expected by the second quarter of 2023.
“In the future, there are plans to constantly increase
production capacity to support the expanding green packaging
market in the long run,” said Sirplaste Chief Executive
Ricardo Pereira. “This serves to solidify Sirplaste’s
commitment to European customers and reinforces our
position as a leader in Portugal’s recycled plastics industry.”
SCGC acquired a 70% stake in Sirplaste this past April
through its SCG Chemicals Trading (Singapore) Pte. subsidiary
(PCN, 11-18 Apr 2022, p 4).
The PCR produced by Sirplaste is certified by EUCertplast,
a European standard that verifies that raw material
sources for PCR are responsibly sourced post-consumer
resin, SCGC noted.

 

Ineos Lets Contract to Atkins to Design New Hydrogen Plant at Grangemouth

London—
Atkins, a member of SNC-Lavalin Group, has been
awarded a contract from Ineos to design a world-scale low
carbon hydrogen unit at Ineos’ Grangemouth site in Scotland,
UK.
The new hydrogen plant will see Ineos remove over 1-
million tons of carbon emissions from its already improving
performance since it purchased the site in 2005 and comes
on top of other significant investments at the site, Ineos
noted.
The hydrogen project will have access to the Scottish
Cluster carbon capture and storage infrastructure. Carbon
dioxide from the hydrogen plant will be sent directly offshore
to be permanently and safely stored in rock formations
deep below the North Sea, Ineos stated.
Ineos is also actively involved in the Forth Green Freeport
bid, which if successful, will further support the early
development of Ineos’ hydrogen production facility and its
ambitions to achieve more than 60% carbon reduction by
2030.

 

BASF Introduces CircleStar Catalyst to Lower CO2 Footprint in Bio-ethylene Value Chain

Berlin—
BASF has launched CircleStar, a new dehydration catalyst
to process renewable feedstocks that decreases the carbon
dioxide (CO2) footprint in the bio-ethylene value chain by
over 10% for products ranging from plastics to jet fuel.
The innovative catalyst achieves a 99.5% selectivity for
the ethanol-to-ethylene (E2E) conversion and has an operating
temperature more than 25°C lower compared to conventional
processes.
In addition, the packed density in the reactor bed is
“significantly” lower compared to conventionally shaped
catalysts, which impact the overall cost optimization of the
reaction, BASF noted. The novel geometry also leads to a
better mass transfer and a longer catalyst lifetime due to
the beneficial temperature and pressure-drop profile.
“Our novel CircleStar for the bio-ethanol to bio-ethylene
conversion has excellent product properties and helps our
customers to significantly increase their production efficiency,
while reducing carbon emissions and supporting
their net zero targets,” stated Detlef Ruff, senior vice president
of process catalysts.

 

BASF and GS E&C Sign MoU to Develop Modular Solutions for Carbon Capture

Hong Kong—
BASF and GS Engineering and Construction (GS E&C)
have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to
form a strategic partnership to jointly develop modular
solutions for carbon capture facilities.
The partners plan to develop individual package solutions
for customers from all industries to remove carbon
dioxide (CO2) from exhaust gases and process it so it can
be further utilized or stored.
They would combine BASF’s advanced OASE blue CO2
capture process technology with GS E&C’s specialized engineering
capabilities to deliver a modular carbon capture
package that can be delivered quickly with optimized capital
expenditures and operating expenses.
“The essence of OASE technology is that it can be
highly customized to meet the intended outcome of each
and every application,” said Lawrence Loe, director, OASE
gas treating excellence, intermediates Asia Pacific, BASF.
“One of the biggest challenges the renewable energy
sector faces is to reduce the uncertainty related to safety,
quality, cost and schedule, which can seriously affect economic
options for the project,” noted GS E&C Modular Division
Lead John Kwangho Jung. “GS E&C’s extensive
modular experiences can provide an effective solution to
mitigate the risks.”

 

Solvay Boosting Amodel PPA Capacity

Augusta—
Solvay announced it is increasing its Amodel polyphthalamide
(PPA) resin capacity at its manufacturing site in Augusta,
Ga.
Amodel PPA capacity will be expanded to 15% at the
site. No other details of the project were given.
“The new capacity facilitates the production of innovative
and more sustainable Amodel PPA grades that offer a
reduced CO2 [carbon dioxide] footprint due to manufacturing
improvements,” Solvay noted.
Currently, 100% of the electricity sourced by the site is
renewable.

 

Sumitomo & Lotte Conclude MoU to Partner In the Fields of Hydrogen and Ammonia

Tokyo—
Sumitomo Corp. has finalized a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Lotte Chemical to collaborate in
the hydrogen and ammonia fields, mainly in Japan and
South Korea.
The companies will jointly look into a wide range of
business development opportunities in hydrogen and ammonia,
including:
Joint investment in hydrogen and ammonia production
projects in Australia, Chile and other regions
and the establishment of value chains to Japan and
South Korea.
Development of ammonia storage terminals in Japan
and South Korea.
Commercialization of new hydrogen and ammoniarelated
technologies and their deployment in the
Japanese and South Korean markets.
Collaboration in the carbon dioxide capture, utilization
and storage field.
As part of the collaboration, this past August, Sumitomo,
Lotte and Syzygy Plasmonics agreed to conduct the
“world’s first” joint demonstration test of hydrogen production
by ammonia decomposition using photocatalyst in
South Korea (PCN, 29 Aug 2022, p 1).

 

EPCA’s Releases New Study with Deloitte On Building Future-Proof Supply Chain

Brussels—
The European Petrochemical Assn (EPCA) has put out a
new report, in which EPCA’s Supply Chain Program Committee
and Deloitte investigate how to build supply chain
resilience in the petrochemical industry.
The study, based on views and insights from industry
players within the EPCA community, captures, understands
and decodes the impact of the recent disruptions
and longer term trends on the petrochemical supply chain
in an era of volatility.
The research methodology included a survey to over 170
supply chain professionals across more than 100 companies,
both chemical and petrochemical producers and logistics
service providers, in-depth interviews to supply chain
leaders and desk research on the petrochemical endmarkets.
The report summarizes those findings, identifies common
themes and provides recommendations and calls to
action for petrochemical companies to thrive in uncertainty
and build a resilient, future proof supply chain.

 

Navigator Holdings, Greater Bay Form JV; Plans to Purchase Five Ethylene Vessels

London—
Navigator Holdings, owner and operator of the “world’s
largest” fleet of handysize liquefied gas carriers, said it has
entered into a joint venture agreement with Greater Bay
Gas Co. (Liberia), effective 30 Sept. 2022.
The new joint venture, owned 60% by Navigator and
40% by Greater Bay Gas, plans to purchase a total of five
ethylene vessels over the next 15 months at an aggregate
value of around $233-million.
The acquisitions will include two 17,000 cu m ethylene
vessels built in 2018, and three 22,000 cu m ethylene carriers
built in 2019. The vessels are currently commercially
managed by the Luna Pool collaborative arrangement,
which was formed in March 2020 by Navigator, Greater
Bay Gas Co. (HK) and Pacific Gas Pte. (Singapore).
Once acquired, each of the vessels will continue to be
commercially managed by the Luna Pool. Pacific Gas Co.
will remain the technical manager of the carriers.
“The joint venture . . . will result in a reduction in the
average age of Navigator’s fleet and will allow us to take
advantage of more efficient vessels, lowering emissions and
offering improved economics to our customers,” noted
Navigator Chief Executive Mads Peter Zacho.
“The joint venture is accretive as it further consolidates
the handysize segment and puts us in a strong position for
further growth and development in an evolving marketplace.”

 

Methanex Makes Investment in Technology To Lower Carbon Emissions at Motunui

Motonui—
Methanex announced it has made a “significant” investment
in technology to reduce carbon emission at its Motunui
site in New Zealand.
The multimillion-dollar project, which will take place
over the next 12 months, will involve improving the technology
in the facility’s distillation columns. Once complete,
carbon emissions at the site have the potential to be reduced
by more than 50,000 t/y.
The New Zealand project is just one of several opportunities
currently being progressed by the company, globally,
to further improve its environmental performance through
emissions reduction, Methanex noted.

PKN Orlen Picks Lupotech T Process For New LDPE Facility at Plock Site

Plock—
LyondellBasell announced it will license its Lupotech T
high-pressure polyethylene technology to PKN Orlen for a
low-density polyethylene (LDPE) line to be built at PKN
Orlen’s existing complex in Plock, Poland.
The process technology will be used for a new 250,000-
t/y LDPE plant. Further details of the project were not
available.
“Investment in modern technology is one of our strategic
goals,” said Daniel Obajtek, president of the management
board of PKN Orlen. “In this way, we are consistently
bolstering our position in the European market and
increasing profits.
“Petrochemicals are crucial to the future of the Orlen
Group and the strength of the Polish economy. According
to global forecasts, the value of the petrochemicals and
base plastics market is expected to double by 2030. That is
why we are investing heavily in this area of our business,
effectively leveraging the potential of the Plock plant.
“The project we are looking into will allow us to add another
petrochemical product to our portfolio, develop our
competencies and create specialized jobs.”

 

EC Approves Proposed Acquisition Of HIP-Petrohemija Stake by NIS

Brussels—The European
Commission (EC), under the European Union Merger
Regulation, has approved the planned acquisition of HIPPetrohemija
LLC Pancevo (HIPP) by Naftna Industrija
Srbije a.d. Novi Sad (NIS).
HIPP, active in the production and distribution of petrochemical
products such as ethylene, polyethylene and
synthetic rubber, and vertically integrated energy firm
NIS, are both based in Serbia.
The commission concluded that the acquisition would
raise no competition concerns given the companies’ moderate
combined market positions resulting from the proposed
transaction.
This past December, HIPP said it signed an agreement
with NIS and Serbia’s Ministry of Economy, in which it
will increase its share in HIPP to 90% from 20.86%, and
would build a polypropylene plant with a minimum capacity
of 140,000 t/y within six months.

 

Air Products Planning to Build Second Liquid Hydrogen Plant in Rotterdam

Rotterdam—Air
Products announced it was planning to start construction
of a second hydrogen liquefaction facility in Rotterdam, the
Netherlands.
The new plant will double Europe’s total current liquid
hydrogen capacity to meet increased demands. Operations
are scheduled to begin in 2025.
Air Products already has a liquid hydrogen facility in
Botlek, the Netherlands.

 

PT KPI Selects Grace’s Unipol Technology For New Indonesian Polypropylene Plant

Jakarta—
W.R. Grace & Co. said its Unipol polypropylene (PP) technology
was picked by PT Kilang Pertamina International
(PT KPI) for a new PP facility in Indonesia.
The 600,000-t/y PP plant, part of the Trans-Pacific Petrochemical
Indotama (TPPI) Olefin Complex Development
Project, will be designed to produce homopolymers, random
and impact copolymers.
In December 2021, Pertamina said the TPPI project
would also consist of a naphtha cracker and downstream
units for the production of 1-million t/y of polyethylene
(PE) products, including low-density PE, high-density PE
and linear LDPE. Completion is targeted in 2024.
“We thank PT KPI for trusting Grace Unipol PP technology
to deliver the technology, innovation and services
that PT KPI will use to enhance the polymer market in
Indonesia and beyond,” said Laura Schwinn, president of
Grace’s specialty catalysts business.
PT KPI and TPPI are subsidiaries of Pertamina.

 

Axens to Provide AlphaButol Technology For Socar’s GPC Project in Azerbaijan

Baku—Socar
has selected Axens’ AlphaButol technology for a 1-butene
unit as part of its Gas Processing and Petrochemical Complex
(GPC) project in Azerbaijan, according to a local media
report (PCN, 17-24 Apr 2017, p 3).
The 32,000-t/y unit will be installed at the GPC for the
production of high purity 1-butene through ethylene
dimerization.
The GPC project includes a gas processing unit with
about 10-billion cu m/y of capacity, a new steam cracker, a
600,000-t/y swing polyethylene line and the production of
120,000 t/y of propylene.
According to Socar’s website, the primary purpose of
the GPC project is to provide end users in the country with
purified natural gas and ensure production of high value
added polymers.

 

Neste Aims to Shift Porvoo Refinery To a Renewable and Circular Site

Porvoo—Neste said
it is launching a strategic study on transitioning its Porvoo
refinery in Finland to non-crude oil refining and into a
globally leading renewable and circular solutions site.
The transformation under study would begin with the
co-processing of both renewable and circular feedstock and
could continue with retrofits of existing units at a later
stage, with a long-term capacity potential of 2-million to 4-
million t/y.
If Neste goes ahead with the project, it would lead to a
discontinuation of crude oil refining in Porvoo in the mid-
2030s.
In addition, the company said it would continue to actively
study opportunities of green hydrogen at the refinery.

 

Technip Providing Early Engineering Support For Ineos’ New AA Unit on U.S. Gulf Coast

Houston—
Technip Energies has signed an engineering services
agreement with Ineos Acetyls to provide early engineering
support to Ineos’ recently announced investment in a
world-scale acetic acetic acid plant and associated derivatives
on the U.S. Gulf Coast (PCN, 20 June 2022, p 1).
The plant, for which a location has not yet been decided,
will be based on Ineos Acetyls proprietary Cativa
technology. A final investment decision is expected before
the end of next year.
“We are pleased to continue our collaboration with
Ineos and to contribute to their global expansion plans,”
said Bhaskar Patel, senior vice president of Sustainable
Fuels, Chemicals & Circularity at Technip Energies.
“Technip Energies is committed to continue supporting
their leading Cativa acetic acid technology deployment by
bringing our engineering and technology expertise. We
look forward to integrate this technology into world-scale
acetic acid plants for Ineos.”

 

PCG & ExxonMobil Agree to Partner On Plastics Recycling in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur—
Petronas Chemicals Group (PCG) and ExxonMobil have
signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on
creating a circular economy for plastics in Malaysia.
The partners will assess the potential for large-scale
implementation of plastic recycling technology in the country,
and also evaluate opportunities to support improvements
to plastic waste collection and sorting there.
“PCG has been continuously exploring and implementing
innovative technologies to develop sustainable solutions
demanded by its customers,” said Mohd Yusri, managing
director and chief executive of ExxonMobil.
“This collaboration is yet another significant step towards
the transition into a circular economy on the back of
increased demand for circular products and signifies our
commitment to use recycled raw materials in the chemical
industry.”

 

AmSty, Encina Ink MoU, Offtake Deal For Circular Polystyrene Feedstocks

Houston—
Americas Styrenics (AmSty) has signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) and long-term offtake agreement
with Encina Development Group for circular polystyrene
(PS) feedstocks.
Under the MoU, AmSty will have the opportunity to
purchase up to 250,000 t/y of the circular feedstocks from
Encina’s facilities.
The offtake agreement is for the purchase of circular
feedstocks from Encina’s first U.S. commercial plant being
built in Point Township, Penn., which is now expected to
begin production in early 2025 (PCN, 19 Sept 2022, p 1).
The circular feedstocks will then be available for purchase
as recycled content credits based on the ISCC Plus
mass-balance system.
AmSty plans to enter into further offtake agreements to
purchase circular feedstocks from each new plant that Encina
starts up.
AmSty has committed to a 2030 goal that all PS products
designed for food packaging applications will contain
at least 30% recycled content.

 

Eastman and Interzero Sign Supply Deal For Planned Recycling Plant in France

Paris—
Eastman said it has entered into a long-term agreement
with Interzero for the supply of plastic waste to Eastman’s
planned molecular recycling facility in Normandy, France
(PCN, 4 Apr 2022, p 1).
Eastman plans to invest up to $1-billion to build the
“world’s largest” material-to-material molecular recycling
plant, which would utilize its own polyester renewal technology
to recycle around 160,000 t/y of hard-to-recycle
polyester waste.
The polyester waste will be used to create virgin-quality
material with a “significantly” lower carbon footprint. Operations
are expected to begin in 2025.
Interzero will provide up to 20,000 t/y of hard-to-recycle
polyethylene terephthalate household packaging waste
that would otherwise be incinerated.
“Interzero and Eastman are committed to reducing
plastic waste and creating circularity through collaboration
and innovation,” noted Brad Lich, executive vice president
and chief commercial officer of Eastman.
“This agreement marks an important milestone towards
Eastman’s investment in France. We are happy to
build a strong collaboration in Europe with Interzero to
provide a portion of the feedstock needed to successfully
operate our facility.
“This collaboration reinforces the complementary nature
of mechanical and molecular recycling, and the importance
of working together to create true circularity.”

 

Grupa Azoty Police Serwis Gets Contract For Maintenance to Polymer Project

Warsaw—Grupa
Azoty Police Serwis has won a comprehensive maintenance
contract from Grupa Azoty Polyolefins for the Polimery
Police project in Poland (PCN, 7 Feb 2022, p 3).
The project, estimated to cost around €1.5-billion, will
include a propane dehydrogenation unit for the production
of up to 437,000 t/y of polymer-grade propylene, as well as
a polypropylene plant. Commercial operations are planned
to begin in 2023.
The contract covers maintenance of automation, electrical,
mechanical and civil engineering systems and works,
and the key responsibilities of the contractor include performing
inspections, maintenance work and repairs, and
correcting any failures, defects and malfunctions.

 

People on the Move

Borealis—Jonatas Melo has been appointed vice president
of performance materials, effective 1 Aug. 2022. He
had been senior vice president, Asia South at Borouge.
Viridis Chemical—Rick Cochrane, previously senior
vice president of strategy and business development at
Cyclyx International, has joined Viridis as senior vice
president of commercialization and business development.
Honeywell—Lucian Boldea has been named president
and chief executive of Honeywell’s Performance Materials
and Technologies segment, effective 3 Oct. 2022, succeeding
Vimal Kapur, who was appointed president and chief
operating officer of Honeywell this past July.
Boldea was most recently executive vice president of
additives and functional products, and chemical intermediates
at Eastman Chemical.

 

Orlen Enters Mechanical Recycling Sector With Proposed Acquisition of REMAQ

Plock—The
Orlen Unipetrol Group said it will enter the mechanical
recycling of waste segment with the planned purchase of
Italian-Czech company REMAQ.
REMAQ focuses on production and trading with plastic
recyclates, particularly polypropylene, polyethylene and
polystyrene. It has a production plant in the Otrokovice
industrial zone, Czech Republic, that has four production
lines with a total capacity of 2,400 tons a month.
“Our projects in the field of chemical recycling of plastics
will allow us not only to implement the assumptions of
the circular economy, but also to reduce the demand for oil
and gas in petrochemical production,” noted Daniel Obajtek,
president of the management board of PKN Orlen.
“The acquisition of REMAQ will enable the expansion of
the Orlen Group’s competences in the field of mechanical
recycling. Our goal is to properly link all waste recycling
methods to create a fully functional chain in which local
governments, waste distributors and final processors work
together efficiently.
“In line with the Orlen Group’s strategy, we strive to
have a recycling capacity of plastics and natural waste of
up to 400,000 tons in 2030. It is also our contribution to
the protection of the environment and the planet, which
will also contribute to building the value of the concern in
the long term.”
The transaction, for which is a value was not given, is
expected to be completed by the end of March 2023 at the
latest.

 

Braskem Launches New Company to Invest In Sustainability, Digital Transformation

São Paulo–
Braskem announced the launch of a new company, Oxygea,
that will foster the appearance and development of new
business initiatives focused on sustainability and digital
transformation, through dealings with startups in the
market.
The initiative has two main pillars: Venture Builder, a
vehicle for incubating and accelerating new businesses,
including those created within Braskem, and Corporate
Venture Capital, for investment in more mature startups.
Oxygea will receive investments of $150-million for new
business development in up to five years. Of the total
amount, $50-million will be allocated to the incubation arm
and $100-million to the investment arm.
“This launch is in line with the company’s ESG commitments
for 2030 and 2050, seeking to innovate with a
focus on sustainable solutions,” Braskem noted.

 

Repsol Selects Quimidroga as Distributor Of Polypropylene Compounds in Morocco

Rabat—
Quimidroga Maroc has been chosen by Repsol as exclusive
distributor of Repsol’s polypropylene (PP) compounds
range in Morocco.
The deal will help Repsol respond to the demand of
large local converters and smaller emerging companies
resulting from the sector’s development, Repsol noted.
Repsol recently announced it was building a new PP
compound production plant in the Alawite country, which
will begin operations in mid-2023.

 

Solvay and Iberdrola Team Up on Project To Supply Green Power to Solvay’s Units

Paris—
Solvay and Iberdrola have decided to partner on a project
that will supply green electricity to Solvay’s plants in Tavaux
and Saint Fons, France.
Iberdrola Renouvelables France will build and operate
a new solar facility that will produce close to 75 gigawatts,
making the facility “one of the largest” such installations
in Europe, Solvay noted.
The companies plan to sign a 20-year corporate power
purchase agreement, in which 60% of the green electricity
produced will be supplied to the Solvay sites.
“We are delighted to partner with Iberdrola on this
clean energy project that will significantly reduce the energy
footprint of our specialty polymers and aroma businesses
in France,” said Ilham Kadri, chief executive of Solvay.
“It’s another important step in our Solvay One Planet
roadmap, as we continue to raise the bar and accelerate
progress towards our goal of achieving carbon neutrality.”

 

KBC Releases Process Simulation Software To Optimize PC and Refinery Operations

Houston—
KBC recently announced the release of a new version of its
Petro-SIM process simulation software to help operators
optimize petrochemical and refinery operations.
Petro-SIM 7.3 software with Predici-SIM technology
can now simulate polymerization processes. This allows
operators to evaluate and manage challenges so they develop
and produce new polymer grades with desirable
properties, while optimizing key performance indicators
and maintaining operating conditions in steady-state and
dynamic modes for the entire petrochemical-polymer supply
chain.
In addition to other features, the simulation tool has
also broadened its decarbonization simulation capabilities
to accurately depict decarbonization processes, making it a
scalable solution that helps operators overcome these challenges.

 

Sibur Begins Producing PET Granules From Recycled Polymers Feedstock

Moscow—Sibur
said it has launched production of polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) granules that contain up to 25%-30% recycled
polymers feedstock (PCN, 9 Sept 2019, p 3).
The Vivilen rPET granules will be produced at Sibur’s
Polief facility in Bashkortostan, Russia. The plant will use
up to 34,000 t/y of recycled feedstock for the production of
up to 144,000 t/y of Vivilen rPET granules at full capacity.
In order to produce Vivilen at the Polief site, Sibur integrated
the recycled feedstock supply line into the primary
PET process of the site. The total project cost was
over RUB 4-billion, and was supported by a loan of RUB
1.2-billion from Russia’s Industrial Development Fund.
“The testing and homologation of the new equipment
with the first potential customers have been successfully
completed,” Sibur noted. “The results of the tests confirm
that Vivilen rPET is on a par with the primary polymer in
terms of technical and operational qualities, it complies
with food safety standards and can be used in the production
of packaging for food and beverages.”

 

NextChem Gets Grant for Project to Develop World’s ‘First’ Waste-to-Hydrogen Facility

Milan—
Maire Tecnimont SpA said its NextChem subsidiary has
been awarded a €194-million grant to develop the world’s
“first” waste-to-hydrogen plant as part of the “IPCEI
Hy2Use” European Union project.
The facility, based on proprietary technology from Next-
Chem’s MyRechemical subsidiary, will have a production
capacity of 1,500 t/y of hydrogen and 55,000 t/y of ethanol
in the first phase, which can be increased up to 20,000 t/y
at full capacity. It will use 200,000 t/y of non-recyclable
solid waste as raw material. Start-up is planned for the
first half of 2027.
The project sets up the Hydrogen Valley of Rome, the
first industrial-scale technological hub for the development
of the entire national hydrogen supply chain for the production,
transport, storage and use of hydrogen.
In addition, the project includes a contribution of
around €4-million for further research and development
activities in waste-to-hydrogen technology, leveraging scientific
partners such as Enea, Fondazione Bruno Kessler
and La Sappienza University of Rome.
“We are proud of the goal achieved by Maire Tecnimont
Group with NextChem, and of the recognition of the industrial
and technological skills of our country by the European
Union to develop a low-carbon and low-cost hydrogen
economy,” noted Alessandro Bernini, chief executive of
Maire Tecnimont Group and NextChem.

 

KBR Enters Agreement with Giammarco To License Carbon Capture Technology

Houston—
KBR has signed a master license and engineering agreement
with Giammarco-Vetrocoke for KBR to license its
carbon capture technology worldwide.
The “well proven, energy efficient” technology is flexible
and can be integrated across the value chain for petrochemical,
blue ammonia and refining industries, KBR
noted.
“We are excited to enter into this agreement with
Giammarco-Vetrocoke, as it enables us to integrate and
deploy critical carbon capture solutions today to help our
clients meet their sustainability targets,” noted Doug
Kelly, KBR President, technology.
“Further, by leveraging this solution across the breadth
of our portfolio, we believe we can implement smart and
efficient carbon capture solutions on both existing and new
projects.”

 

ExxonMobil Shutting French Refinery In Response to Ongoing Strike Action

Paris—Exxon-
Mobil on 21 Sept. 2022 said it was gradually closing down
its 235,000-b/d Fos-Sur-Mer refinery in France due to ongoing
strike action, reported Reuters quoting the company.
On 20 Sept. 2022, walkouts caused the gradual shut
down of the company’s 240,000-b/d Port Jerome-
Gravenchon oil refinery and Notre Dame de Gravenchon
petrochemical site in France.
French unions CGT and Force Ouvriere called for a
strike following wage negotiations with ExxonMobil.
“This unfortunate situation may impact our customers,
contractors, suppliers, and employees, and affects the international
reputation of ExxonMobil activities in France,”
ExxonMobil stated.

 

PetroChemical News Briefs

Mubadala Petroleum recently changed its brand
name to Mubadala Energy to reflect a new strategic direction,
which will see it expanding its gas-weighted portfolio
in areas such as liquefied natural gas, while exploring new
energy sectors including blue hydrogen and carbon capture.
Eni and the Saudi Ministry of Investment have
signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at promoting
cooperation between Eni and Saudi institutions and
companies, mainly in the field of sustainable development
around the country, and specialty conversion chemicals.
Yara has completed a triangular merger of its clean
ammonia business into Yara Clean Ammonia.
Dow recently said it has become the “first” to achieve
traceability and recycled content certification for polyethylene
compounds. Its post-consumer recycled-rich resins,
Revoloop, have been certified by AENOR, a global body for
management systems and product certification. The certification
covers all three grades offered by Dow in Europe.

 

Hanwha Selects Lupotech T Technology For New EVA Facility in South Korea

Yeosu—Lyondell-
Basell’s Lupotech T high-pressure polyethylene technology
has been chosen by Hanwha Solutions for a vinyl acetate
copolymer (EVA) line in South Korea.
The 300,000-t/y EVA line will be built at a new site in
Yeosu. Cost of the contract and details of the project were
not disclosed.
“Hanwha is an experienced producer of LDPE [lowdensity
polyethylene] and EVA resins in South Korea and
we are excited that Hanwha opted for the Lupotech T process
to expand their production capacity with this significant
award,” said Neil Nadalin, global licensing and services
at LyondellBasell.
“When it comes to high-pressure LDPE technology capable
of producing the full spectrum of EVA and LDPE
grades, the Lupotech T Process is the ultimate choice for
operators around the world in today’s fast-changing market.”

 

ALPLA and GC Complete Construction On Envicco Recycling Plant in Rayong

Rayong—
ALPLA and PTT Global Chemical (GC) have completed
construction and are starting up their new joint venture
Envicco recycling facility in Rayong Province, Thailand
(PCN, 16 Sept 2019, p 4).
The plant, Thailand’s “largest” plastics recycling plant
of its kind, has a production capacity of 45,000 t/y of recycled
polyethylene terephthalate and high-density polyethylene,
ALPLA noted.
“Today, GC is proud to reveal that Envicco is ready for
commercial operation,” said Kongkrapan Intarajang, president
and chief executive of GC, during a grand opening on
13 Sept. 2022.
“Used plastics within the Kingdom of Thailand will
make up 100% of the raw materials processed by Envicco’s
cutting-edge production technologies to transform used
plastics into valuable products.
“The Envicco production plant is part of our long-term
circular economy strategy to fully realize GC’s value
chain.”

 

RIL Enters Definitive Agreements to Buy Indian Polyester Producers SPL, SPTex

Mumbai—
Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) has signed definitive agreements
to acquire the polyester business of Shubhalakshmi
Polyesters Ltd. (SPL) and Shubhlaxmi Polytex Ltd.
(SPTex) for a cash consideration of Rs 1,522 crore and Rs
70 crore, respectively, according to local news reports.
The transaction is subject to approval of the Competition
Commission of India, and the respective lenders of
SPL and SPTex. No other details were available.
“The acquisitions are part of the company’s strategy to
expand its downstream polyester business,” said the reports
quoting RIL.

 

Encina Produces High Purity Aromatics Made 100% from End-of-Life Plastics

Houston—
Encina Development Group announced the “first-ever”
production of high purity aromatics made entirely from
end-of-life mixed plastics, and confirmed that ongoing production
will continue.
The company has a circular chemicals facility in San
Antonio, Texas, which is designed to accept mixed end-oflife
plastics and catalytically convert them into circular
chemicals (PCN, 20 Sept 2021, p 2). An expansion phase of
the plant was recently completed by Chemex Global.
“According to the EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency], less than 10% of plastics are currently recycled,”
noted Carlo Badiola, senior vice president of engineering
and technology at Encina.
“Encina’s large-scale solution being deployed next year
will enable the diversion of 450,000 tons of mixed plastic
streams from landfills or incineration to manufacture
ISCC+ circular chemicals to help our customers meet their
ongoing sustainability goals.”
The Encina Point Township Circular Manufacturing
Facility, to be built in Point Township, Penn., will use the
company’s advanced proprietary to process the 450,000 t/y
of end-of-life plastic feedstock and convert it into BTX (benzene,
toluene and xylene). Operations are planned to begin
by fall 2024 (PCN, 12 Sept 2022, p 1).

 

Prime Polymer Launches New Brands For Circular & Carbon Neutral PO

Tokyo—Prime
Polymer, a subsidiary of Mitsui Chemicals, revealed two
new polyolefin (PO) brands it is launching for carbon neutral
and circular economy products.
Re’PRM is the brand name for recycled products with
the concept of “Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, Reborn,” the company
said. Prime will apply the quality improvement
technologies that it has refined in order to build a highvalue-
added recycling business and contribute to the circular
economy.
Prasus, short for “Prime and Sustainable” is the brand
name for eco-friendly and sustainable products using new
feedstocks. Prime has decided to shift to new feedstocks
from conventional ones to contribute to a sustainable society
with plastics.

 

OQ Begins Ammonia Production in Dhofar

Muscat—
OQ Group said it has begun production at its new ammonia
plant in Dhofar Governorate in Oman, and the first
shipment of liquid ammonia has been exported, reported
the Oman Observer.
The $463-million facility has a design capacity of 1,000
t/d of ammonia and is fully integrated with an existing 1-
million-t/y methanol plant, which “will enable OQ Group to
rationalize the cost and optimize performance and production
efficiency,” noted Hilal Al Kharusi, chief executive of
the commercial and downstream unit at OQ.

 

FPG Still Planning Sunshine Project, Despite Judge Canceling Air Permits

Baton Rouge—
Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) said it still plans to build
and operate a world-scale ethylene complex, known as the
Sunshine Project, in St. James Parish, La., despite a recent
court ruling that vacated air permits for the project, reported
Reuters.
The proposed two-phase project would include the production
of ethylene, linear low-density polyethylene (PE),
high-density PE (HDPE), ethylene glycol (EG), propylene,
polypropylene, and ancillary support facilities for product
loading and utilities (PCN, 23 Aug 2021, p 1).
The second phase would involve an additional ethylene
facility, a low-density PE unit, an HDPE plant and a second
EG facility.
In her ruling, Louisiana District Court Judge Trudy
White said state regulators used “selective” and “inconsistent”
data in evaluating the permit application and didn’t
consider the air quality impacts of the project on the local
community.
In August 2021, the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers said
it would perform a thorough environmental review of the
project, after temporarily suspending the construction permit
for the project in November 2020. The assessment
could take years to complete.

 

GS Caltex Studying Possible Conversion Of Some Gas Lines for PC Production

Seoul—GS Caltex
is studying the potential modification of some of its
gasoline refining lines into facilities to refine basic petrochemical
products, such as ethylene and propylene, according
to industry sources.
GS Caltex has been in talks with Chevron, majority
shareholder in GS Caltex, about the potential conversion,
which is expected to offset an expected drop in oil consumption
due to the transition from combustion to electric
vehicles.
The company plans to invest up to $370-million in the
proposed project, which would make it a general petrochemical
company, rather than an oil refiner. Construction
could take several years to begin.

 

Plastics Industry Assn. Names Anellotech Winner of Bioplastics Innovation Award

Washington–
The Plastics Industry Assn. (PLASTICS) announced sustainable
technology firm Anellotech as winner of PLASTICS’
2022 Innovation in Bioplastics Award.
Anellotech was recognized for its development of the
first polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle made entirely
from loblolly pine and other biomasss feedstocks.
“I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the employees
of Anellotech,” said Anellotech Chief Executive
David Sudolsky.
“We’re excited to join our Bio-TCat process development
partners, IFP Energies nouvelles and Axens, as well as our
strategic partner Suntory, in creating new routes to sustainable
plastics.”
Anellotech’s patented Bio-TCat technology converts
biomass into benzene, toluene and xylene, and paraxylene,
which are chemically identical to their petroleum-based
counterparts and result in a product with 70% lower
greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum-based PET.

 

Mitsui Chem to Utilize SC&T’s Catalyst To Cut CO2 Emissions at EO Refinery

Osaka—Shell
Catalysts & Technologies (SC&T) said its ethylene oxide
(EO) catalyst has been selected by Mitsui Chemicals to
help reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at Mitsui’s EO
refinery in Osaka, Japan.
The Shell S-896 catalyst will allow Mitsui to maximize
its assets without having to make an investment in refinery
hardware revamps. It is expected to provide important
economic benefits from raw material (ethylene) savings
and help the company meet its decarbonization goals for
the refinery, SC&G explained.

 

People on the Move

Shell plc—Wael Sawan has been appointed chief executive,
effective 1 Jan, 2023, when he will also join the
company’s board of directors. He succeeds Ben van Beurden,
who will step down as chief executive at the end of
2022, but continue as adviser to the board until 30 June
2023.
Methanex—Rich Sumner, currently senior vice president
of global marketing and logistics, has been named
president and chief executive, and member of the board of
directors, effective 1 Jan. 2023. He will replace John
Floren, who is retiring from those positions as of 31 Dec.
2022.
QChem—Lou Compton has become deputy chief executive
of QChem, a joint venture of QatarEnergy and Chevron
Phillips Chemical Co. (CPChem). He was most recently
general manager of CPChem’s Performance Pipe
Division.
Jacobs—Bob Pragada, currently president and chief
operating officer, will become chief executive, effective 24
Jan. 2023. He will succeed Steve Demetriou, who will continue
as executive chair of the board.
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals—Rajesh
Kumar Srivastava, chief managing director (additional
charge) and director of exploration at Oil & Natural Gas
Corp., has been appointed chairman of the board of Mangalore.
He succeeds Dr. Alka Mittal.
Evonik—Claus Rettig has been selected as the new regional
president of Asia Pacific, responsible for the entire
Asian business. He is currently head of Evonik’s Smart
Materials Division.
Ralph Marquardt, previously senior vice president and
general manager of Strategy & New Growth Business at
Evonik Resource Efficiency, has become chief innovation
officer at Evonik Operations.
Nayara Energy—Prasad K. Panicker, director and
head of refinery, will assume the role of chairman, effective
3 Oct. 2022.
Euro Chlor—Johan Van Den Broeck has been elected
chairman of the management committee of Euro Chlor for
a period of two years. He is executive vice president, commercial,
at Vynova Group.
European Petrochemical Assn. (EPCA)—Frederic
Vartician, global vice president of raw materials and energy
purchasing at Arkema, has joined the board of directors
of EPCA to replace Marc Schuller, chief operating officer
of Arkema.

 

CRI & Dastur Sign Agreement to Develop New CO2-to-Methanol Projects in India

New Delhi—
Carbon Recycling International (CRI) and Dastur Energy
Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Dastur Energy, have entered into
a partnership agreement for setting up carbon dioxide
(CO2)-to-methanol projects in India based on CRI’s ETL
technology.
The agreement covers marketing, business development,
technology licensing, design and engineering of the
CO2-to-methanol projects.
ETL technology is based on the conversion of CO2 released
by industry into methanol, which replaced petroleum
raw materials and has a “much lower” environmental
impact, CRI noted.
“Economically viable methods for utilizing [CO2] are
key to accelerating global efforts to reduce emissions,” said
Atanu Mukherjee, chief executive of Dastur Energy and
Dastur. “We see significant opportunities in India for
methanol produced sustainably.”
According to CRI, India’s methanol sales are growing
“rapidly” and are now around 2.5-million t/y. The market
size is expected to reach over 7.5-million t/y within 10
years.

 

BASF Inks Agreement with X-ELIO For Solar Power to Freeport Site

Freeport—BASF and
X-ELIO have entered into a power purchase agreement for
the supply of solar power to BASF’s Verbund site in Freeport,
Texas.
Under the 12-year deal, X-ELIO will supply 48 megawatts
of solar power to the site from its Liberty Solar
Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Plant being built in
Houston, Texas. Operations are planned to begin by 2024.
The solar power supply will further reduce carbon
emissions at BASF’s site and offset more than 82,000 t/y of
carbon dioxide emissions, based on U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency estimates, BASF noted.
“With this agreement, we take a big step forward,
reaching 100% of the site’s purchased power to be supplied
from renewable energy,” said Brad Morrison, senior vice
president and site manager for the BASF site in Freeport.
“Securing renewable energy at our Freeport site is a
necessary step to improving our energy footprint and we
appreciate the partnership with X-ELIO, which helps us
realize the company’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.”

 

Air Liquide Withdrawing from Russia; Signs MoU for Management Buy Out

Moscow—Air
Liquide recently said it intends to withdraw from Russia
and has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
with the local management team to transfer its activities
there in the framework of a management buy out (MBO).
“This divestment project to local managers aims to allow
an orderly, sustainable and responsible transfer of its
activities in Russia, ensuring notable the continuity of oxygen
supplies to hospitals,” the company noted. The MBO is
subject to Russian regulatory approvals.
“In parallel, as a consequence of the evolution of the
geopolitical context, the activities of the group in Russia
will no longer be consolidated starting September 1, 2022.”
Air Liquide has close to 750 employees in Russia and
its turnover in the country represents less than 1% of the
group’s turnover.

 

Mura & Dow Pick Dow Site in Germany For New Advanced Recycling Facility

Leipzig—Mura
Technology and Dow announced plans to locate Europe’s
“largest” advanced recycling plant at Dow’s site in Bohlen,
Germany (PCN, 25 July 2022, p 2).
The project, the first expected to be based at a Dow site,
would have about 120,000 t/y of advanced recycling capacity.
A final investment decision is targeted by the end of
2023, with operations anticipated to begin by 2025.
This past July, the companies announced plans to build
multiple world-scale 120,000-t/y advanced recycling plants
at sites in the U.S. and Europe, with Dow being the offtaker
of the circular feed that Mura produces.
Together, the new plants will add as much as 600,000
t/y of aggregate advanced recycling capacity by 2030 using
Mura’s HydroPRS advanced recycling process.
“We continue to increase Dow’s capacity to use recycled
content as feedstock, and continue to invest in the most
effective technology available to enable our circular business
model for plastics,” said Diego Donoso, president of
Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics.
“The diversification of our feedstock slate and decarbonization
of our assets will enable the achievement of
Dow’s goal of a sustainable, low-carbon future, and meet
strong and growing customer demand for circular polymers.
This will be a significant step forward to decrease
our dependency on virgin fossil-based feedstocks.”

 

Air Products JV Acquires Air Liquide’s Saudi Industrial Merchant Business

Riyadh—
Abdullah Hashim Industrial Gases & Equipment Co., Air
Products’ merchant industrial gas joint venture in Saudi
Arabia, has purchased Air Liquide’s industrial merchant
business in Saudi Arabia.
The transaction, for which a value was not disclosed,
includes Air Liquide’s share in Air Liquide Khafra Industrial
Gases.
The divestment complements the sale announced this
past April of Air Liquide’s industrial merchant business in
the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to Air Products
group, Air Liquide noted (PCN, 25 Apr 2022, p 4).

 

First Ammonia to Install Topsoe’s SOEC In Green Ammonia Plants Worldwide

Lyngby—
Topsoe and First Ammonia have entered into a capacity
reservation agreement for Topsoe’s energy efficient solid
oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC) to be installed in First
Ammonia’s green ammonia facilities around the world.
The agreement involves the initial purchase of 500
megawatt of SOEC units and is expandable to up to five
gigawatt over the lifetime of the agreement.
The first 500 megawatt of capacity will be installed in
the “world’s first” commercial-scale green ammonia plants
at sites in Northern Germany and Southwestern U.S.,
Topsoe noted. Operations are planned to begin in 2025.
Topsoe recently received a final investment decision
from the company’s board of directors to build a new largescale
SOEC manufacturing facility in Herning, Denmark.
PCN earlier reported that construction on Topsoe’s
SOEC manufacturing plant would begin in 2022 with operations
planned to start in 2023 (PCN, 8 Mar 2021, p 3).

 

Bridgestone Investing in Commercialization Of Natural Rubber from Desert Shrubs

Nashville—
Bridgestone plans to invest $42-million to establish commercial
operations for producing natural rubber from desert
shrubs (guayule), as part of its effort to achieve 100%
renewable tires and carbon neutrality by 2050.
The company will collaborate with local U.S. farmers
and Native American tribes to secure up to 25,000 additional
acres of farmland for planting and harvesting guayule
at scale. Sustainable commercial production of guayule-
derived natural rubber is targeted by the end of the
decade.
Bridgestone has already invested over $100-million in
guayule research, and has received several U.S. government
grants for the research and development of guayule.
It is also actively researching a range of solutions to support
the recycling of materials from end-of-life tires and
promote the replacement of non-renewable materials such
as oil, silica and virgin carbon black in new tires.
“We’re extremely bullish on the potential for guayule as
a domestic source of strategically critical materials such as
rubber, hypoallergenic latex, building material adhesives
and renewable fuel, just to name a few,” said Nizar Trigui,
chief technology officer and group president, solutions
businesses, at Bridgestone Americas.

 

Stepan Signs Agreement to Purchase Surfactant Business of PerformanX

Springfield—
Stepan has entered into an agreement with PerformanX
Specialty Chemicals to acquire its surfactant business and
associated assets.
The deal, for which a value was not given, includes intellectual
property, commercial relationships and inventory.
Subject to normal closing conditions, the acquisition
is expected to be finalized in the third quarter of this year.
“PerformanX is a strong strategic fit within Stepan’s
surfactants business and provides attractive market diversification
opportunities for our alkoxylation product line,”
noted Stepan President and Chief Executive Scott R.
Behrans.
Stepan recently began construction on a new $220-
million global alkoxylation facility at its site in Pasadena,
Texas (PCN, 13 June 2022, p 1).
The plant, to be operated by Stepan, will have a capacity
of 75,000 t/y of alkoxylates made via ethoxylation and
propoxylation. Operations are expected to begin late next
year.

 

KTS, Ioniqa in Partnership to Advance Ioniqa’s PET Recycling Technology

Amsterdam—
Koch Technology Solutions (KTS) and Ioniqa Technologies
announced a partnership to scale up and commercialize
Ioniqa’s advanced circular polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) recycling technology.
The technology utilizes low-grade post-consumer PET
to infinitely produce a feedstock that displaces virgin raw
materials used in the production of polyester products.
“After scaling of our technology to a 10,000-t/y depolymerization
plant in the Netherlands, this KTS partnership
is a major stepping stone for Ioniqa in commercializing its
technology on a global level,” said Ioniqa Founder and
Chief Executive Tonnis Hooghoudt.
“Our expertise in breaking down plastic waste into virgin-
like monomers matches seamlessly with KTS’ track
record in designing and licensing PET production processes
worldwide. We believe that together we can meet the
strong market demand for recycled PET materials by
jointly providing licenses and cleaning up the planet.”
As part of the partnership, KTS has committed to invest
up to €30-million in Ioniqa.

 

Yuri Lets Construction Contract to T.EN For Green Hydrogen Plant in Australia

Newman—
Technip Energies (T.EN), leader of a consortium with Monford
Group, has been awarded a contract by Yuri Operations
Pty. to develop Project Yuri Phase 0, a green hydrogen
plant in Western Australia.
Project Yuri, being developed in partnership with Yara
Clean Ammonia and Engie, will include the production of
up to 640 t/y of green hydrogen for use in Yara Pilbara’s
existing ammonia plant.
The project will involve a new 10-megawatt electrolysis
plant and an 18-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) farm
with an 8-megawatt battery energy system to provide the
required energy for electrolysis.
T.EN is responsible for the overall project management
as well as the engineering, procurement, commissioning
and start-up of the electrolysis plant, while Monford is responsible
for the overall project construction and the engineering,
procurement, commissioning and start-up of the
PV farm.
Project Yuri will involve multiple phases and is intended
to make renewable hydrogen and ammonia as feedstock
for renewable chemical production, as well as renewable
fuel for power generation and shipping, serving local
and export markets.
Mitsui & Co. has agreed to acquire a 28% stake in Yuri
Operations, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions
under its investment agreement.

 

 

Tokai Carbon Receives Board Okay For New Thai Carbon Black Plant

Rayong—Tokai
Carbon Co. announced its board of directors has approved
construction of a new carbon black facility in Rayong, Thailand,
through its consolidated Thai Tokai Carbon Product
Co. subsidiary (TCP).
The plant, which will utilize “cutting edge” technologies,
will have a production capacity of 180,000 t/y of carbon
black. Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2023
with completion planned in April 2025.
Since TCP’s establishment, it has been producing carbon
black on leased land; however, because the demand for
carbon black is expected to continue in the region, it has
decided to establish a more sustainable supply platform by
relocating production to new land owned by TCP.

 

Clough Wins Encina Contract to Build U.S. Circular Manufacturing Facility

Harrisburg—
Encina Development has awarded a front-end engineering
design and engineering, procurement and construction contract
to Clough, in partnership with Hyundai Engineering
USA, for a new manufacturing plant that will convert postconsumer
plastics into feedstock to manufacture new products
in Point Township, Penn (PCN, 11-18 Apr 2022, p 1).
The facility, named Encina Point Township Circular
Manufacturing Facility, will use Encina’s advanced proprietary
technology to process 450,000 t/y of end-of-life
plastic feedstock and convert it into BTX (benzene, toluene
and xylene). Operations are planned to begin by fall 2024.
“Manufacturers can be responsive to increasing consumer
demand for circular and recycled content by seamlessly
incorporating these products into their manufacturing
processes,” Encina noted.

 

Lummus Offering LEAP Technology To Cut CO2 Emissions from Heaters

Houston—
Lummus Technology said it has made “major” advancements
to the Lummus External Air Preheater (LEAP)
technology to “significantly” reduce carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions from cracking heaters at ethylene plants, as well
as other fired heaters.
The technology, which is now available for commercial
use, can be applied to both new and existing heaters with
minimal mechanical changes to help decarbonize intensive
petrochemical manufacturing processes.
“Lummus is committed to decarbonizing our entire
technology portfolio, and these advancements underscore
the continued progress we are making in meeting our
commitments,” said Lummus Technology President and
Chief Executive Leon de Bruyn.
LEAP technology also features lower fuel firing, much
higher thermal efficiency, and the ability to combine with
selective catalytic reduction systems to minimize nitrogen
oxides emission.

 

KIPCO Gets Shareholders’ Approval To Merge With Qurain Petrochem

Kuwait City—
Shareholders of Kuwait Projects Co. (Holding) KSC
(KIPCO), during an Extraordinary General Assembly
Meeting, approved the company’s planned merger by
amalgamation with Qurain Petrochemical Industries Co.
(PCN, 21 Mar 2022, p 3).
Earlier this year, KIPCO and Qurain signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) to evaluate the proposed
merger. Under the MoU, Qurain would be the merged entity
and KIPCO would be the merging entity.
The combined business is expected to benefit from a
balanced and diversified portfolio of assets that includes
petrochemical and oil services, banking and others.
The merger is subject to Qurain shareholders’ approval,
following which several procedures must take place. Completion
is expected before the end of 2022.

 

OCI Beginning Construction on World-Scale Hydrogen-Based Blue NH3 Plant in Texas

Houston—
OCI NV announced it will start building its new worldscale
hydrogen-based blue ammonia (NH3) facility in
Beaumont, Texas.
The project, based on KBR technology, will have a capacity
of 1.1-million t/y of blue ammonia with infrastructure
to double capacity to 2.2-million t/y. Production is
scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
Maire Tecnimont was awarded the project on an engineering
and procurement basis, critical long-lead pieces of
equipment have been ordered, and site works are anticipated
to start in the “coming week,” OCI noted.
“The U.S. Gulf is a strategic location that allows the facility
to serve both the U.S. market and export clean ammonia
as a hydrogen carrier to hydrogen deficit markets
around the world, such as Europe and Asia, as well as catering
for expected significant demand from new applications,
including power and shipping fuels,” said OCI.
“The blue ammonia will be delivered to customers using
future zero carbon ammonia-fueled engine ships, leveraging
OCI’s global infrastructure.”

 

Phoenix Boosting rPET Resin Capacity

Columbus—
Phoenix Technologies International is planning to double
food grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) capacity
at its Bowling Green facility in Ohio.
The project, scheduled to be completed by mid 2023, is
expected to double the plant’s rPET capacity to 64,000 t/y,
processing 5-billion bottles annually.
“The expansion will consist of process technology that is
known and tested throughout the industry, and will allow
us to support our increasing demand immediately at start
up,” Phoenix noted.
Phoenix is owned by Taiwan-based Far Eastern New
Century Corp., self described as a leader in both the recycled
and virgin PET markets.

 

Technip Energies and APChemi Partner For Plastic Waste-to-Olefins Technology

Paris—
Technip Energies and APChemi have agreed to cooperate
to commercialize APChemi’s advanced plastic waste to
high-quality pyrolysis oil technology for recycling plastic
waste, in conjunction with Technip’s pyrolysis oil upgradation
and steam cracking technology to produce olefins.
APChemi’s patented Pyromax pyrolysis technology
takes dirty and mixed plastic waste, including municipal
solid waste segregated plastics and multilayer packaging,
and breaks it down to produce high-quality pyrolysis oil,
which can be chemically recycled into circular plastics,
Technip explained.
The process has a lower carbon footprint since it displaces
the need for crude oil-based feedstocks for plastics
manufacturing, while reducing the need for thorough plastic
waste sorting.
“This strategic partnership with APChemi will provide
Technip Energies’ clients with an additional option in our
growing plastic waste-to-olefins solution portfolio setup
around our Pure.rOil technology,” said Bhaskar Patel, senior
vice president of sustainable fuels, chemicals and circularity
at Technip.
“It will help to solve the puzzle of circular economy by
offering a waste-to-olefins solution, reducing carbon dioxide
emissions and end-of-life plastic pollution. The approach
is a way to achieve recycled content targets, while
continuing the use of current packaging materials.”

 

Wanhua Touts ‘World’s First’ TPU Product From 100% Biomass-Sourced Feedstock

Beijing—
Wanhua Chemical announced the development of the
“world’s first” thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) product
that is made from 100% biomass-sourced raw material.
The Wanthane brand TPU product is processed from
bio-based pentamethylene diisocyanate that is derived
from non-edible corn stalks. The TPU product has a biocontent
range up to 98%.
“Called by the diverse needs of customers, Wanhua
Chemical has launched a series of TPU products in which
the bio content proportion varies from 10% to 98%,” the
company noted.
“In the future, we will continue pursuing sustainability
from the origins of the materials and strive to facilitate the
low-carbon industrial chain alongside with both upstream
and downstream partners.”

 

Annual Indian Petrochem Conference Being Held in November in Mumbai

Mumbai—Elite
Conferences has scheduled the Indian Petrochem – 2022
international conference from 8-9 Nov. 2022 at The LaLit
Hotel in Mumbai, India.
The conference, based on the theme “How Will Petchem
Rebound after the Twin Effects of War & Inflation,” will
feature speakers from Reliance Industries, Ineos Polyolefins,
Johnson Matthey, Nayara Energy, S&P Global Commodity
Insights, Nayara Energy, Ernst & Young, Hindustan
Petroleum, Argus, ICIS and Aarti Industries, and
presentations from LyondellBasell and W.R. Grace & Co.
For more information and to register, visit Elite’s website
at www.eliteconferences.com.

 

BASF Begins Operating First Plant At New Verbund Site in Zhanjiang

Beijing—BASF has
inaugurated a new engineering plastics unit – the first
plant of its new Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China (PCN, 25
July 2022, p 1).
The site, expected to require an investment of up to
€10-billion, will also include a steam cracker and downstream
plants for the production of petrochemicals and
intermediates. It will be built in phases and is scheduled
to be fully operational by 2030.
BASF plans to power the entire site with electricity
from renewable resources and “targets to achieve 100% by
2025,” the company noted.
Once complete, the site in Zhanjiang will be BASF’s
third largest Verbund site after Ludwigshafen, Germany,
and Antwerp, Belgium.

 

MadoquaPower2X Awards NextChem Contract For Renewable Hydrogen, Green NH3 Plant

Sines—
Maire Tecnimont’s NextChem subsidiary has been
awarded a pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) engineering
services contract by MadoquaPower2X to develop
and operate an integrated renewable hydrogen and green
ammonia project in Sines, Portugal.
MadoquaPower2X, a consortium led by Madoqua Renewables
along with CIP’s Energy Transition Fund and
Power2X, will produce 50,000 t/y of green hydrogen and up
to 550,000 t/y of green ammonia using renewable energy
and 500 megawatt of electrolysis capacity. The project is
expected to avoid up to 600,000 t/y of carbon dioxide emissions
in this initial phase. A schedule was not given.
NextChem’s scope of work includes early studies, technology
and process review, modularity and logistics analysis,
and front end loading of engineering required to undertake
the permitting and licensing for the project.
“We are proud of this agreement with MadoquaPower-
2X and CIP as it targets a project with a significant impact
on the renewable potential of Portugal with Northern
European energy infrastructure through green hydrogen,”
said Alessandro Bernini, chief executive of Maire Tecnimont
Group and NextChem.

 

Sasol to Double Green Steam Usage In Chem Production at Brunsbuttel

Berlin—Sasol
Chemicals said it expects to double the use of green steam
in chemical production at its Brunsbuttel, Germany, site,
from a first-of-its-kind biomass cogeneration plant to be
built adjacent to the site.
The company will lease land for the cogeneration unit
to Hamburger Energiewerke, Hamburg’s municipal utility,
which plans to build the facility by the end of 2024.
Once fully operational in 2025, the plant will supply at
least 70,000 megawatt hours of steam to Sasol annually,
enabling Sasol to cut its carbon dioxide emissions there by
around 13,000 t/y.
The biomass plant will also produce over 90,000 megawatt
hours a year of sustainable electricity.
Since 2014, the Brunsbuttel facility has used green
steam from another nearby biomass facility. The two facilities
combined will be capable of supplying half of the
plant’s steam consumption.

 

Sulzer & Cellicon Partner to Scale Up Renewable Biopolymer Technology

Zurich—Sulzer
Chemtech has partnered with Cellicon for the scale-up and
commercialization of Cellicon’s G2 technology for renewable
biopolymer.
The technology is used to produce nano structured cellulose
– a highly sustainable, plant-based alternative to
conventional polymers, Sulzer noted.
Sulzer has also acquired a minority stake in Cellicon,
with the option to increase its holding in the future.
The G2 technology “reduces the costs, cycle times and
environmental footprint associated with the production of
nanocellulose, thereby enabling the large-scale adoption of
this highly sustainable biopolymer,” Sulzer stated.
“We are thrilled to support Cellicon and further drive
the global adoption of greener materials produced with
sustainable processes,” said Daniel Rytz, head of strategy
and business development at Sulzer.
“With our extensive know-how in scaling up technologies,
we are an ideal partner for innovative companies like
Cellicon. This collaboration is a further step in our strategy
to enable circular, eco-conscious manufacturing and
processing practices on a global scale.”
Separately, Sulzer and BASF recently signed a memorandum
of understanding with the goal of advancing technologies
for renewable fuels and chemically recycled plastics.

 

Linde Will More than Double Production Of Green Hydrogen in the United States

New York—
Linde will install a new 35-megawatt proton exchange
membrane (PEM) electrolyzer to produce green hydrogen
in Niagara Falls, N.Y., which will more than double its
hydrogen production capacity in the U.S.
The company will build, own and operate the electrolyzer
and use hydroelectric power to produce green liquid
hydrogen for new and existing customers. Start-up is expected
by 2025.
“Linde is the largest liquid hydrogen producer in the
U.S. and this new capacity will increase product availability
at a time of growing demand from customers across
several end markets, including aerospace, electronics and
manufacturing,” said Todd Lawson, vice president, East
region at Linde.
“We will continue investing in green hydrogen projects
to help meet growing demand, as well as contribute to a
more sustainable energy economy.”

 

SK Capital Completes Sale to Chase Of NuCera Solutions for $250-MN

Houston—An affiliate
of funds advised by SK Capital Partners said it has
finalized the sale of NuCera Solutions to global specialty
chemicals company Chase Corp. for $250-million.
Based in Houston, Texas, NuCera develops and manufactures
highly differentiated specialty polymers and polymerization
technologies for the global plastics, adhesives,
coatings, masterbatches, imaging and personal care markets,
among others.
NuCera was formed through the carve-out of Baker
Hughes’ specialty polymer business. Its primary production
facility is located in Barnsdall, Okla.

 

GC Ventures Moves Toward Net Zero Goal With Investment in Econic Technologies

Bangkok—
GC Ventures Co. (GC Ventures), a subsidiary of PTT
Global Chemical (GC), has moved closer to its net zero goal
with an investment in Econic Technologies, developer of an
advanced technology that recycles captured carbon dioxide
for use as a raw material in polymer production.
GC invested in Econic through a fundraising and round
of investment, which closed “successfully” with a total of
£10.4-million raised from investors and companies worldwide.
The investments will enable Econic to continue with
its commercial production and process technology development.
GC has targeted a 20% reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions by 2030 and the achievement of net zero by
2050.

 

Sinochem Begins First Phase Operations At New ABS, PC Compounding Factory

Beijing—
Sinochem International recently started up the first phase
of a new compounding facility for acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC) modified materials
in the Yizheng Chemical Industrial Park, Yangzhou,
China.
The new plant, operated by Sinochem Engineering
Plastics (Yangzhou) Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinochem
International, has a production capacity of 24,000
t/y of ABS and PC modified materials in the first phase.
The second phase, scheduled to begin production in
2023, will have a capacity of 32,000 t/y of the modified materials.
Cost of the project was not disclosed.
Sinochem entered the ABS market through the acquisition
of Elix Polymers in 2019.

 

Gunvor Lets FEED Contract to McDermott For Green Hydrogen Import Terminal

Rotterdam—
McDermott International, together with its storage business,
CB&I, has been awarded a front-end engineering design
(FEED) contract from Gunvor Petroleum for a planned
green hydrogen import terminal project in Rotterdam, the
Netherlands (PCN, 4 July 2022, p 4).
Recently, Air Products signed a joint development
agreement with Gunvor to partner on the import terminal.
Air Products said it was considering the Rotterdam site for
the import terminal, as it offers strategic access for receiving
green ammonia from large-scale green hydrogen production
locations operated by Air Products and its partners
from projects around the world.
The green ammonia will be converted to hydrogen and
distributed to markets within Europe. Subject to a final
investment decision, among other things, the terminal is
expected to begin operating in 2026.
Under the contract scope, CB&I will provide the FEED
of the ammonia tank and associated inside battery limits
equipment. McDermott will support FEED activities for
the interconnecting pipeline, tie-ins and other outside battery
limits scope.
As part of the FEED, a project execution cost estimate
will be developed as basis for a potential conversion into an
engineering, construction and procurement contract for the
implementation phase.

 

BASF Secures Pyrolysis Oil from Arcus To Use in Production at Ludwigshafen

Berlin—BASF
and Arcus Greencycling Technologies have signed an
agreement, in which Arcus will supply BASF with pyrolysis
oil from mixed plastic waste for BASF to use in its production
plants in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
BASF will use the pyrolysis oil as raw material for the
production of its Ccycled products, which have the same
properties as conventionally manufactured products. Customers
can therefore process them in the same way and
also use them in applications that place high demands on
quality and performance, BASF explained.
Arcus produces the pyrolysis oil at its process demonstration
unit in Frankfurt, Germany. With this agreement,
Arcus can build larger capacity plants and make a
“significant” contribution to closing material cycles together
with BASF, noted Daniel Odenthal, chief operating
officer of Arcus. The agreement foresees the take-up of up
to 100,000 t/y of pyrolysis oil.
“The collaboration with Arcus underscores BASF’s
commitment to conserving resources by using recycled raw
materials in the chemical industry and to drive the transition
to a circular economy,” said Christoph Gahn, vice president
of Chemical Recycling Business & Technologies at
BASF.

 

IPL Studies Carbon Capture Unit At Waggaman Ammonia Facility

Baton Rouge—Incitec
Pivot Ltd. (IPL) has begun a front-end engineering design
(FEED) study for a carbon capture facility at the site of its
800,000-t/y Waggaman ammonia plant in Waggaman, La.
The new facility would be capable of processing up to
950,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) to transport via pipeline
to a permanent geological sequestration site. Subject
to a successful FEED study, construction is planned to begin
in 2023 and be completed by the end of 2025.
IPL has also completed a thorough selection process
and has established memorandums of understanding with
several short listed parties to work through options to
transport and sequester CO2 from Waggaman.
“The geology is Louisiana is particularly suitable for
permanent storage of CO2,” noted IPL Managing Director
and Chief Executive Jeanne Johns.
“Our partners will use proven technology and management
techniques to meet the very stringent regulatory requirements
set by the U.S. EPA [Environmental Protection
Agency] for Class VI wells.”

 

OCI Reaches FID on First Phase of IFCo’s Carbon Capture & Sequestration Project

Wever—OCI
has made a final investment decision (FID) on the first
phase of a project to capture and sequester carbon dioxide
(CO2) produced on-site at its wholly-owned Iowa Fertilizer
Co. (IFCo.) subsidiary.
The first phase will abate up to 40%, or around 450,000
t/y, of IFCo’s CO2 emissions from the ammonia production
process. The ammonia plant has a production capacity of
nearly 1-million t/y. Completion is expected by the first
quarter of 2025.
OCI is also currently studying a second phase, which
would reduce post-consumption CO2 streams up to about
700,000 t/y and could materially store all of IFCo’s emissions.
Various capture technologies are being evaluated.
In addition, OCI has signed long-term binding transportation
and sequestration agreements with Navigator CO2
to transport captured CO2 through its Heartland Greenway
carbon platform.
It has also signed a lump-sum turnkey contract with
Enerflex, under which Enerflex will engineer, fabricate and
install a modularized integrated carbon capture facility to
capture IFCo’s CO2.

 

L&T Starts Up Green Hydrogen Plant At Hazira Manufacturing Complex

Mumbai—Larsen
& Toubro (L&T) has commissioned a new green hydrogen
facility at its AM Naik Heavy Engineering Complex in
Hazira, Gujarat, India.
The plant, based on an alkaline electrolysis process,
will produce 45 kilograms a day of green hydrogen, which
L&T will use for captive consumption in its Hazira manufacturing
complex.
L&T’s new plant is designed for an electrolyzer capacity
of 800 kilowatts comprising both alkaline and PEM technologies,
and will be powered by a rooftop solar plant and a
battery energy storage system.
As part of the first phase, the alkaline electrolyzer was
installed, while the PEM electrolyzer along with solar
plant capacity augmentation will be part of a future expansion.
The Hazira site is equipped to manufacture extra-large
and very heavy equipment for chemical, refinery, petrochemical
& fertilizer industries, as well as power projects,
which can be shipped out via waterways, according to
L&T’s website.

RIL Planning to Invest Rs 75,000 Crore To Expand New & Existing Capacities

Mumbai—
Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani,
during the company’s recent Annual General Meeting, said
RIL would invest Rs 75,000 crore to expand capacities in
new and existing value chains.
In the polyester value chain, RIL will build “one of the
world’s largest” single-train purified terephthalic acid
plants with 3-million t/y of capacity, and a 1-million-t/y
polyethylene terephthalate facility, both in Dahej, India.
The plants are scheduled for completion by 2026.
The company will also invest in polyester filament yarn
and polyester staple fiber. The polyester expansion, with a
capacity of over 1-million t/y, will be completed in phases
by 2026.
In the vinyl chain, RIL will more than triple capacity of
its existing world-scale plants at Dahej and Jamnagar in
India, and also in Ruwais, the United Arab Emirates.
More specifically, RIL aims to expand polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) capacity in India by 1.5-million t/y in phases by
2026, and add capacities at Ruwais to make ethylene dichloride
and PVC, as part of the TA’ZIZ Chemical Zone
(PCN, 16 May 2022, p 1).
Finally, the company will build, in phases, India’s
“first” and “one of the largest” carbon fiber plants at
Hazira. The 20,000-t/y facility will utilize acrylonitrile
feedstock. Acrylonitrile production will begin next year
and RIL aims to complete the first phase of the carbon fiber
plant in 2025.

 

Technip Energies Buys DSM’s Technology For Biodegradable Polymers Production

Houston—
Technip Energies has acquired DSM’s Biosuccinium
technology for bio-sourced and fully biodegradable
polymers production.
Biosuccinium provides a commercially referenced production
of bio-based succinic acid that serves as feedstock
for the production of polybutylene succinate. It will be the
only technology licensed on the market for bio-based succinic
acid production, Technip Energies noted.
The acquisition includes a wide range of patent families
and proprietary yeast strains that have been demonstrated
in production facilities of licensees at large scale.

 

Advario and Sasol Enter into Agreement For German Ethylene Import Terminal

Berlin—
Advario and Sasol have signed an agreement to carry out
technical study work for a potential ethylene import terminal
in Brunsbuttel, Germany.
The proposed facility would include a 30,000-cu m tank,
which could store conventional ethylene, as well as green
ethylene. Planning and construction is expected to take
approximately four years.
The facility would supply ethylene to Sasol Germany’s
site at ChemCoast Park to use in its production processes.

 

Mitsui Increasing Production Capacity For Tafmer Elastomers at Singapore

Singapore—
Mitsui Elastomers Singapore, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Mitsui Chemicals, is planning to boost production capacity
for Tafmer high-performance elastomer at its existing facility
in Jurong Island, Singapore.
The project, scheduled for completion during fiscal
2024, will increase Tafmer capacity from 225,000 t/y to
345,000 t/y.
“Demand for Tafmer is strong amid robust global economic
growth, and is expected to rise further on the back of
efforts to achieve a circular economy and step up the introduction
of clean energy,” the company noted.
“Via the supply of Tafmer, which meets these needs,
Mitsui Chemicals aims to become a global solutions company
that leads change and contributes to the sustainable
societies of the future.”

 

ReNew Lets O&M Contract to PX Group For New Plastic Recycling Plant in UK

London—PX
Group has been awarded a 10-year operations and maintenance
(O&M) contract by ReNew ELP, a subsidiary of
Mura Technology, for the “world’s first” commercial-scale
plastic recycling facility (PCN, 25 July 2022, p 2).
The plant, based on Mura’s proprietary HydroPRS
technology, is being developed at the Wilton International
site in Teesside, UK.
The first 20,000 t/y line is expected to be operational in
2023. Once all four lines are complete, Mura will be able
to recycle up to 80,000 t/y of plastic waste. It will supply
Dow with materials produced by the process.
Mura’s HydroPRS technology can recycle all forms of
plastic, including multi-layer, flexible plastics used in
packaging, which are currently harder to recycle and frequently
incinerated or sent to landfill.
PX is owner of Saltend Chemicals Park and operator of
several critical energy infrastructure sites in the UK.

 

JGC Consortium Awarded EPC Contract For AGC’s VCM, PVC Expansion Project

Bangkok—
AGC Vinythai Public Co. has awarded an engineering, procurement
and construction (EPC) contract to a consortium
of JGC Corp. and GC Maintenance and Engineering for a
vinyl chloride monomer (VCM)/polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
expansion project in Thailand (PCN, 9 May 2022, p 1).
The project involves adding VCM and PVC production
facilities with a production capacity of 400,000 t/y each, as
well as outside battery limits (OSBL). Value of the contract
and a schedule for the project were not available.
Under the contract, JGC will be responsible for EPC of
the VCM and PVC production units along with management
of the overall project, while GC Maintenance and
Engineering will be responsible for the EPC for the OSBL.

 

Chandra Asri Partnering with LX to Produce Naphtha from Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil

Jakarta—
Chandra Asri is collaborating with LX International for a
potential investment in developing a hydrotreated vegetable
oil (HVO) facility that can produce renewable bionaphtha
feedstock for use in petrochemicals production.
The HVO plant would have a capacity of 300,000 to
500,000 t/y and would be located close to Chandra Asri’s
petrochemical complex in Cilegon, Banten, Indonesia. A
schedule for the project was not given.
The bio-naphtha would be used to develop products
such as bio-polyethylene, bio-polypropylene, bio-polyvinyl
chloride, and bio-solution styrene butadiene rubber.
LX will participate in market investigation studies related
to products and raw material supply. The results of
the studies will be applied to plans and configurations for
the development of CAP2, Chandra Asri’s second worldscale
petrochemical complex, in order to meet domestic
petrochemical needs.
CAP2, expected to cost about $5-billion, would include,
among others, a cracker unit, polymerized olefins and related
facilities and utilities, and would double the company’s
production capacity to over 8-million t/y (PCN, 10
Jan 2022, p 3). Subject to a final investment decision
planned this year, operations would begin from 2026.

 

Kraton & Formosa Planning Expansion Of Their JV HSBC Facility in Taiwan

Mailiao—
Kraton and Formosa Petrochemical have approved an expansion
project for their joint venture hydrogenated styrenic
block copolymer (HSBC) manufacturing plant in
Mailiao, Taiwan.
The parties plan to expand capacity of the existing
30,000-t/y HSBC plant by 30%. Start-up is scheduled for
the third quarter of 2024.
With the expansion, Kraton will be able to offer its full
range of SEBS (styrene ethylene butylene styrene) and
SEPS (styrene ethylene propylene styrene) products, both
in crumb and pellet form, using its latest state-of-the-art
technology to customers in Asia from a regional base.
The Mailiao facility originally started up in 2017 (PCN,
15 May 2017, p 2).

 

Celanese Selects Ravago as Distributor For Santoprene, Geolast TPV in NAM

Dallas—
Celanese has chosen Ravago as the exclusive distributor
for its Santoprene and Geolast thermoplastic vulcanizates
(TPV) in North American (NAM) countries, including the
U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Ravago will begin fulfilling orders on 1 Jan. 2023. Any
immediate material needs should still be ordered through
the current distributor through 31 Dec. 2022.
Celanese acquired the Santoprene TPV elastomers
business from ExxonMobil Chemical late last year for
$1.15-billion (PCN, 6 Dec 2021, p 3).
The transaction included two world-scale production
plants in Pensacola, Fla., and Newport, Wales, UK, with
over 190,000 t/y of total production capacity; Santoprene,
Dytron and Geolast trademarks and product portfolios;
customer and supplier contracts and agreements; comprehensive
TPV intellectual property portfolio with associated
technical and research and development assets, and
around 320 employees.

 

BASF and SABIC Start Building Demo Plant For Electric Heated Steam Cracker Furnace

Berlin—
BASF and SABIC, along with their engineering, procurement
and construction partner Linde, said they have begun
building the “world’s first” demonstration plant for largescale
electrically heated steam cracker furnaces (PCN, 29
Mar-5 Apr 2021, p 1).
The plant will be fully integrated into one of the existing
steam crackers at BASF’s Verbund site in Ludwigshafen,
Germany, and will test two different heating concepts.
Start-up is expected next year.
BASF will operate the unit, which will process around 4
tons per hour of hydrocarbon and consume 6 megawatts of
renewable energy. It will use technology that has the potential
to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 90%
compared to conventional steam crackers.
Both BASF and SABIC are investing together into the
project, and it has also received a €14.8-million grant from
the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and
Climate Action under its “Decarbonization in Industry”
funding program.
“Our vision is to transform our business and to help address
urgent global challenges through efficient carbon
management,” stated SABIC Vice Chairman and Chief
Executive Yousef Al-Benyan.
“This project holds huge potential for all of the petrochemical
industry around the world in our drive for low
carbon emitting processes.”

 

Anellotech Demonstrates Plas-TCat Process To Make Chem Feed from Plastic Waste

Silsbee—
Anellotech said it has, for the first time, continuously processed
solid, post-consumer plastic waste into light olefins
and aromatics using its Plas-TCat catalytic pyrolysis technology
at its demonstration plant in Texas (PCN, 31 Jan
2022, p 4).
The trial took place at the company’s TCat-8 fully automated
process development pilot plant near Houston,
which has a nameplate capacity of 0.5 t/d.
The technology employs one thermal catalytic reactor to
convert a wide range of waste plastics, with the exception
of polyvinyl chloride, into the same chemical feedstocks to
make virgin plastics. These include benzene, toluene and
xylene, as well as ethylene, propylene and butylene.
“Plas-TCat is advantageous due to its high olefin and
aromatic hydrocarbon selectivity, high scalability, broad
feedstock tolerance, as well as its substantial carbon dioxide
emissions savings compared to industrial steam crackers,”
said David Sudolsky, president and chief executive.
“The TCat-8 unit will be used in future month-long 24/7
trials to prove the robustness of the process and generate
process performance data over an equilibrated catalyst,
which are required to design a commercial plant.”

 

People on the Move

Trinseo—Hans Hendriks has been appointed to the
newly created role of chief technology officer, effective 1
Oct. 2022. He was most recently chief technology officer at
Yanfeng, an automotive supplier in China.
Methanol Chemicals Co.—Habes Yaseen Al Shammary,
previously with Saudi Aramco, has become chief operation
officer.

 

QatarEnergy Renewable, QAFCO Ink Deal For ‘World’s Largest’ Blue NH3 Facility

Doha—
QatarEnergy announced that Qatar Energy Renewable
Solutions and Qatar Fertiliser Co. (QAFCO), affiliates of
QatarEnergy, have signed agreements to build the “world’s
largest” blue ammonia (NH3) facility in Mesaieed Industrial
City, Qatar.
The 1.2-million-t/y “Ammonia-7” project will be operated
by QAFCO as part of its integrated facilities. Startup
is anticipated in the first quarter of 2026.
ThyssenKrupp, in a consortium with Consolidated Contractors
Co., has been awarded a contract, valued at
around $1-billion, for the engineering, procurement and
construction of the ammonia facility.
QatarEnergy Renewable Solutions will develop and
manage integrated carbon capture and sequestration
(CCS) units capable of capturing and sequestering about
1.5-million t/y of carbon dioxide (CO2) for the new ammonia
plant; supply more than 35 megawatt of renewable
electricity to the ammonia plant; develop and lead a process
for certifying the product produced by the ammonia
facility as blue ammonia; and be the sole off-taker and
marketer of all the ammonia produced by the project.
“Ammonia-7 is a landmark project for Qatar and the
industry as a whole,” noted Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, president
and chief executive of QatarEnergy and Qatar’s Minister
of State for Energy Affairs. “It builds on our expertise
in installing, operating, and maintaining conventional
ammonia plants to produce fertilizers.
“We are also building on our unique position in the renewables
and carbon capture and sequestration space, as
well as on our ideal logistical capabilities and advantages
to supply differentiated, low carbon products and fuels to
the world.
“Our investment in this project speaks to the concrete
steps we are taking to lower the carbon intensity of our
energy products, and is a key pillar of QatarEnergy’s sustainability
and energy transition strategy.”

 

Sasol & Itochu Sign MoU to Study, Develop Green Ammonia Supply Chain and Market

Tunis—
Sasol and Itochu have entered into a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) to jointly study and develop the market
and supply chain for green ammonia.
The companies will also evaluate Itochu’s possible involvement
and participation in Sasol’s green ammonia export-
oriented project(s), including product offtake, as well
as financial support from Japan for studies and grants relating
to green ammonia projects in South Africa.
“Sasol is excited about our collaboration with Itochu to
unlock South Africa’s significant potential as a large-scale
producer of green hydrogen and ammonia,” said Priscillah
Mabelane, senior executive vice president, energy business.
“This marks yet another milestone in our ambition to
lead the energy transition in South Africa through decarbonization,
while stimulating industrial development.”

 

Sibur Constructing New Hexene Facility At NKNK Olefins Complex in Russia

Moscow—Sibur is
planning to set up a new hexene unit at the Nizhnekamskneftekhim
(NKNK) petrochemical plant’s olefins
complex in Russia, Interfax reported.
The plant, which will have the capacity to produce up to
50,000 t/y of hexene, will utilize in-house technology at
NKNK.
“This covers 125-130% of Sibur’s immediate demand,
and what we used to buy in the UK and Germany,” said
the report quoting Mikhail Karisalov, head of Sibur.
“We expect to start pilot operation of this capacity
within 18-20 months, and have it in our portfolio as a
product from the end of 2024.”

 

Eurotecnica Awarded ‘Large’ Contracts For Its Euromel Melamine Technology

Milan—
Eurotecnica said it has received two “large” contracts for
the implementation of high-pressure melamine plants utilizing
its Euromel technology.
The contracts involve a 60,000-t/y melamine plant and
an 80,000-t/y melamine unit. Both facilities will feature
single reactors and utilize the ultimate fifth generation
proprietary Euromel technology. Name of the customer, a
location, and schedule for the project were not disclosed.
Last month, Eurotecnica received a technology contract
from Xinji Energy Chemical for the “world’s largest” highpressure
melamine facility (PCN, 15-22 Aug 2022, p 3).
The 120,000-t/y unit will also be based on Euromel
technology. No other details were available.

 

Evonik Opens Hub in the U.S. to Support Research, Development and Innovation

Allentown—
Evonik has launched a new innovation hub at its site in
Allentown, Penn., to support its global research, development
and innovation strategy (RD&I).
The hub consists of several state-of-the-art testing and
processing labs, a pilot plant, and a newly designed collaboration
space to support a hybrid and creative work
environment, the company noted.
“We are strengthening regional RD&I hubs in Asia and
North America to benefit from innovative ideas outside of
Europe and be closer to our customers in those regions,”
said Evonik Chief Financial Officer Ute Wolf.

 

Sekisui Studying PVOH Expansion

Dallas—Sekisui
Specialty Chemicals said it is launching feasibility studies
for an expansion of its polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) supply
network to meet the growing needs of its downstream customers.
The company currently operates three world-scale
PVOH units globally, two in the U.S. and one in Spain, and
plans to make highly capital-efficient investments to expand
its operations, Sekisui noted. When completed, the
investments will boost PVOH capacity by as much as 25%.
“With out current footprint and growth opportunities,
we believe Sekisui is well positioned to expand and meet
customer needs, particularly in the Western Hemisphere,
which today relies heavily in PVOH imports from Asia,”
said President Cory Sikora.

 

LG Chem Selects Technip’s Technology To Capture CO2 from Daesan Complex

LG Chem Selects Technip’s Technology
To Capture CO2 from Daesan Complex
To Capture CO2 from Daesan Complex Daesan—
Technip Energies said its Blue H2 by T.EN blue hydrogen
technology has been chosen by LG Chem to capture a “significant”
amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and reduce carbon
emissions from LG’s petrochemical complex in Daesan,
South Korea.
The hydrogen plant, with a nominal capacity of 56,000
cu hrs, will utilize the steam reforming technology to convert
methane-rich offgas from the naphtha cracking process
into hydrogen. The unit will include a selective catalytic
reduction unit for control of NOx emissions.
LG’s new hydrogen unit will be integrated with its
naphtha cracking complex to allow LG to convert the petrochemical
pyrolysis complex to a more sustainable lowcarbon
process, Technip noted.
“We are pleased to work with LG Chem to decarbonize
their petrochemical complex by incorporating our lowcarbon
hydrogen solution, Blue H2 by T.EN,” said Loic
Chapuis, senior vice president, Gas & Low Carbon Energies
at Technip.
“Our technology has been proven to reduce carbon
emissions by up to 99% and has the flexibility to be tailored
for various applications in industry.”

 

Ube Starts PCD Expansion at Rayong

Rayong—Ube
Industries has begun an expansion of its polycarbonate diol
(PCD) production plant at its Ube Fine Chemicals (Asia)
Co. subsidiary in Rayong, Thailand.
Expected to meet the growing demand for PCD in the
Asian region, the project will increase PCD production capacity
to 12,000 t/y from 8,000 t/y currently. Operations
are expected to begin in August 2023. Cost of the project
was not disclosed.

 

Arkema Acquires Polimeros Especiales

Mexico City—
Arkema has completed the purchase of Polimeros Especiales,
an emulsion resins producer based in Cuautitlan Izcalli,
Mexico (PCN, 25 July 2022, p 4).
Polimeros Especiales has become part of Arkema’s
Coating Solutions segment, and is expected to strengthen
the group’s position in high-growth markets, drive the development
of further sustainable innovations together with
Arkema’s other key solvent-free technologies, and reinforce
its presence in the Americas market, Arkema noted.

 

ET Inks 20-Year SPA with Shell NA LNG For LNG from Lake Charles Facility

Lake Charles—
Energy Transfer (ET) has entered into a 20-year liquefied
natural gas (LNG) sale and purchase agreement (SPA)
with Shell NA LNG related to ET’s planned Lake Charles
LNG export facility in Louisiana (PCN, 13 June 2022, p 2).
The proposed project will convert ET’s existing import
and regasification terminal into the LNG export facility. It
is fully permitted for three 5.5-million-t/y liquefaction
trains.
Under the SPA, ET will provide Shell with 2.1-million
t/y of LNG on a free-on-board basis. First deliveries are
expected to begin as early as 2026.
ET has announced six SPAs in the last several months,
bringing the total amount of LNG contracted from its Lake
Charles LNG export facility to nearly 8-million t/y.

 

PetroChemical News Briefs

Mitsui Chemicals will transfer its entire shareholding
in consolidated subsidiary Mitsui Phenols Singapore
Pte. to Ineos Holdings Ltd. for $330-million. After the
transfer in March 2023, Mitsui will continue to supply customers
from its other sites producing phenols.
Ineos Styrolution has received RecyClass certification
for its recycled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene grades.
The Recycled Plastics Traceability certification is valid for
Terluran ECO MR and Novodur ECO MR grades.
Nobian has begun supplying caustic soda and chlorine
from 100% renewable electricity in the Netherlands
and Germany. The products have received ISCC Plus certification.
Covestro will start receiving mass-balanced raw materials,
phenol and acetone, from Ineos’ Inviridis product
range. They are produced from bio-attributed cumene at
Ineos’ Gladbeck, Germany, and Antwerp, Belgium, sites,
without competing with the food supply.
Bridgestone Americas’ announced its Firestone
Polymer Engineering Pilot Center in Akron, Ohio, has
earned ISCC Plus certification for its transparency and
traceability of sustainable raw materials including bio, biocircular
and circular-based material to replace synthetic
rubber. It aims to produce tires made from 100% renewable
materials by 2050.
Covestro has earned ISCC Plus certification for its
Map Ta Phut production site in Thailand. It can now offer
its customers in the ASEAN region large volumes of polycarbonate,
including compounds and polycarbonate films,
produced with alternative raw materials.
IndianOil plans to achieve net-zero operational emissions
(Scope 1 & 2) by 2046.

 

Ineos Phenol Inks Deal with Mitsui Chem To Purchase Mitsui Phenols Singapore

Jurong—Ineos
Phenol said it will acquire the entire asset base of Mitsui
Phenols Singapore from Mitsui Chemicals for $330-million.
Mitsui Phenols, located on Jurong Island, Singapore,
produces 410,000 t/y of cumene, 310,000 t/y of phenol,
185,000 t/y of acetone, 20,000 t/y of alpha methylstyrene
and 150,000 t/y of bisphenol A.
“The addition of the . . . assets provide a good fit with
our existing asset portfolio and expertise of Ineos Phenol
and presents significant integration opportunities with our
manufacturing sites in Germany, Belgium and the United
States,” Ineos Phenol noted.
Ineos Phenol currently produces nearly 1.9-million t/y
of phenol and about 1.2-million t/y of acetone. Subject to
customary regulatory approval, the transaction is expected
to close in the first quarter of next year.

 

Enter Engineering Lets Contract to Wood For New MTO Complex in Uzbekistan

Tashkent—
Wood has received a multimillion-dollar contract from Enter
Engineering to provide detailed engineering and procurement
assistance services for a new methanol-to-olefins
(MTO) based gas chemical complex being built for an unidentified
client in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan.
The scope of work will include delivering process units
for methanol, MTO, monethylene glycol, low-density polyethylene
and polypropylene (PP).
Wood will also provide a tailored digital strategy to integrate
the control systems of the entire complex through
its consulting business.
In April 2021, Enter Engineering Selected W.R. Grace
& Co.’s Unipol PP technology for a new 257,000-t/y PP line
to be built as part of Jizzakh Petroleum’s new MTO complex
planned in the Bukhara region (PCN, 19 Apr 2021, p
1). Start up is expected by 2025.
Jizzakh previously said the complex would process 1.5-
billion cu m/yr of natural gas for the production of 500,000
t/y of olefins.

 

Syzygy Signs JDA with Lotte, Sumitomo For Electric Chem Reactor Technology

Houston—
Syzygy Plasmonics has entered into a joint development
agreement (JDA) with Lotte Chemical, Sumitomo Corp.
and Lotte Fine Chemical to test a fully electric chemical
reactor for the production of clean hydrogen.
Syzygy’s process can efficiently split ammonia and produce
hydrogen gas without combustion, eliminating emissions
that are traditionally associated with powering
chemical processes. The process can not only reduce the
carbon footprint of hydrogen production, but it can also
help lower costs.
The reactor will be installed at Lotte Chemical’s facilities
in Ulsan, South Korea, and is scheduled to come online
in the second half of 2023.

 

Fujian Eversun Picks Lummus Technologies For PDH & PP Plants to be Built in China

Beijing—
Fujian Eversun New Material Co. has awarded two technology
contracts to Lummus Technology for a new largescale
propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit and a new
polypropylene (PP) plant being built at Fujian Eversun’s
complex in Fujian Province, China.
The 900,000-t/y PDH plant, which will be the world’s
“largest,” will be based on Lummus’ Catofin technology,
while the 800,000-t/y PP facility will utilize Lummus’ Novolen
technology, Lummus noted. A schedule for the project
was not available.
Lummus’ scope includes the license for the technologies,
basic design engineering, training, services and catalyst
supply.
“Catofin and Novolen have very strong market positions
due to their high reliability, lower capital and operating
expenses, exceptional environmental performance and
simple processes,” said Lummus President and Chief Executive
Leon de Bruyn.

 

Borealis Expects ‘Substantial’ Delay In Construction of Kallo PDH Unit

Kallo—Borealis
said it has decided to terminate all contracts with IREM
Group related to construction of its propane dehydrogenation
unit (PDH) being built in Kallo, Belgium, and retender
the contracts, causing a “substantial” delay in construction
works (PCN, 8 Aug 2022, p 1).
The world-scale PDH unit, expected to cost $1.1-billion,
will have a targeted production capacity of 750,000 t/y of
propylene utilizing Honeywell UOP’s Oleflex technology.
The plant was initially scheduled to start up in mid-2022.
Earlier this month, Borealis decided to postpone construction
on the unit to allow Belgian authorities to investigate
alleged human trafficking by contractor IREMPonticelli.
Borealis has now decided to terminate the contracts
with IREM, who was in charge of 80% of the remaining
construction work, including highly specialized piping and
mechanical works, as well as electrical and instrumentation
work, and retender the contracts.

 

CDNM Starts Up Polycarbonate Project

Tianjin—
Cangzhou Dahua New Materials (CDNM) has “successfully”
put its polycarbonate project into operation in Cangzhou
City, Hebei Province, China, according to a report on
Sinochem’s website.
The 200,000-t/y polycarbonate facility, which required a
total investment of RMB 1.198-billion, will help reduce
China’s dependence on imported raw materials (PCN, 12
Feb 2018, p 2). It is one of the “key” projects of Hebei Province
and Sinochem Holdings, the report stated.
In October 2020, CDNM started up a 200,000-t/y polycarbonate
line at the site, based on KBR’s proprietary
PCMax technology.

 

Grupa Azoty Scales, Shuts Down Production Of Ammonia, Caprolactam, PA6 and Others

Pulawy—
Grupa Azoty Group subsidiaries, Grupa Azoty S.A. and
Grupa Azoty Pulawy, plan to temporarily shut down or
temporarily scale down production of ammonia, caprolactam,
polyamide 6 (PA6) and other products in response to
record high gas prices.
Grupa Azoty Pulawy will reduce ammonia output to
about 10% of its production capacity. Production in the
plastics and agro segments will be halted, with the exception
of ammonium sulfate from the FGD plant, NOXy,
Likam and Pulnox.
Grupa Azoty S.A. will temporarily suspend its caprolactam,
PA6 and nitrogen fertilizer production units.
During this time, the companies will carry out investment
and repair work, included a scheduled overhaul of
the polyamide unit of Grupa Azoty S.A.
“The company constantly monitors the price level of all
raw materials and commodities as well as profitability of
production processes, and will make further business decisions
based on the results of the monitoring,” Grupa Azoty
Group noted.

 

Covestro Invests in More Sustainable Polycarbonates Production in Asia

Shanghai—
Covestro announced plans to invest in mechanical recycling
(MCR) of polycarbonates at two sites in Asia-Pacific
to produce more sustainable polycarbonates.
The company will invest over €27-million to set up its
first dedicated line for MCR of polycarbonates at its integrated
site in Shanghai, China, which will address the
growing demand for more sustainable solutions, in particular
with post-consumer recycled products.
The new line will be capable of producing more than
25,000 t/y of high-quality polycarbonates and blends containing
mechanically recycled content. Commissioning is
scheduled for next year.
In addition, the company will repurpose an existing
compounding line in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, to enable
MCR. The conversion is expected to be completed by the
end of this year.
Covestro’s goal is to have the capacity to deliver over
60,000 t/y of polycarbonates with recycled content in Asia-
Pacific until 2026.

 

Petronas Chemicals Begins Construction On New Melamine Facility in Malaysia

Kedah—
Petronas Chemicals Group (PCG) has launched its melamine
plant project at the complex of its Petronas Chemicals
Fertiliser Kedah Sdn. Bhd. subsidiary in Gurun, Kedah,
Malaysia (PCN, 14 Feb 2022, p 1).
The new 60,000-t/y plant, which will make Petronas the
“sole” melamine producer in Southeast Asia, will utilize
Casale’s Low Energy Melamine technology to enable the
plant to operate with high efficiency, especially in terms of
energy consumption, PCG noted. Start-up is targeted in
2024.
Earlier this year, Petronas Chemicals Fertiliser
awarded an engineering, procurement, construction and
commissioning contract for the project to a consortium of
Technip Energies and Dialog E&C, with Technip as leader
of the consortium.

 

Olin Plans to Shut Down Diaphragm-Grade Chlor-Alkali Capacity at Freeport Plant

Freeport—
Olin Corp. plans to permanently shut down about 225,000
ECU (electrochemical unit) tons of diaphragm-grade chloralkali
capacity at its facility in Freeport, Texas, by the end
of this year.
“Including this closure, Olin will have rationalized over
1-million ECU tons of diaphragm-grade chlor-alkali capacity
in less than two years,” noted Olin Chairman, President
and Chief Executive Scott Sutton.
“These actions demonstrate our commitment to lift and
maintain our ECU values, while developing a more sustainable
asset configuration.”
Last October, the company announced its intention to
shut down the remaining 200,000 ECU tons of diaphragmgrade
chlor-alkali capacity at its McIntosh, Ala., facility by
the end of the third quarter of 2022, after permanently
shutting down about 50%, equivalent to around 200,000
ECU tons, earlier in 2021.
Also, in May 2021, Olin said it planned to permanently
shut down about 225,000 ECU tons (about 25%) of its diaphragm-
grade chlor-alkali capacity at its plant in Plaquemine,
La., by 1 June 2021, and 230,000 ECU tons of the
same product at Freeport in the second quarter of 2021.

 

GPCA’s 7th R&I Conference Next Month

Dubai—The
Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Assn. (GPCA) will hold
its 7th Research & Innovation (R&I) Conference on 26-27
Sept. 2022 at the Address Sky View Hotel in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates.
The conference, based on the theme “Catalyzing a Sustainable
Future through R&I,” will focus on the importance
of research and innovation to transition towards a low carbon
future; trends in green fuels and new technologies for
energy and transportation; the latest hydrogen developments
at chemical companies in the region; circular economy
and sustainable feedstocks.
For additional information, visit GPCA’s website at
www.gpca.org.ae.

 

People on the Move

Toray Plastics (America)—Ken Kurokawa has become
chairman and chief executive. He had been chief
technology officer and executive vice president.
Christopher Roy, previously executive vice president for
the company’s Torayfan and Lumirror divisions, has become
president and chief operating officer.
Kurokawa and Roy succeed Michael Brandmeier, who
has retired as president and chief executive of Toray Plastics
(Americas) and is now deputy chief representative and
executive vice president of Toray Industries Americas.
Nexam Chemical—Christer Svanberg has been named
chief technology officer, effective this November, to succeed
Francesco Pisciotti, who is leaving the company. Svanberg
was most recently head of Borealis’ Competence Centre
Energy and head of the Borealis Innovation Centre in
Stenungsund, Sweden.
Topsoe—Andreas Bruun Jorgensen, previously interim
chief operations officer, has become chief operations officer,
succeeding Kim Saaby Hedegaard, who has been appointed
executive vice president of the company’s Power-to-X Division.

 

Mitsui & Teijin to Develop and Market Biomass-Derived BPA and PC Resins

Tokyo—Mitsui
Chemicals and Teijin Ltd. said they will become Japan’s
“first” companies to develop and market biomass-derived
bisphenol A (BPA) and polycarbonate (PC) resins.
This past May, Mitsui received ISCC Plus certification
for BPA raw material used in PC resins. Mitsui will supply
the certified BPA to Teijin to produce biomass-derived
PC resins.
“The aim is to acquire ISCC Plus certification for all of
the company’s phenol-chain products and then begin sales
within fiscal 2023 ending in March 2024,” Mitsui noted.
“Teijin also expects to acquire ISCC Plus certification in
the first half of fiscal 2023 and thereafter start commercial
production of biomass-derived PC resins.”

 

LG Chem & ADM Forming Joint Ventures To Produce Lactic Acid, PLA in the U.S.

Decatur—LG
Chem and ADM have signed agreements to launch two
new joint ventures for the production of lactic acid and
polylactic acid (PLA) in Decatur, Ill.
The first joint venture, GreenWise Lactic, would be majority
owned by ADM and would produce up to 150,000 t/y
of high-purity corn-based lactic acid. ADM would contribute
fermentation capacity from its Decatur bioproducts
facility to the venture.
LG Chem Illinois Biochem, the second planned joint
venture, would be majority owned by LG Chem and would
build a facility that would use product from GreenWise
Lactic to produce around 75,000 t/y of PLA.
The joint ventures, which are subject to required regulatory
approvals, anticipate making final investment decisions
on the Decatur projects in 2023. If the projects are
approved, construction would begin in 2023, with production
expected to begin in late 2025 or early 2026.
“LG Chem is the first Korean company to build a PLA
plant with integrated production capacities ranging from
raw materials to the final product,” said LG Chem Chief
Executive Hak Cheol Shin.
“With the establishment of this [joint venture], LG
Chem will not only procure production capacities for highly
pure lactic acid needed for commercial-scale PLA production,
but will also be able to apply biomaterials in the development
of various high-value-added products.”

 

Technip & Agilyx Launch TruStyrenyx For Chemical Recycling of Polystyrene

Weymouth—
Technip Energies and Agilyx said they have advanced their
technology collaboration with the launch of TruStyrenyx
brand, the “only” all-in-one solution for the chemical recycling
of polystyrene (PCN, 7 June 2021, p 2).
TruStyrenyx combines Technip’s purification technology
with Agilyx’s pyrolysis process to yield a recycled styrene
monomer with “exceptional” high purity.
“We are pleased with the results of our pilot plant testing
in our R&D facility in Weymouth, Mass.,” said Bhaskar
Patel, senior vice president of Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals
and Circularity.
“Our joint innovative solution, TruStyrenyx, for the
chemical recycling of polystyrene offers potential clients a
feasible way to make polymer products from recycled
sources without compromising product integrity.”

 

CF Fertilisers UK Temporarily Halting NH3 Production at Billingham Facility

Ince—CF Fertilisers
UK, a subsidiary of CF Industries, plans to temporarily
pause ammonia production at its Billingham complex
in the UK due to market conditions.
“At current natural gas and carbon prices, CF Fertilisers
UK’s ammonia production is uneconomical, with marginal
costs above £2,000 per ton and global ammonia prices
at about half that level,” the company explained.
“The current cost of natural gas at NBP is more than
twice as high as it was one year ago, with the NBP forward
strip suggesting that this price will continue to rise in the
months ahead.”
In the meantime, CF Fertilisers plans to use the site’s
capability to import ammonia in order to continue to operate
its ammonium nitrate and nitric acid upgrade plants.
The company has not yet determined the date when it
will begin the temporary shutdown.

 

JGSOC Adopting Aspen Technology To Optimize Production Operations

Manila—Aspen
Technology (AspenTech) announced that JG Summit Olefins
Corp. (JGSOC) has selected AspenTech’s Aspen Unified
PIMS to enable production optimization with greater
intuition, accuracy and accessibility.
“Aspen Tech is pleased to deepen our partnership with
JG Summit Olefins Group through the company’s latest
adoption of Aspen Unified PMS software,” noted Lawrence
Ng, vice president of sales, Asia Pacific & Japan.
“In advancing toward the self-optimizing plant, this
planned deployment empowers JGSOC with a scalable
technology solution amidst industry skills shortage.”
JGSOC is the “largest” petrochemical company in the
Philippines, AspenTech stated.

 

Pembina and KKR Complete Transaction To Combine Assets into Single JV Entity

Calgary—
Pembina Pipeline has finalized its previously announced
transaction with KKR to combine their respective western
Canadian natural gas processing assets into a new single
joint venture entity, Pembina Gas Infrastructure (PCN, 1
Aug 2022, p 4).
The new business includes Pembina’s field-based natural
gas processing assets; the Veresen Midstream business;
and the business presently being carried on by Energy
Transfer Canada, which is currently owned 49% by funds
managed by KKR.
Concurrently, with the closing of the transaction, the
new joint venture also acquired Energy Transfer’s 51%
stake in ETC.
“We are excited to officially announce the creation of
PGI [Pembina Gas Infrastructure], a premier gas processing
entity in Western Canada that will provide incredible
value for Pembina, our partner KKR and our customers,”
said Scott Burrows, president and chief executive of Pembina.
“Pembina has enjoyed a strong relationship with KKR
at Veresen Midstream over the past four years and the
creation of PGI is a natural step that will unlock growth
and provide increased service offerings to customers
throughout the Montney and Duverney formations, from
Central Alberta to Northeast British Columbia.”

 

SABIC’s SSNC JV to Expand Capacity For Advanced Polyolefin Materials

Ulsan—SABIC SK
Nexlene Co. (SSNC), a joint venture of SABIC and SK Geo
Centric, will increase the capacity of their facility in Ulsan,
South Korea, for the production of advanced polyolefin
materials.
Operated by Korea Nexlene Co. (KNC), the Ulsan plant
uses Nexlene technology for the production of SABIC’s
broad portfolio of Cohere metallocene polyolefin plastomers
(POP), Supeer metallocene linear low-density polyethylene
(MLLDPE) and Fortify polyolefin elastomers (POE). The
expansion is expected to be operational in the second quarter
of 2024.
“We have identified a strong trend towards customized
and high-performance polyolefins, especially metallocene
polyethylene [PE] materials, in several important new
technology markets,” noted Sami Al-Osaimi, vice president
of PE & Sales at SABIC and board chairman of SSNC.
“Our Cohere POP, Supeer mLLDPE and Fortify POE
polymers are ideally positioned to meet the needs of our
global customers for enhanced toughness, flexibility, elasticity,
heat-sealing properties, and optical properties,
amongst others.
“The KNC plant capacity increase will provide the operational
efficiency to boost the growth of these Nexlene
based materials. At the same time, it will give us a significant
competitive edge to strengthen the market penetration
of our brands.”

 

Freeport LNG Gives Update After Incident At Quintana Island Liquefaction Plant

Freeport—
Freeport LNG said it has completed a detailed assessment
of alternatives for resuming operations at its liquefaction
facility on Quintana Island, Texas, following a gas leak and
fire at the plant this past June (PCN, 20 June 2022, p 4).
On 8 June 2022, an incident occurred at the facility,
which resulted in the release of liquefied natural gas
(LNG) and a subsequent fire. The incident occurred in pipe
racks that support the transfer of LNG from the plant’s
LNG storage tank area to the terminal’s dock facilities located
in the intracoastal side of Freeport’s dock basin.
It is anticipated that initial production will begin in
early to mid-November 2022, will full operations expected
to restart in March 2023.
Kiewit will be responsible for the engineering, procurement
and reconstruction activities required to implement
the company’s recovery effort.

 

VTT Spinning Out New Olefy Technologies To Transform Circular Plastic Recycling

Espoo—VTT
Technical Research Centre of Finland said it plans to
launch a new company – Olefy Technologies – for its patent-
pending technology that can “revolutionize” circular
plastic recycling.
The technology can extract over 70% virgin-grade plastics
and chemical raw materials components from plastic
waste in a single step, reducing the cost of plastic recycling
and making recycling a preferred option for large amounts
of landfill-bound plastic waste that current methods are
unable to process.
“This technology enables direct parallel integration of
the Olefy modules into existing steam cracker sites around
the world to effectively produce virgin-grade olefins, which
are converted back to virgin-grade plastics,” noted Timo
Sokka, head of business at Olefy.
“Significantly lower capital expenditure requirements,
accelerating market demand, and price premium make
these investments also very attractive for the steam
cracker operators.”
VTT has an Olefy pilot plant in Espoo, Finland, and its
first industrial demonstration operation is expected to
start up by 2026.

 

McDermott Awarded Pre-FEED Contract For Woodside’s Planned H2Perth Project

Perth—
Woodside Energy has selected McDermott to provide the
pre front-end engineering design (pre-FEED) for its proposed
H2Perth export-scale hydrogen and ammonia production
facility in the Kwinana/Rockingham area in Western
Australia.
The project, to be developed in phases, would be “one of
the largest facilities of its kind in the world” at full potential,
according to Woodside’s website. It would utilize electrolysis
technologies and natural gas reforming with 100%
of carbon emissions abated or offset.
It would produce up to 1,500 t/d of hydrogen for export
in the form of ammonia and liquid hydrogen. Subject to
necessary commercial and regulatory approvals, and a final
investment decision, construction is planned to begin in
2024.
Initially, H2Perth will target 300 t/d of hydrogen production,
or 20% of expected total capacity, which can be
converted into 600,000 t/y of ammonia or 110,000 t/y of
liquid hydrogen.
This contract follows the successful completion of a concept
study on H2Perth, McDermott noted.

SABIC Americas Growth Proposes Project To Build New PC Complex at Texas Site

Austin—
SABIC Americas Growth LLC is evaluating the possible
development, design and construction of a petrochemical
facility within the Motiva Port Arthur Refinery Complex in
Texas, or at other potential sites along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The planned complex would involve the production of
400,000 t/y each of polypropylene impact co-copolymer,
high-density polyethylene C4/C6 bimodal, and Nexlene
polyethylene, and would also include associated utilities
and support units.
If the Motiva site is selected, the new plants could receive
ethylene, propylene and other feedstock from the refinery.
“A project team is evaluating these opportunities with a
focus on global logistics, efficiency, scale and site integration.
The project is still in an evaluation stage; only very
preliminary development activities have begun,” the company
noted.
“No engineering, procurement or construction contracts
have been negotiated or signed to support this project.”
SABIC Americas Growth is a wholly-owned indirect
subsidiary of SABIC.

 

Honeywell Finalizes Engineering Evaluation For PEC Aromatics Project in Malaysia

Johor—
Honeywell has completed the engineering assessment for
Pengerang Energy Complex’s (PEC) greenfield integrated
condensate splitter and aromatics complex to be built in
Johor, Malaysia, Bernama reported.
The project, being developed by ChemOne Group, will
include a 6.5-million-t/y facility with a processing capacity
of 150,000 b/d of condensate plus side feed of naphtha, 2.3-
million t/y of aromatics products, 3.9-million t/y of energy
products and 50,000 t/y of hydrogen (PCN, 10 Feb 2020, p
1). The facility is expected to be fully operational in 2026.
PEC will utilize Honeywell UOP’s latest generation LD
Parex technology for the production of paraxylene.
“We are delighted to partner with our trusted colleagues
at Honeywell UOP for this mega greenfield development,”
said the report quoting PEC Chief Executive Alwyn
Bowden.
“With the petrochemical market set to pick up further,
PEC is poised to deliver profitable growth while creating
local employment and moving Malaysia further up the
value chain in the petrochemical sector.”

 

Ineos Awards EPCM Contract to Wood For New Project One Ethane Cracker

Antwerp—Wood
has won a contract from Ineos, valued at over $100-million,
to provide engineering, procurement and construction
management (EPCM) services for Ineos’ new Project One
ethane cracker being built in Antwerp, Belgium (PCN, 20
June 2022, p 1).
The cracker, estimated to cost between €3-billion and
€4-billion, will have a production capacity of 1.5-million t/y
of ethylene. Operations are planned to begin in 2026.
Once complete, it will have the “lowest” carbon footprint in
Europe, Wood noted.
Wood’s scope is focused on the outside battery limit facilities
for the ethane cracker and follows successful completion
of front-end engineering design for the plant.
“The chemicals sector, like all industries, is forging its
own path to carbon neutrality,” said Giuseppe Zuccaro,
president of Process & Chemical at Wood.
“What Project One represents is the next era of ethylene
production, a key component in most plastics.
Through the combination of technology and an innovative
technical design approach, it will be the most sustainable
and energy-efficient steam cracker in Europe.”

 

MyRechemical Gets Engineering Contract For Waste-to-Methanol, Hydrogen Plant

Milan—
Maire Tecnimont’s MyRechemical subsidiary has been
awarded a basic engineering contract by Alia Servizi Ambientali
for a waste-to-methanol and hydrogen plant to be
built in Empoli, Italy.
Once operational, the facility will process 256,000 t/y of
non-recyclable waste and produce 125,000 t/y of methanol
and 1,400 t/y of hydrogen using MyRechemical’s chemical
conversion technology. An anticipated completion date for
the facility was not given.
MyRechemical’s scope of work includes basic engineering
design of the plant and the provision of necessary
documentation to start the plant’s public authorization
process with the Tuscany region. The basic engineering
phase is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The chemical conversion technology converts carbon
and hydrogen contained in the non-recyclable waste
through a gasification process into a synthesis gas, which
is used to produce low-carbon methanol and hydrogen.
“This is one of the more interesting waste-to-chemicals
initiatives that Maire Tecnimont is developing in Italy,”
said Alessandro Bernini, chief executive of Maire Tecnimont
Group and NextChem.
“This is the first application worldwide of an integrated
technological scheme that allows to produce methanol from
waste for sustainable mobility and hydrogen that will substitute
methane in glass production processes, enabling
both recycling and industrial symbiosis. It responds to the
core need of circular economy and creates the bases of a
new era of waste as a resource.”

 

SK Geo Centric & Weixing to Establish JV To Build EAA Production Plant in China

Beijing—SK
Geo Centric has signed an agreement with Weixing Chemical
to form a joint venture that will construct a new ethylene
acrylic acid (EAA) manufacturing facility in China to
respond to Asian demand.
The joint venture plans to invest around KRW 290-
billion to build a 40,000-t/y EAA unit in Lianyungang, Jiangsu
Province. The plant is scheduled to be completed in
the first half of 2025.
SK Geo Centric will hold a 60% stake in the new joint
venture, while Weixing Chemical will hold the remaining
40% interest.
“We will preempt the demand in China and Asia
through the only EAA manufacturing plant in China,” said
SK Geo Centric Chief Executive Na Kyung-soo.
“We will actively utilize SK Geo Centric’s technological
prowess and marketing capabilities in Asia to strengthen
our portfolio of high value-added chemical products and to
be reborn as a global leader in the field of eco-friendly
chemical materials.”
SK Geo Centric currently has EAA production sites in
Texas and Tarragona, Spain, which it acquired in 2017
through the acquisition of Dow’s EAA business (PCN, 11
Sept 2017, p 1).

 

Stamicarbon Picked as Urea Licensor For a Project in Sub-Saharan Africa

Lagos—
Stamicarbon, the innovation and license company of Maire
Tecnimont, said it has been chosen as the urea licensor for
a project in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The project involves a 4,000-t/d melt and granulation
plant for an unidentified client. Value of the contract and
a schedule for the project were not available.
Stamicarbon will supply the process design package for
the front-end engineering and design of the plant. The
urea melt unit with a pool reactor will use Stamicarbon’s
MP flash design, part of the Launch Melt series, and the
fluid bed granulation design including acidic scrubbing,
part of the Launch Finish series.
The fluid-bed granulation design features low formaldehyde
consumption, low dust and ammonia emissions,
high product quality and high on-stream times.
“The minimal equipment items result in a significant
reduction of the footprint and the overall capital cost of the
plant,” Stamicarbon noted. “Less equipment allows for a
reduction in maintenance costs and OPEX savings.”

 

LG Chem Issues Letter of Intent to DL To Modernize & Expand ABS Facility

Seoul—LG
Chem plans to invest $382-million to upgrade and expand
its acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plant in Yeosu,
South Korea, and has delivered a letter of intent to construction
firm DL E&C, reported Pulse News.
LG will modernize the ABS facility with energy-efficient
technology, and plans to install a new 220,000-t/y ABS
production line, while phasing out n older ABS line with
140,000 t/y of capacity. Completion is expected by 2024.
Once the upgrade is concluded, LG’s domestic ABS production
capacity will be increased to 1.08-million t/y from
1-million t/y currently.

 

Evonik Replacing up to 40% of Natgas At Its Production Sites in Germany

Essen—Evonik
said it is substituting up to 40% of the natural gas used at
its German sites with alternative energy sources without
“significantly” curtailing chemical production.
The most significant measure is being implemented at
the company’s largest German site in Marl, where liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) supplied by BP will be used instead of
natural gas to generate energy.
“This does not only secure the energy supply and thus
continuation of production in Marl,” Evonik noted. “The
natural gas volumes released are available to replenish
Germany’s natural gas storage facilities.”
The company has also identified measures for natural
gas substitution at its other German sites, such as Steinau,
Essen, Krefeld, Lülsdorf and Wesseling. Here natural gas
is to be partially replaced with fuel oil.
“Energy supplies to Evonik sites outside Germany, for
example in Antwerp (Belgium), are largely independent of
gas supplies from Russia. In Germany, on the other hand,
a loss of Russian gas supplies would seriously jeopardize
chemical production.”

 

Saudi Egyptian Investment Agrees to Buy 25% Stake in Misr Fertilizers Production

Cairo—
Saudi Egyptian Investment Co. (SEIC), a new subsidiary of
Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), will purchase a 25%
interest in Misr Fertilizers Production Co. (MOPCO), according
to several media reports.
Established in 1998, Egypt’s MOPCO mainly produces
ammonia and urea with a production capacity of 2-million
t/y of urea.
SEIC also plans to buy minority stakes in Abu Qir Fertilizers
Chemicals Industries, as well as two other Egyptian
companies.
“Egypt is one of the fastest-growing economies in the
Middle East and North Africa,” said Reuters quoting a
statement from PIF. “The acquisitions are in line with
SEIC’s objective to invest in promising sectors,” PIF noted.

 

Arvand Petrochemical Plans PVC Unit

Tehran—Iranbased
Arvand Petrochemical Co. said development plans
for a new polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant are underway,
with the project expected to turn the company into the
“largest” PVC chain producer in the Middle East, reported
NIPNA.
The facility, estimated to cost €600-million, will include
the production of 300,000 t/y of PVC. The project is expected
to take three years to complete.
“With the development of Arvand Petrochemical Company,
the feedstock of downstream industries will be fully
supplied and the development of downstream industries
will result in wealth creation, hard currency generation
and sustainable job creation in the country,” noted Arvand’s
Mohammad Reza Karimi.

 

People on the Move

European Petrochemical Assn. (EPCA)—Danielle
Ebentreich, chief marketing officer at Shell Chemicals
Europe BV, has become a new member of EPCA’s board of
directors. Ebentreich succeeds Kate Johnson.

 

Xinji Energy Selects Eurotecnica’s Technology For ‘Largest’ High-Pressure Melamine

Milan—
Eurotecnica said it has been awarded a technology contract
from Xinji Energy Chemical, part of the Xinji Xuefeng
group, for the world’s “largest” high-pressure melamine
facility.
Under the contract, Eurotecnica will supply its fifth
generation Euromel technology for a new 120,000-t/y
melamine unit. The location of the project and an expected
completion date were not disclosed.
The Euromel technology features the “lowest” energy
consumption on the market, Eurotecnica noted.

 

Econic Technologies Raises Funds to Support Proprietary Carbon-to-Value Technology

London—
Econic Technologies has successfully closed on a second
funding round, raising a total of $12.45-million, which it
plans to use to support the commercialization of its carbonto-
value technology that enables carbon dioxide (CO2) to be
used in the production of polymers.
The latest round follows the first close this past April,
which was led by OGCI Climate Investments and Capricorn
Sustainable Chemistry Fund. Joining them in the
Series D second tranche are CM Venture Capital Fund III,
GC Ventures Co. and ING Sustainable Investments BV.
Econic’s catalyst technology efficiently converts captured
CO2 into a usable raw material for use in the manufacturing
of essential products, initially serving the polyurethane
industry.
The technology’s potential also goes beyond the polyurethane
market, as the company recently announced a
novel CO2 surfactant development, supported by the UK
government BEIS grant, Econic noted.
“It is an exciting time for Econic,” said Econic Chief Executive
Keith Wiggins. “We are delighted to have the
funds to commercialize our technology and thank our existing
and new investors for their support to complete this
raise.
“With record high temperatures and soaring oil prices,
the timing is right for Econic Technologies.”

 

Alpek Becomes Latest Cyclyx Member

Portmouth—
Alpek said that its expandable styrenics subsidiary, Styropek
SA de CV, has become the newest member of Cyclyx
International, a consortium-based company that focuses on
establishing a circular pathway for plastic recycling
through innovative methods.
As a member of Cyclyx, Styropek will have access to recycled
feedstock, which will “significantly” support its expandable
polystyrene (EPS) projected recycling capacity to
achieve its circularity target, Alpek noted.
“Alpek commits to grow its long-term usage and sustainable
applications for EPS, work on biodegradable alternatives
and increase recycling content in select products
to at least 30% by 2030,” stated Alpek.

 

Lanxess Launches Program to Achieve Climate Neutrality in Supply Chains

Cologne—
Lanxess has launched the Net Zero Value Chain Program
as part of its scope 3 target to make its upstream and
downstream supply chains climate-neutral by 2050.
This includes eliminating indirect emissions, particularly
from purchased raw materials, but also from logistics
and end products. The company will focus on sustainable
raw materials, green logistics and climate-neutral products.
“With the Net Zero Value Chain Program, we are continuing
to drive forward the transformation of our product
portfolio toward climate neutrality,” said Matthias
Zachert, chairman of the board of management of Lanxess.
“In this way, we are also supporting our customers, who
are increasingly looking for sustainable solutions.”
By 2030, scope 3 emissions are expected to be reduced
by 40% compared with the base year 2015, from 27,000 to
16,500 kilotons of carbon dioxide equivalents.
For direct emissions in production (scope 1) and for energy
sourced (scope 2), Lanxess has already set a target of
becoming climate-neutral by 2040.

 

LyondellBasell Inks Two More PPAs To Achieve Renewable Energy Goal

Houston—
LyondellBasell has signed two additional long-term renewable
electricity power purchase agreements (PPAs) with
Buckeye Partners to help achieve its 2030 goal of procuring
at least half of its current electricity consumption from
renewable sources.
The two additional PPAs with Buckeye are for a total of
165 megawatts to be sourced from Buckeye’s solar farms
currently under construction in Falls County, Texas, on
adjacent sites. Commercial operations are planned to begin
in the third quarter of 2023.
Last month, LyondellBasell signed its first two PPAs,
which included a 12-year PPA with Engie North America
for 100 megawatts of renewable electricity from Engie’s
new Limestone wind project in Navarro and Limestone
counties in Texas (PCN, 4 July 2022, p 3).
The other PPA was with Buckeye for 116 megawatts of
renewable electricity sourced from its Files solar project in
Hill County outside of Dallas, Texas. The solar farm is
expected to begin operations in the second quarter of next
year.
LyondellBasell’s renewable energy source target is estimated
to reduce around 1.5-million t/y of greenhouse gas
emissions from its scope 2 emissions.

 

Qatar Melamine to Merge into QAFCO

Doha—The
board of directors of Qatar Fertilizer Co. (QAFCO), following
an internal review, have decided to transfer the assets
of Qatar Melamine Co. (QMC) to QAFCO through a merger
scheme.
QMC, owned 100% by QAFCO, has a 60,000-t/y melamine
plant in Qatar. QAFCO, a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Industries Qatar, produces 3.8-million t/y of ammonia
and 5.6-million t/y of urea.
The business transfer is expected to be completed before
the end of December 2022 and the related formalities
are in progress.

 

Topsoe Joins Circular Plastics Initiative To Increase Plastic Recycling by 20%

Copenhagen—
Topsoe announced it has joined a newly formed Danish
partnership, Circular Industrial Plastics, which has committed
to increase recycling of industrial plastics by at
least 20% before 2025.
The partnership, which also consists of BASF,
Coloplast, Novo Nordisk, Danfoss, Grundfos and COOP,
will initially survey and investigate the plastic materials
that are currently used in the companies and create an
infrastructure for further treatment and recovery.
The objective of the initiative will be to demonstrate
full-scale solutions for selected products within the categories
of consumer plastics, medical and technical, and to
demonstrate the interaction of new recovery technologies
in the circular flow.
“The Circular Industrial Plastics project lays the foundation
for a platform that matches materials and recovery
technologies,” noted Kim Gron Knudsen, chief strategy and
innovation officer at Topsoe.
“This will give Danish companies easy access to cooperation
and knowledge about specific solutions that can be
implemented at once – but also knowledge about innovation
in the future. In brief, the project will be a catalyst for
the transition from linear to circular production and use of
plastics.”
The project is supported by the Danish Environmental
Protection Agency.

 

MISC, Consortium Partners & QatarEnergy Sign Agreement for Seven LNG Carriers

Doha—
MISC Berhad, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Portovenere
and Lerici (Labuan) Pte., together with its consortium
partners announced the award of “landmark” longterm
time charter contracts by QatarEnergy for seven
newbuild liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.
The LNG carriers, to be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries,
will be equipped with eco-efficient technologies to
help contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Delivery of the vessels is scheduled for 2025.
According to MISC, QatarEnergy is one of the world’s
“largest” LNG producers. The additional LNG carriers will
serve the needs of QatarEnergy in the transportation of
LNG to various countries around the world.
MISC consortium partners include Nippon Yusen Kabushiki
Kaisha, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. and China
LNG Shipping (Holdings) Ltd.

 

AmSty Gets ISCC Plus Certification At Allyn’s Point Facility in the U.S.

Hartford—AmSty
said that its Allyn’s Point plant in Gales Ferry, Conn., is
its latest site to receive ISCC Plus certification, bringing
the company closer to its goal for all polystyrene food
packaging products to have 30% recycled content by 2030.
The company has already received certification at its
facilities in St. James, La.; Hanging Rock, Ohio; Joliet, Ill.,
and Cartagena, Columbia.
The plants were ISCC Plus certified based on fulfilling
stringent requirements aimed at validating post-consumer
recycled content in designated AmSty products.
In addition, Regenyx, the depolymerization recycling facility
that AmSty shares with Agilyx, is also certified.
“This is yet another step in our journey to create a circular
economy for polystyrene by repurposing plastic waste
into new products, while also reducing our carbon footprint
to promote the health of our planet,” said Tim Barnette,
vice president of polystyrene and sustainability.
“This process certifies a recycling stream at Allyn’s
Point producing more than 4.5-million lbs/yr of recycled
polystyrene.”

 

AIChE Announces EMET Conference

Manama—The
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), along
with Energy Events Experts, will hold the 2022 Ethylene
Middle East Technology (EMET) Conference from 14-15
Sept. 2022 at the Gulf Hotel and Convention Centre in
Manama, Bahrain.
Technical experts from the global ethylene industry will
share practical experiences, innovative idea and strategies
for reducing costs, maximizing return and creating value
on issues related to planning, design, operation and maintenance,
said AIChE.
In addition, industry leaders and senior executives from
the regional petrochemicals market, including producers,
operators, owners, and technology and solution providers
will discuss market challenges, new opportunities, evolving
demand, long-term outlook and trade flows.
Visit www.ethylene-me.com/home for more information
and to register.

Worley Awarded Contracts from CCP For New PET-PTA Facility in Texas

Corpus Christi—
Worley said it has been awarded construction management
and general services contracts from Corpus Christi Polymers
LLC (CCP) for an integrated polyethylene terephthalate
(PET)-purified terephthalic acid (PTA) facility in Corpus
Christi, Texas (PCN, 25 July 2022, p 1).
The new PTA-PET project is expected to produce
around 1.1-million t/y of PET and 1.3-million t/y of PTA.
Production is planned to begin in 2025.
The project will utilize three state-of-the-art technologies
– IntegRex for PTA production; Invista for PET melt;
and Horizontal Continuous slightly inclined Rotary Reactor
for PET solid state.
Under the contracts, Worley will provide construction
management for the PET and PTA units, and support to
the installation and maintenance of temporary facilities.
CCP is a joint venture of Indorama Ventures Corpus
Christi Holdings, a subsidiary of Indorama Ventures; DAK
Americas, a subsidiary of Alpek; and APG Polytech USA
Holdings, a subsidiary of Far Eastern New Century.
Each party will procure its own raw materials and receive
one third of the PET and PTA from the project to sell
and distribute independently.

 

Bechtel Concludes Construction Phase Of Shell’s Pennsylvania PC Project

Pittsburgh—
Bechtel announced it has completed construction of Shell’s
petrochemical project in Beaver County, Penn. (PCN, 18
May 2020, p 1).
The project, originally estimated to cost $6-billion, includes
an ethane cracker, which will use low-cost ethane
from the Marcellus and Utica basins for the production of
1.6-million t/y of polyethylene.
Work was temporarily suspended in March 2020, in order
to contain the spread of COVID-19. In May 2020, Shell
said it would add 300 construction workers per week going
forward to ramp up activity at the site.
“All major construction activities on the site, including
bulk and equipment installation and other major tasks,
have now been completed,” Bechtel noted.
“The construction team has handed over responsibility
to the commissioning and start-up teams who will complete
our mission by taking the facility into operations later this
year.”

 

Ma’aden Begins Commercial Production At Ammonia 3 Plant in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh—Saudi
Arabian Mining Co. (Ma’aden), in a notification to the
Saudi Stock Exchange, said it has started commercial production
of ammonia at the Ammonia 3 facility in Ras Al-
Khair, Saudi Arabia (PCN, 21 Feb 2022, p 1).
The plant, with a design capacity of about 1.1-million
t/y of ammonia, is the first plant of Ma’aden Fertilizer Co.,
a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ma’aden, the company noted.

 

Borealis Postpones Construction at Kallo To Allow Investigation into Contractor

Kallo—
Borealis has decided to postpone construction on its new
propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit in Kallo, Belgium,
until further notice, to allow Belgian authorities to investigate
alleged human trafficking by Contractor IREMPonticelli.
The $1.1-billion world-scale PDH unit will have a targeted
production capacity of 750,000 t/y of propylene utilizing
Honeywell UOP’s Oleflex technology (PCN, 20-27 Dec
2021, p 2). The plant was originally scheduled to start up
in mid-2022.
On 27 July 2022, Borealis decided to halt construction
for three days and suspended the contract with IREM, the
contractor responsible for the piping and mechanical work
of the PDH unit.
As the thorough investigation and implementation of
additional compliance measures is ongoing, Borealis decided
on 1 Aug. 2022 to extend the shutdown. Work on the
project will be resumed step by step.
“In line with our Goal Zero approach, we are currently
putting in place additional social controls to identify and
address any potential lack of control by contractors as
quickly as possible,” said Wim De Smet, Kallo site manager.
“Borealis condemns any kind of human rights abuse.
Therefore we have decided to temporarily halt the construction
of our mega project in Kallo until all additional
compliance measures are in place.”

 

NextChem Awarded FEED Contract For Plastic Waste Recycling Plant

Milan—NextChem,
a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont SpA, has been awarded a
front-end engineering design (FEED) contract from an unidentified
plastics and chemicals producer for an advanced
mechanical recycling facility of municipal plastic waste in
Europe.
The plant will process up to 75,000 t/y of plastic waste
for the production of high-quality recycled plastic. Once
completed, it will be “one of the largest” advanced mechanical
recycling facilities worldwide, Maire Tecnimont
noted. An expected start-up date was not given.
NextChem will be responsible for the FEED, and will
assist the client in the development of the execution phase.
Completion of the FEED is anticipated by mid-2023.
“Enabling leading producers to include in their product
portfolio partially or completely recycled polymers is one of
the most effective ways to give plastics a sustainable life
cycle, reducing both consumption of fossil sources and the
carbon footprint,” noted Alessandro Bernini, chief executive
of Maire Tecnimont Group and NextChem.
“This new recycling plant will also integrate Next-
Chem’s know-how and technology solutions, in order to
convert waste sources into new second-life products. We
are proud to enable this solution thanks to our technological
know-how.”

 

McDermott & KBR Ink Licensing Deal For KBR’s Ammonia Technologies

Houston—
McDermott and KBR have entered into a global licensing
agreement to provide integrated solutions for KBR’s proprietary
ammonia technologies.
“This agreement enables us to offer customers an integrated
approach for low-carbon ammonia projects by combining
KBR’s best-in-class ammonia technology with our
global project delivery know-how, low-carbon execution
approach and leadership in ammonia storage solutions,”
said Tareq Kawash, senior vice president, onshore at
McDermott.
“This technology partnership is an important addition
to our growing energy transition portfolio and strengthens
our concept-to-completion capabilities.”
As part of the agreement, the two companies will jointly
evaluate opportunities to provide modularized execution
concepts to drive additional efficiencies tailored to the
needs of green and blue ammonia projects.

 

Braskem Signs Agreement to Acquire Stake In Plastic Waste Recycler Wise Plasticos

São Paulo—
Braskem announced it has entered into an agreement to
purchase a 61.1% equity interest in Wise Plasticos, a Brazilian-
based recycler of plastic waste, for around R$121-
million.
Wise has the capacity to mechanically recycle approximately
25,000 t/y of waste plastic. With the investment
from Braskem, it plans to double that capacity to around
50,000 t/y by 2026.
The transaction is subject to approval from competent
authorities and other conditions precedent established between
the two parties. An expected closing date was not
given.
“This transaction aims to accelerate the development of
the chain and leverage recycling in Brazil, and is part of
the Macro Objective of the Plastic Waste Elimination
Company, which includes projects aimed at education, recycling
infrastructure, mechanical recycling and advanced
recycling,” Braskem noted.

 

Cyclyx Opens New Plastics Testing Lab To Expand Waste Plastic Processing

Portsmouth—
Cyclyx International said it has commissioned a new plastics
testing laboratory in Portsmouth, New Hampshire,
which will enable the consortium-based company to expand
its processing capabilities.
With the new lab, Cyclyx will be able to test and qualify
“significantly” larger quantities and a broader range of
qualities of waste plastic.
The testing protocols inform Cyclyx how these plastics
are sourced and processed for a wide range of mechanical
and advanced recycling applications, and they are also necessary
to gain ISCC Plus certification.
The lab and expanding database of waste plastics will
allow the company to target plastic that is too distressed to
be successfully recycled and include them in custom blends
that will meet customers’ specifications, Cyclyx noted.
By qualifying and including more waste plastics in
feedstock for its members, Cyclyx will be able to maximize
availability and lower the cost of its waste plastic feedstock.

 

ICI Pakistan Announces Plan to Acquire Majority Share of Lotte Chem Pakistan

Karachi—ICI
Pakistan Ltd. intends to purchase an approximately
75.01% interest in Lotte Chemical Pakistan Ltd., according
to several local media reports citing a notice to the Pakistan
Stock Exchange.
Lotte Chemical Pakistan has a 500,000-t/y state-of-theart
purified terephthalic acid plant in Port Qasim, Karachi,
Pakistan.
Value of the proposed transaction and an expected
completion date were not disclosed.

 

Ineos Styrolution Enters Agreement to Sell Stake in Ineos Styrolution India to Shiva

Vadodara—
Ineos Styrolution has agreed to divest its 61.19% equity
interest in Ineos Styrolution India to Shiva Performance
Materials.
Ineos Styrolution India is the “leader” and “number
one” producer of ABSOLAC acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
and ABSOLAN styrene acrylonitrile, according to its website.
“The business continues in Shiva Performance Materials’
experienced hands, serving the existing customer base
and seeking future growth potential to enhance the company’s
current position in the Indian market,” said Ineos
Styrolution Chief Executive Steve Harrington.
The transaction triggers a mandatory offer. Completion
is subject to fulfillment of customary conditions.

 

ACC Announces Release of Its Annual Guide to the Business of Chemistry

Washington—The
American Chemistry Council (ACC) has published the annual
Guide to the Business of Chemistry, which provides a
historical overview of the chemical industry through 2021.
The 2022 guide covers shipments, price indices, and
volume output data for basic, specialty, life sciences, and
consumer products chemicals. Raw data tables, dating
back to1989, were used in this year’s analysis, as well as
data on trade in chemicals, excluding pharmaceuticals.
Individual chapters are devoted to world trade, global
production, investment, employment, environmental,
health and safety, energy, and distribution. Solvency, liquidity,
debt and asset management, profitability and cash
flow measures are also included.
Visit www.americanchemistry.com for more information.

 

People on the Move

Methanol Chemicals Co. (Chemanol)—Sabri Al-
Ghamdi has been appointed managing director until November
2024. He previously held leadership positions at
SABIC, Saudi Aramco and Global Company for Downstream
Industries.
Tata Projects—Vinayak Pai recently joined the company
as chief executive and managing director. Before
joining Tata Projects, he was at Worley as group president,
energy and chemicals services, and then group president
for Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.

 

Sasol to Utilize AI-Driven Technology At Its Lake Charles Ethylene Plant

Lake Charles—
Sasol Chemicals said it will deploy “innovative,” artificial
intelligence (AI)-driven technology at its ethylene facility
in Lake Charles, La., to identify opportunities to cut carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions and improve energy efficiency.
The technology, called emissions.AI, was developed by
UK-based data analytics experts OPEX, an ERM Group
company. It measures and monitors energy usage and
emissions and will give Sasol timely access to detailed
emissions data and analysis functionality to pinpoint emissions
reduction opportunities.
Sasol is the first company in the chemicals manufacturing
sector to introduce emissions.AI, which was originally
designed for complex oil and gas facilities. It has to potential
to be expanded to other Sasol units following the pilot
program.
“The way companies choose to operate their facilities
can have a significant impact on emissions and costs,”
noted OPEX Group Chief Executive Jamie Bennett.
“Our emissions.AI solution provides customers with
quality data and insights so they can identify opportunities
that will have the greatest impact, helping to quickly turn
their decarbonization promises into action.
“We are proud to play a part in supporting Sasol’s sustainability
goals and look forward to working in the chemicals
sector.”

 

ET Resumes Construction of Eighth NGL Fractionator at Mont Belvieu

Houston—Energy
Transfer (ET), in announcing its second quarter 2022 results,
said it recently restarted construction of Frac VIII,
an eighth natural gas liquids (NGL) fractionator at its
Mont Belvieu, Texas, facility, on which construction was
suspended in 2020 (PCN, 17 Aug 2020, p 3).
The 150,000-b/d fractionator will bring the partnership’s
total fractionation capacity at Mont Belvieu to over
1.1-million b/d. Operations were originally expected to begin
in the second quarter of 2021, but are now anticipated
to start in the third quarter of 2023.
ET’s Mont Belvieu facility has connectivity to over 35
petrochemical plants, refineries, fractionators and thirdparty
pipelines.

 

Aramco & Sinopec Agree to Collaborate On Range of Projects in Saudi Arabia

Dhahran—
Saudi Aramco and Sinopec have entered into a memorandum
of understanding covering several areas of potential
collaboration on projects in Saudi Arabia.
The possible areas of cooperation include: assessing refining
and petrochemical integration opportunities; engineering,
procurement and construction; oilfield services;
upstream and downstream technologies, as well as collaboration
across carbon capture and hydrogen processes.
The companies will also discuss opportunities for the
establishment of a local manufacturing hub in King Salman
Energy Park.
This latest partnership builds on existing joint ventures
between the two companies, including Fujian Refining and
Petrochemical Co. and Sinopec Senmei (Fujian) Petroleum
Co. in China, and Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Co. in
Saudi Arabia.

 

Cepsa Quimica Delivers World’s ‘First’ NextLab Renewable LAB to Unilever

Madrid—Cepsa
Quimica said it has supplied Unilever with NextLab, the
world’s “first” renewable linear alkyl benzene (LAB).
NextLab LAB is the “first” LAB surfactant to be both
renewable and biodegradable, as an alternative to traditional
fossil LAB.
Cepsa uses a mass balance approach to create NextLab.
Through mass balance, traditional black carbon sources
are blended and co-processed with those from plant-based
sources, known as green carbon. Afterwards they are
tracked throughout the entire production process to ensure
that an appropriate amount of the green carbon content is
in the final linear alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant.
“As of today, 85% of the overall carbon demand in
chemical and derived materials sector is still met using
fossil fuels,” noted Cepsa. “By offering renewable and recycled
alternatives, Cepsa Quimica is setting the path to a
circular chemistry industry, while directly impacting on
the planet, both in its own production process and in that
of its buyers.”

 

OQ Switching to Renewable Electricity As Part of Its Global ‘Reduce’ Program

Berlin—OQ
Chemicals said it is switching to electricity from renewable
sources (green power) at its sites, worldwide, as part of its
‘reduce’ program.
OQ’s sites in Monheim am Rhein, Germany; Houston,
Texas; and Amsterdam, the Netherlands, are already using
100% green power.
At its other sites in Germany and the U.S., the company
will initially use green power certificates during a
transitional phase. In the medium term, OQ plans to use
only green power at all of its locations.
In addition, the company has discontinued generating
electricity from natural gas in its power plant at the Oberhausen,
Germany, site.
“The switch to green power is a small but effective
building block in our global ‘reduce’ program, with which
we are aiming for climate neutrality by mid-century,”
noted OQ Chief Executive Dr. Oliver Borgmeier.
“We work holistically and look at all areas – raw materials,
production and the end product.”
OQ said it will also examine various options to produce
carbon dioxide-neutral energy to secure demand.

 

IISRP Publishes 2022 Rubber Statistics

Houston—
The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers
(IISRP) has published the 2022 edition of Worldwide Rubber
Statistics, which it describes as the “world’s leading”
source for authoritative data about synthetic rubber.
This edition of the publication, which is only available
electronically, has revisions to elastomer plant capacities
as the synthetic rubber market continues to be dynamic.
The publication provides a comprehensive analysis of
capacity by elastomer type, geographical distribution and
corporate ownership. It also features a graphics section
with statistics in easy-to-read format and a section on capacities
of synthetic rubber production plants throughout
the world, including a section on planned and announced
expansions of synthetic rubber facilities.
Visit www.iisrp.com/publications for further information
or to order the publication.

 

BASF Secures Clean Energy Supply For Over 20 BASF Sites in the U.S.

Florham Park—
BASF has entered into virtual power agreements with
Dawn Solar and EDF Energy Services for a total of 250
megawatts of wind and solar power for more than 20 of its
U.S. manufacturing sites.
BASF will purchase 100 megawatts of power generated
by Dawn Solar, and an additional 150 megawatts of renewable
energy capacity will be added through transactions
with EDF. With these agreements, the share of renewable
energy in BASF’s total North American electricity
consumption will increase to more than 25%.
Last year, BASF collaborated with EDF to add 35
megawatts of wind capacity to the energy mix for BASF’s
manufacturing sites in Freeport and Pasadena, Texas
(PCN, 15 Feb 2021, p 4).
BASF aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by
25% by 2030 compared with 2018, and achieve net-zero
emissions by 2050.
“These agreements help us reach our clean energy goals
in areas where the local electric utility does not supply
adequate renewable power,” said Tobias Dratt, president of
BASF North America.
“At the same time, our financial commitment enables
the realization of large solar and wind power projects and
adds clean energy to the grid.”

 

Petronas & Six S. Korean Firms Sign MoU To Explore Prospects in CCS Value Chain

Tokyo—
Petronas has entered into a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with six South Korean firms to undertake conceptual
and feasibility studies for establishing a full value
chain related to carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, transport
and storage (CCS).
The companies that signed the MoU include Lotte
Chemical Co., Samsung Engineering Co., Samsung Heavy
Industries, SK Earthon Co., SK Energy Co. and GS Energy
Corp.
The agreement also involves the evaluation of potential
CO2 storage site in Malaysia and exploration of other areas
across the CCS value chain.
“The feasibility studies undertaken through this collaboration
will identify suitable technologies for the CCS
and transportation value chain, bringing Petronas closer
towards establishing Malaysia as a leading regional CCS
solutions hub,” noted Emry Hisham, head of carbon management
at Petronas.

 

Quantafuel, BASF & Dubal Ink FEED MoU For Plastics-to-Liquid Facility in Dubai

Dubai—
Quantafuel, Dubal Holding and BASF have signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) to move to the
front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase for developing
a plastics-to-liquid processing plant in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates.
The 80,000-t/y facility will utilize Quantafuel’s technology
to convert low-quality, non-recyclable plastics into
“valuable” products, Quantafuel noted. A final investment
decision is targeted for early 2023.
Saipem has been selected as the FEED service provider.
The FEED is expected to be completed this year.
Last December, Quantafuel, Dubal and ENOC Holding
signed a MoU to study the potential project.
“We are excited about the opportunity to be a partner in
this FEED study for the plastics-to-liquid plant in Dubai
based on our know-how in the European ChemCycling project,”
said Udo Huenger, vice president and head of Market
Area Middle East at BASF FZE.
“Supporting our technology partner Quantafuel and
working with the visionary people at Dubal Holding to
drive Dubai’s vision of zero waste to landfill by 2030,
brings us another step closer to a circular economy.”

 

Bolder Secures Feedstock from Liberty For Terre Haute Tire Recycling Plant

Indianapolis—
Bolder Industries and Liberty Tire have formalized an
agreement, in which Liberty will supply feedstock to
Bolder’s tire recycling facility under development in Terre
Haute, Ind., to meet the rising demand for sustainable petrochemicals
and carbon black.
Bolder acquired the former Pyrolyx facility last year,
which it is retrofitting with its proprietary process to convert
over 3-million end-of-life tires a year into sustainable
carbon black (BolderBlack) and sustainable petrochemicals
(BolderOil). Commissioning is planned in 2023.
Given the projected increase in demand for BolderBlack
and BolderOil, the volume of tires processed at Terre
Haute could increase up to 6-million over the next two to
four years.
Bolder’s process generates 98% less carbon dioxide,
uses 85% less water and energy than traditional methods
and utilizes 98% of every scrap tire.
Bolder and Liberty have also come to a preliminary
agreement on expanding their partnership to other states,
including Illinois, South Carolina, Maryland and Tennessee.
This is Bolder’s second tire recycling facility. It began
full commercial operations at a plant in Maryville, Missouri,
in February 2019.

Ineos & Sinopec Sign Petrochem Deals Worth a Combined $7-Billion in China

Beijing—Ineos
announced it has signed three agreements with China Petroleum
& Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) for “significant” petrochemical
deals in China with an aggregate value of $7-
billion.
Under the first agreement, Ineos will acquire a 50%
stake in Shanghai Secco Petrochemical Co. (Secco), a subsidiary
of Sinopec.
Located in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park, Secco
currently has a production capacity of 4.2-million t/y of petrochemicals,
including ethylene, propylene, polyethylene
(PE), polypropylene, styrene, polystyrene, acrylonitrile,
butadiene, benzene and toluene.
In the second agreement, Ineos and Sinopec will establish
a 50-50 joint venture for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
(ABS) production, based on Ineos’ technology. This
will include the 600,000-t/y facility under construction by
Ineos Styrolution in Ningbo (PCN, 21-28 Dec 2020, p 1).
The ABS joint venture is also expected to build two new
300,000-t/y ABS plants based on Ineos’ Terluran ABS
technology. One will be located in Tianjin with the location
of the second plant not yet decided.
The ABS plant currently being built in Ningbo is
scheduled to begin operations by the end of next year.
The final agreement between Ineos and Sinopec will see
the parties establishing a 50-50 joint venture to build a
new 500,000-t/y high-density PE (HDPE) plant in Tianjin.
In addition, the companies will build at least two additional
500,000-t/y HDPE units in the future to produce
Ineos pipe grade under license.
The transactions are subject to regulatory approvals
and other conditions. Each transaction is anticipated to be
complete before the end of the year.
“These agreements significantly reshape Ineos’ petrochemical
production and technology in China,” said Ineos
Chief Executive Jim Ratcliffe.
“We are pleased to make these major investments with
Sinopec in areas that provide the best growth opportunities
for both companies. Both parties recognize the potential
for closer collaboration across a number of other areas
as we look ahead.”

 

Ineos Producing Bio-Attributed EO; Delivers GHG Saving of Over 100%

London—Ineos
Oxide said it has launched new bio-attributed ethylene
oxide (EO) based on certified bio-based sources that completely
substitutes fossil feedstock.
The product has been certified by RSB and ISCC+ as
being 100% renewable on a mass balance basis and delivering
a greenhouse gas savings of over 100% compared to
conventionally produced EO.
“Our new EO delivers identical performance to traditional
feedstocks – the fundamental performance of the
product is not changed, but it comes with huge savings in
fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions,” noted
Ineos Oxide Chief Executive Tobias Hannemann.

 

Trinseo Decides to Suspend Process To Divest Its Styrenics Business

Berwyn—Trinseo has
decided to pause the previously announced sales process to
divest it styrenics business (PCN, 14 Feb 2022, p 1).
The potential divestiture was expected to include Trinseo’s
feedstocks and polystyrene segments, as well as its
50% interest in Americas Styrenics, a joint venture with
Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.
The deterioration of financing markets and the economic
uncertainty created by the war in Ukraine, particularly
in European energy markets, has affected the company’s
ability to obtain full value for the business, despite
significant interest from strategic and financial parties,
Trinseo noted.
“In the meantime, we will utilize the cash generation of
the styrenics and other businesses to invest in organic
growth projects, increase our sustainable product offerings,
decrease our CO2 [carbon dioxide] footprint and return
cash to shareholders,” said Trinseo President and Chief
Executive Frank Bozich.
Trinseo will reevaluate a potential sale of the styrenics
business when macroeconomic conditions improve.

 

CNTY Chooses Honeywell UpCycle Process For Plastics Recycling Facility in China

Shanghai—
Honeywell announced that China Tianying (CNTY) has
selected the Honeywell UpCycle process technology to use
in a new advanced plastics recycling plant to be built in
Jiangsu Province, China.
The facility, which will be the “first” commercialized
waste plastics recycling facility using the UpCycle process
in China, will convert mixed waste plastics into polymer
feedstock. A schedule for the project was not given.
Honeywell UOP will supply related engineering work
and technical services for the project up to its start-up and
commissioning, and provide technical support services for
the plant’s operations.
CNTY intends to use the UpCycle process in future recycling
plant. The two parties will also explore potential
collaboration in various fields, including waste plastics pretreatment
and pyrolysis equipment manufacturing.

 

MCG Boosting EVOH Capacity in the UK

London—
Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) announced that it will
increase production capacity for SoarnoL ethylene vinyl
alcohol copolymer (EVOH) resin at its Mitsubishi Chemical
UK Ltd. site in Saltend, Hull, UK.
EVOH production capacity will be raised by 21,000 t/y
to a total of 39,000 t/y. Construction is planned to begin in
April 2023, with operations expected to begin in July 2025.
Multilayer films containing SoarnoL are certified as
highly recyclable in combination with MCG’s recycling
compatibilizer Soaresin, MCG noted.
“With increasing needs for eco-friendly products, MCG
anticipates solid growth in global demand for SoarnoL in
the coming years,” said the company.

 

PetroChina Begins Project to Expand PC Production at Guangxi Refinery

Beijing—Petro-
China has launched a $4.52-billion project to expand a
subsidiary refinery in Guangxi, China, into an integrated
petrochemical complex, reported Reuters citing Chinese
state media.
The refinery, owned by PetroChina’s Jilin Petrochemical
Corp. subsidiary, will be revamped to increase petrochemical
capacity and cut refined fuel production.
As part of the project, Jilin plans to add 21 plants, including
a 1.2-million-t/y ethylene facility and 600,000-t/y
acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plants, and it plans to
mothball seven units (PCN, 14 Feb 2022, p 3). Completion
is expected in 2025.
Once complete, the company will produce an additional
2.8-million t/y of petrochemicals and will have 2.63-million
t/y less of refined fuel production.

 

Cariflex Breaks Ground on ‘World’s Largest’ Polyisoprene Latex Facility in Singapore

Singapore—
Cariflex, a subsidiary of DL Chemical, said it has broken
ground on the “world’s largest” and Singapore’s “first” polyisoprene
latex facility at a site in Jurong Island.
Expected to cost over $350-million, the project will be
delivered in two phases, with at least 70 permanent jobs
created in the first phase. Operations are expected to begin
by the second half of 2024.
The company did not disclose capacity of the new plant,
but said it is expected to increase its global polyisoprene
latex production capacity by more than 50%.
Cariflex’s investment and expansion into Singapore is
supported by Singapore’s Economic Development Board
and JTC Corp., two statutory boards under Singapore’s
Ministry of Trade and Industry.
“Cariflex’s decision to locate the . . . plant on Jurong Island
attests to the attractiveness of the island’s plug-andplay
infrastructure and integrated ecosystem,” said Alvin
Tan, assistant chief executive, Industry Cluster Group at
JTC Corp.
“This allows companies to focus key investments on
core facilities, while leveraging on shared third-party utilities
and services.”

 

Sasol Earns ISCC-Plus Certification For Three Largest European Plants

Hamburg—Sasol
Chemicals has received ISCC-Plus certification for its
three largest manufacturing facilities in Europe.
The plants, located in Marl and Brunsbuttel, Germany,
and Augusta, Italy, have earned ISCC-Plus certification for
the use of mass balanced bio-based and recycled feedstocks
in the production of alcohols, ethoxylates, linear alkylbenzene
and derivatives.
Sasol’s German facilities use mass balanced bioethylene,
made from plant-based biomass and waste, along
with recycled ethylene. The Augusta plant uses mass balanced
bio-benzene, recycled benzene and bio-recycled benzene.
“Using the mass balance approach, Sasol Chemicals
traces the flow of materials through its value chain to ensure
that its end products are ISCC-Plus compliant,” the
company noted.

 

OQ Building Propionic Aldehyde Plant To Support Rohm’s New MMA Facility

Houston—OQ
Chemicals has made a final investment decision (FID) to
increase capacity of propionic aldehyde to supply Rohm’s
new methyl methacrylate (MMA) plant being built at OQ’s
production site in Bay City, Texas (PCN, 5 July 2021, p 2).
The 250,000-t/y MMA plant will utilize Rohm’s latest
LiMA technology, enabling a high yield with low energy
consumption and reduced wastewater volumes. Mechanical
completion is expected by the first quarter of 2024.
Wood is responsible for the engineering, procurement
and construction services for the MMA unit. Value of the
contract was not given.
“This project goes by ‘Propel,’ which is short for ‘Propyls
Elevated,” noted OQ Chemicals Chief Executive Dr. Oliver
Borgmeier. “We are excited to have achieved FID on Propel
and can move ahead as planned.
“At OQ Chemicals, we are looking forward to welcoming
Rohm to our site in Bay City. I am convinced that both
companies will greatly benefit from our future cooperation
and combined expertise.”

 

Econic Finalizes Agreement with MPL To Develop CO2-Containing Polyols

Chennai—Econic
Technologies and Manali Petrochemicals Ltd. (MPL) have
finalized a joint development and technology transfer
agreement to continue the global development of carbon
dioxide (CO2)-containing polyols for use in polyurethane
products.
The agreement sets the next phase of the partnership
to scale up and manufacture the CO2-containing polyols
initially at MPL’s demonstration-scale facilities in India,
followed by the retrofit of MPL’s over 12,000 industrial
scale reactors with Econic’s proprietary process.
“We appreciate this next development in our partnership
with MPL and the opportunity to work with them as a
pioneering licensee of Econic’s technology in one of the biggest
and fastest growing geographies,” noted Econic Chief
Executive Keith Wiggins.
“There is unbelievable momentum for solutions that
meet consumer demand for more sustainable products
made using waste CO2, and we’re delighted to be leading
the way together in this area,” he added.
“Science and innovation will play a key role in ensuring
that our manufacturing plants implement eco-friendly and
cost-efficient technology,” said Ashwin Mutiah, chair of
MPL’s parent company, AM International.
“MPL’s partnership with Econic Technologies brings
significant R&D-led improvements to the production process.
Alongside delivering a greener product to our customers,
it reaffirms our ESG commitment towards a carbon
neutral planet.”

 

People on the Move

Heartland Polymers—Todd Karran, previously
president and chief executive of Nova Chemicals, was recently
appointed chief executive, petrochemicals, at Heartland.
Toray Plastics (America)—Mark Turano has become
senior director of sales of the Lumirror Polyester Film Division.
He was previously director of sales of the same division.

 

Sojitz Plans Indonesian Methanol Plant In Partnership with Pupuk Indonesia

Jakarta—
Sojitz, in partnership with PT Pupuk Indonesia, will study
the feasibility of building a new methanol facility in West
Papua, Indonesia, Reuters reported.
The project, expected to cost around $1-billion, is being
initiated in order to increase the supply chain resilience for
Indonesia and Japan in the future, said the report citing
Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia.
The feasibility study is expected to be completed by the
end of this year. No other details were available.
In March 2021, PCN reported that Sojitz had expressed
interest in investing around $5-billion in the development
of the methanol and ammonia industry in Bintuni Bay Industrial
Area in Indonesia, with production expected to
begin in 2024 (PCN, 22 Mar 2021, p 3).

 

Ineos Olefins and Polymers Europe Joins HolyGrail 2.0 for Plastic Waste Recycling

Brussels—
Ineos Olefins and Polymers Europe announced it has
joined Digital Watermarks’ HolyGrail 2.0 initiative to “significantly”
improve the sorting and recycling of plastic
packaging waste.
The HolyGrail 2.0 initiative will provide the whole
packaging value chain with a “robust, cost-effective, and
easily scalable system” to optimize the sorting of postconsumer
plastics packaging using digital watermarks and
improve the quality of the recycled product, it noted.
Digital watermarks are imperceptible codes which cover
the surface of the packaging. About the size of a postage
stamp, they are detectable by special cameras linked to
high speed waste sorting systems.
“Partnering with HolyGrail 2.0 demonstrates our commitment
to taking action across the value chain, to create a
more sustainable future,” said Rob Ingram, chief executive
of Ineos Olefins and Polymers North.
“It fits perfectly with the Ineos goal to increase recycling
rates and the use of recycled materials back into everyday
products. This is an exciting next step on our path
to full packaging circularity.”

 

SKGC & Veolia Sign MoU to Expand Recycling of Waste Plastics in Asia

Seoul—SK Geo
Centric (SKGC) and Veolia have entered into a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) to increase plastic waste recycling
in Asian countries where there is demand.
The two companies plan to build a recycling cluster in
Ulsan, South Korea, using SKGC’s recycling technology to
turn polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene waste
that can not be mechanically recycled into pyrolysis oil to
be used for making new plastics.
The cooperation is expected to branch into China, Japan,
and Southeast Asian regions, where interest in plastic
recycling is growing, SKGC noted.
“We are pleased to take the first step in the circular
economy based on the eco-friendly competencies both countries
own here in the Asian market, which has great potential,”
said SKGC Chief Executive Na Kyung-soo.
“In keeping with the global trend for green businesses,
we will take our part in aiding South Korea to lead the circular
economy business, starting with the recycling cluster
in Ulsan and targeting the Asian market.”

 

SOCMA Releases State of Industry Report For the Specialty Chemicals Industry

Arlington—The
Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA)
has released its 2022 Specialty Chemicals Industry Census+
findings that show a positive outlook and business
confidence in the sector despite inflation and other postpandemic
impacts.
Conducted in partnership with Vault Consulting, the
annual census surveys manufacturer opinions on key operational
and decision points chemical manufacturers use
to benchmark business activities.
“Specialty chemical manufacturers anticipate continued
revenue growth over last year with a strategic focus on
expanding projects with existing customers,” said Paul
Hirsh, senior vice president of industry relations.
“Results reflect companies’ increasing prioritization of
sustainability and ESG initiatives across the manufacturing
environment in various ways, with emphasis on supply
chain management for business continuity.
“The industry’s resilience is underpinned by strong demand
for batch chemistry and reinforces how instrumental
specialty chemicals are to the global marketplace.”
To receive an executive summary of the census, contact
Samantha Hill at shill@socma.org.

 

Shell USA, Shell Midstream Partners Sign Definitive Agreement and Plan of Merger

Houston—
Shell USA and Shell Midstream Partners (SHLX) announced
the execution of a definitive agreement and plan
of merger, under which Shell USA will acquire all common
units representing limited partner interests in SHLX held
by the public for a total value of around $1.96-billion.
SHLX’s assets include interests in entities that own
crude oil and refined products pipelines and terminals that
serve as key infrastructure to transport onshore and offshore
crude oil production to U.S. Gulf Coast and Midwest
refining markets and deliver refined products from those
markets.
SHLX’s assets also include interests in entities that
own natural gas and refinery gas pipelines that transport
offshore natural gas to market hubs and deliver refinery
gas from refineries and plants to chemical sites along the
U.S. Gulf Coast.
Subject to customary closing conditions, the transaction
is expected to be finalized in the fourth quarter of 2022.

 

Vietnamese JV Building PP Facility

Hanoi—Stavian
Quang Yen Petrochemical, a joint venture of Stavian
Chemical and Yen Hung Liquid Port, will set up a new
polypropylene (PP) plant in the northern Province of
Quang Ninh in Vietnam, Reuters reported citing the country’s
ruling communist party.
The $1.5-billion facility would have a production capacity
of 600,000 t/y of PP. Commercial operations are
planned to begin from the fourth quarter of 2026.

 

ONGC Moving Into Renewable Space With MoU to Form JV with Greenko

New Delhi—
India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) has signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a joint venture
with Indian renewable energy company Greenko ZeroC
to pursue opportunities in renewables, green hydrogen,
green ammonia and other green hydrogen derivatives.
The proposed 50-50 joint venture would set up a 1.3-
gigwatt green hydrogen plant to produce 1-million t/y of
green ammonia. The parties may also jointly develop
around 6-gigawatt to 7-gigawatt of solar and wind capacity.
First production is expected around 2026.
The project is expected to require an investment of approximately
$6-billion over three to four years, and will be
instrumental in achieving India’s target production of 5-
million t/y of green hydrogen by 2030, ONGC noted.
The MoU, which is valid for two years, is in line with
National Hydrogen Mission launched by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to make India a green hydrogen hub.
“By moving into renewable space, ONGC aims to meet
its objectives, such as de-risking of portfolio against longterm
disruptions and reducing carbon footprint,” said
ONGC.

 

Pembina Gets Final Regulatory Approval For Proposed Joint Venture with KKR

Calgary—
Pembina Pipeline said it has received final regulatory approval
from the Canadian Competition Bureau for Pembina
and KKR to combine their respective western Canadian
natural gas processing assets into a single, new joint
venture entity (PCN, 7 Mar 2022, p 4).
The transaction includes Pembina’s field-based natural
gas processing assets; the Veresen Midstream business,
currently owned 55% by funds managed by KKR and 45%
by Pembina; and the business presently being carried on
by Energy Transfer Canada (ETC), which is currently
owned 49% by funds managed by KKR.
Concurrently, with closing of the transaction, the new
joint venture will also acquire Energy Transfer’s 51% stake
in ETC.
Pursuant to an agreement with the Competition Bureau,
Pembina and KKR’s global infrastructure funds will
divest the 50% non-operated interest in the Key Access
Pipeline System, which will be contributed into the new
joint venture as part of the transaction.
Subject to satisfaction of the remaining conditions, the
transaction is expected to occur in August 2022.

 

Wacker Chemie Begins Feasibility Study For New Silicone Production Facilities

Charleston—
Wacker Chemie has begun a feasibility study into a
planned production complex to manufacture silicone specialties
at its site in Charleston, Tenn.
In a first phase, the company expects to build production
plants for high-consistency silicone rubber and silicone
sealants. In addition, it plans to build units for the manufacture
of intermediates. Production plants for other product
groups could be added in further phases.
The capital expenditures earmarked for the entire expansion
project, which is scheduled to take several years,
is estimated to be more than $200-million, Wacker noted.
“The planned expansion measures in Charleston are a
further step toward making Charleston a fully integrated
site with closed production loops, and an important prerequisite
for accelerating our growth as planned,” said
Chief Executive Christian Hartel.

 

Dow & Al-Hejailan Group Sign MoU To Build JV MDEA Plant in Jubail

Jubail—Dow and
Al-Hejailan Group have signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) to form a joint venture to design, build and
operate a methyl diethanolamine (MDEA) facility in
Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
The plant, to be located in the PlasChem Park, will be
built and operated by the Al-Hejailan Group. It will be
based on Dow’s technologies, and Dow will be responsible
for marketing the plant’s production. Construction is
planned to begin in 2024, with operations expected to start
in 2025.
Dow will hold a 25% stake in the joint venture, while
Al-Hejailan Group will hold the remaining 75% interest.
In addition, Dow will build a downstream manufacturing
facility, owned by Dow, that will source raw materials
from the new joint venture.
The plant will expand capacity of Dow’s MDEA-based
high performance Ucarsol products and will also blend
Dow’s Accutrace fuel markers for the region. It is expected
to come online in late 2024.

Bayport Polymers Announces Start-Up Of New Port Arthur Ethane Cracker

Port Arthur—
Bayport Polymers (Baystar), an equally-owned joint venture
of TotalEnergies and Borealis, said it has started up a
1-million-t/y ethane cracker in Port Arthur, Texas (PCN,
21 June 2021, p 1).
The new ethane cracker, costing approximately $2-
billion, was built on the site owned and operated by the
TotalEnergies refinery.
Ethylene from the cracker will be used as feedstock at
Baystar’s existing 400,000-t/y polyethylene (PE) unit, as
well as a new 625,000-t/y Borstar technology PE plant (Bay
3) currently under construction in Pasadena, Texas.
“After significant investments in U.S. LNG [liquefied
natural gas] and renewable electricity in 2022, the start-up
of this new cracker is another milestone strengthening TotalEnergies’
presence in the United States,” noted Bernard
Pinatel, president of Refining & Petrochemicals at Total-
Energies.
“This investment is in perfect alignment with our strategy
to develop petrochemicals at our integrated platforms.
At Port Arthur, we take advantage of the abundance of
ethane in the U.S.”

 

Lummus’ Supplying Novolen Technology To NRL’s Planned PP Plant in Golaghat

Assam—
Lummus Technology has been awarded a contract from
Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. (NRL) to provide its Novolen
technology for a new polypropylene (PP) unit at NRL’s refinery
in Golaghat, Assam, India (PCN, 21 Mar 2022, p 3).
The board of Oil India recently approved an investment
of around Rs 6,555 crore for the new 360,000-t/y PP plant
and associated facilities. A project schedule was not given.
Lummus’ scope includes the technology license, basic
design engineering, training, technical services and catalyst
supply.
NRL earlier said it was expanding its refinery capacity
to 9-million t/y from 3-million t/y currently, by implementing
in parallel a new refinery with downstream grassroots
facilities at the same location as the existing refinery.
NRL is owned 69.93% by Oil India, 26% by the government
of Assam and 4.37% by Engineers India Ltd.

 

Cargill Buys Stake in Croda Businesses

London—
Croda International has finalized the sale of the majority
of its performance technologies and industrial chemicals
businesses to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cargill for
around €775-million.
“This divestment accelerates Croda’s transition to being
a pure-play consumer care and life sciences company,”
noted Croda Chief Executive Steve Foots.
“We will redeploy capital and resources to scale our
consumer, health and crop care technologies, helping to
deliver consistent, superior sales growth and even stronger
profit margins.”

 

CCP Resuming Construction on Integrated PTA-PET Facility at Corpus Christi Site

Houston—
Corpus Christi Polymers LLC (CCP) will resume building
an integrated purified terephthalic acid (PTA)-polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) plant next month in Corpus Christi,
Texas, following a period of pandemic-related disruptions
(PCN, 7 Jan 2019, p 1).
The project, acquired from M&G USA in 2019, will have
a nominal capacity of 1.1-million t/y of PET and 1.3-million
t/y of PTA. It is expected to be the “largest” vertically integrated
plant in the Americas, noted Indorama Ventures, a
partner in the project. Production is expected to begin in
2025.
The project will employ three state-of-the-art technologies
– IntegRex for PTA production; Invista for PET melt;
and Horizontal Continuous slightly inclined Rotary Reactor
for PET solid state.
Each party will procure its own raw materials and receive
one third of the PTA and PET produced at the facility
to sell and distribute independently.
CCP is a joint venture of Indorama Ventures Corpus
Christi Holdings, a subsidiary of Indorama Ventures; DAK
Americas, a subsidiary of Alpek; and APG Polytech USA
Holdings, a subsidiary of Far Eastern New Century.

 

BASF Grants Final Approval to Build Its Zhanjiang Verbund Site in China

Beijing—BASF
has given final approval for construction of the planned
Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China, and said it will now focus
on building a steam cracker and downstream plants,
the core of the Verbund, for the production of petrochemicals
and intermediates (PCN, 16 May 2022, p 3).
The company will invest up to €10-billion in construction
of the site, which will be built in several phases. The
site will be fully operational by 2030.
In 2020, construction began on the first plants of the
site – a 60,000-t/y engineering plastics unit and a plant for
thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) production. The engineering
plastics unit is currently starting up and the TPU
facility is scheduled to come on stream in 2023.
Earlier this year, BASF signed a 25-year renewable
electricity supply agreement with Brookfield for the supply
of solar and wind power for the Zhanjiang Verbund site.

 

Ashland Global Holdings Changing Name

Dover—
Ashland Global Holdings Inc. said it plans to change its
legal name to Ashland Inc., effective 1 Aug. 2022, subject
to the satisfaction of all applicable legal requirements.
The name change will be the final step of an internal
reorganization to simplify the company’s legal entity structure,
which will see Ashland LLC, a wholly-owned, indirect
subsidiary of the company, merging into its direct parent
Ashland Chemco Inc., a wholly-owned, direct subsidiary of
the company, which will immediately thereafter merge
directly with and into the company.

 

BASF Moving Ahead With Final Phase Of MDI Expansion Project at Geismar

Geismar—
BASF said it is moving forward with the third and final
phase of its methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) expansion
project at its Verbund site in Geismar, La. (PCN, 20-
27 Dec 2021, p 2).
The company will invest $780-million to add several
new upstream units and a splitter, increasing MDI production
capacity to a total of 600,000 t/y. Completion is anticipated
by the end of 2025.
The first phase of the expansion, involving construction
of a new MDI synthesis unit, was put into operation in October
2020. The second phase, which began operations in
2021, included the expansion of several existing downstream
units and a splitter.
“This investment underlines our commitment to North
America and strengthens BASF’s supply reliability and the
competitiveness of our customers’ value chains in the region,”
said Michael Heinz, chairman and chief executive of
BASF Corp.

 

Dow and Mura Announce Plans to Build Multiple Advanced Recycling Facilities

Horgen—Dow
and Mura Technology said they intend to construct multiple
world-scale 120,000-t/y advanced recycling facilities at
site in the U.S. and Europe.
Together, the new plants will add as much as 600,000
t/y of aggregate advanced recycling capacity by 2030, and
will be based on Mura’s HydroPRS (Hydrothermal Plastic
Recycling Solution) advanced recycling process.
Dow will be key off-taker of the circular feed that Mura
produces, enabling it to produce a recycled plastic feedstock
for the development of new, virgin-grade plastics.
The partnership marks an important milestone in the
“rapid” scaling of the technology, which can be used to recycle
all forms of plastic, including flexible and multi-layer
plastics, which are destined for landfill or incineration, the
parties noted.
The “world’s first” plant using Mura’s HydroPRS process,
located in Teesside, the UK, is expected to be operational
in 2023 with a 20,000-t/y production line set to supply
Dow (PCN, 29 Mar-5 Apr 2021, p 3).

 

Geno and Aquafil ‘Successfully’ Complete Demo-Scale Production of Bio-Nylon-6

San Diego—
Genomatica (Geno) and Aquafil said they have “successfully”
completed the first demonstration-scale production
for plant-based nylon-6 and have now begun precommercial
production (PCN, 23-30 Nov 2020, p 2).
The partners produced the first several tons of the
plant-based nylon-6 building block caprolactam, converted
it to nylon-6 polymer, and are now in the process of transforming
it for evaluation in nylon applications, such as engineering
plastics and yarns for textile and carpet.
“Now more than ever, global brands are taking action to
incorporate sustainable materials into their products,” said
Christophe Schilling, chief executive of Geno.
“We’re working to build purposeful, traceable and
transparent supply chains, in this case for nylon-6, with
the goal to provide more sustainable products that consumers
demand and material solutions that can help
brands achieve their ESG goals.”

 

Technip Energies Wins Neste Contract For Renewable Products Expansion

Rotterdam—
Neste has awarded a contract to Technip Energies, as part
of an existing partnership agreement between the two
companies, for the expansion of its renewable products
production capacity in Rotterdam, the Netherlands (PCN,
4 July 2022, p 3).
The project, expected to cost €1.9-billion, will expand
Neste’s overall renewable product capacity by 1.3-million
t/y to a total capacity of 2.7-million t/y. Start-up is anticipated
during the first half of 2026.
The contract includes engineering, procurement services
and construction management for the expansion. It
follows the front-end engineering and design delivered by
Technip Energies in 2021. Value of the contract is between
€50-million and €250-million.

 

Monolith Raises Over $300-Mn in Funding To Further Develop & Scale Technology

Lincoln—
Monolith, self-described as a “leader” in clean hydrogen,
carbon black and ammonia, recently announced its latest
investment round of more than $300-million, which will be
used toward further development of its methane pyrolysis
process.
Monolith’s proprietary methane pyrolysis process converts
natural gas into high-purity carbon black, ammonia
and hydrogen.
The company recently received conditional approval for
a $1.04-billion loan from the U.S. Dept. of Energy to help
fund an expansion of clean carbon black and clean hydrogen
at Monolith’s Olive Creek facility in Hallam, Neb.
(PCN, 3 Jan 2022, p 4).
Planned to begin construction this year, the expansion
will have a production capacity of about 194,000 t/y of
clean carbon black and 275,000 t/y of clean ammonia.
Completion is scheduled for 2026.
The money raised in the latest investment round will
also enable Monolith’s continued development of a deep
backlog of clean hydrogen, ammonia and carbon projects
with industry partners, the company noted.

 

People on the Move

Toray Plastics (America) Inc.—Christopher Roy has
become president and chief operating officer. He had been
executive vice president, overseeing the company’s Torayfan
and Lumirror Divisions (PCN, 5 Oct 2020, p 2).
Corpus Christi Polymers (CCP)—Russell Wilson,
previously head of Manufacturing Americas, Combined
PET, at Indorama Ventures, has become chief executive of
CCP.
Jeff Shea was named chief operating officer, effective 18
July 2022. He had been site manager.
Michael Day, who has held senior roles at KBR, CB&I
and Bilfinger, joined CCP last month as project director.
Worley—Angela Robledo has become senior director of
business development for chemicals and fuels. She had
been group director of business development for low-carbon
fuels.
Wood—Craig Shanaghey has joined the company’s executive
leadership team as executive president for the operations
business unit. He succeeds Stephanie Cox.

 

Nexus Circular and Dow to Construct Advanced Recycling Plant in Dallas

Dallas—Nexus
Circular and Dow announced plans to build a new advanced
recycling facility in Dallas, Texas, to accelerate
plastics production in the U.S.
The 26,000-t/y plant will based on Nexus Circular’s
proprietary process and pyrolysis technology to transform
waste plastics into high-quality circular feedstocks for use
in the production of circular polymers.
Nexus Circular has optimized the process to create a
“highly efficient, economic, commercial and scalable system
for delivering cost-effective, high-quality and environmentally-
friendly circular products for its partners and customers,”
the parties noted.
The two companies signed a detailed letter of intent for
Dow to secure the production output of the new advanced
recycling facility.
“Expanding our past, scaled success with Nexus to drive
production of high-quality circular feedstocks, the new facility
in Dallas marks an important step in meeting unmet
market demand for circular plastics in Texas and other
markets,” noted Manav Lahoti, global sustainability director
for hydrocarbons at Dow.
“We now have an even grater opportunity to close the
loop on Dow’s materials through the delivery of Nexus’ circular
products back to our plants, further accelerating progress
toward our 2030 goal to enable one million metric
tons of plastic to be collected, reused or recycled.”

 

Ineos Olefins & Polymers Plans to Invest In Multilayer, Blown Line Technology

Brussels—
Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe announced a multimillion
euro investment in state-of-the-art multilayer,
blown line technology with machine direction orientation
to design recyclable flexible packaging film.
Using the technology, Ineos and its partners will work
together to develop, design and produce polyethylene and
polypropylene-based flexible packaging film using less
polymers, increasing the recyclability of the product. The
technology will help prevent about 1-million t/y of waste
going to landfill.
A new line utilizing the technology will be installed
next year in Ineos’ research and development labs in Brussels,
Belgium, where Ineos will develop new mono-material
flexible film packaging products.

 

IndianOil Inks Deal with NGEL to Form JV For Renewable Energy for Its Refineries

New Delhi—
Indian Oil Corp. (IndianOil) and NTPC Green Energy Ltd.
(NGEL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC, have signed
an agreement to form a joint venture company to supply
renewable energy to IndianOil’s refineries.
Through the joint venture, the partners plan to set up
renewable energy-based power plants to meet the additional
power requirement of its refineries using round-theclock
renewable energy to 650 megawatts by December
2024.
“It is indeed a powerful statement, as two fossil giants
of the country – IndianOil and NTPC join hands for changing
their path towards green energy,” noted IndianOil
Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya.

 

SABIC Begins Blockchain Pilot Project To Digitally Trace Trucircle Feedstock

Geleen—
SABIC, along with Plastic Energy, technology company
Finboot, and packaging specialist Intraplas, has launched
a pilot project to study the possibilities of blockchain technology
for digital traceability of certified circular feedstock
used in SABIC’s Trucircle solutions.
This is the “first” project of its kind in the industry to
trace the product from feedstock production to converter,
going further than previous industry application of blockchain
in end-to-end tracing, SABIC noted.
The project will use Finboot’s MARCO software solution,
which acts as middleware layer and will track the
Tacoil produced by Plastic Energy from their recycling
process, the delivery of the oil to SABIC for conversion into
its Trucircle circular polymers, and finally the delivery of
the polymers to Intraplas for conversion into their packaging
solutions.
The platform offers reduced costs, time and improved
data integration for all value chain partners.

 

QatarEnergy Selects ConocoPhillips As Partner in NFE LNG Expansion

Doha—Qatar-
Energy said it has picked ConocoPhillips as the third partner
in the North Field East (NFE) liquefied natural gas
(LNG) expansion project in Qatar, the “single largest” project
in the history of the LNG industry (PCN, 11 July 2022,
p 4).
The project, estimated to cost $28.75-billion, is expected
to increase Qatar’s LNG capacity to 110-million t/y from
77-million t/y by 2026. The expansion will add four new
LNG trains, and will integrate carbon capture and sequestration
to cut emissions.
QatarEnergy and ConocoPhillips will become partners
in a new joint venture company, in which QatarEnergy will
hold a 75% stake and ConocoPhillips will hold a 25% stake.
The joint venture will own 12.5% of the entire NFE project.
QatarEnergy recently partnered with Shell and
ExxonMobil, under similar agreements, in the NFE project.
More partners are expected to join the project.

 

Dow and Valoregen Agree to Collaborate To Build French Hybrid Recycling Plant

Paris—Dow
announced an agreement with French recycling firm
Valoregen to partner on building the “largest” hybrid recycling
facility in France.
The plant, to be owned and operated by Valoregen, will
have the capacity to process up to 70,000 t/y of plastic
waste. It will mark an important step in bringing together
mechanical recycling and newer, advanced recycling processes
in the future, Dow noted. Operations are expected to
begin at the end of the first quarter of next year.
“By bringing these technologies under one roof, the
plant will increase energy efficiency by enabling a yield
greater than 80%, well above the average conventional mechanical
recycling efficiency of approximately 60-70% –
minimizing waste – thanks to a smart energy management
system,” said Dow.
Dow will be the main offtaker of post-consumer resins
from Valoregen’s facility, which it will use to develop new
plastic products marketed under Dow’s Revoloop product
range. It will also provide expertise in recycling technology
to Valoregen to support the development of its capabilities.

 

LG Chem Exports Its First Bio-Balanced Phenol, Acetone to German Producer

Seoul—LG
Chem announced that it has shipped its first bio-balanced
phenol and acetone in earnest to one of the world’s “leading”
producers of renewable polymers in Germany.
The shipment included 4,000 tons of phenol and 1,200
tons of acetone for export to the German company’s facilities
in China and Thailand.
The phenol and acetone, which has received ISCC Plus
certification using renewable bio-feedstock such as biomass
or waste cooking oil, was shipped from LG’s Daesan plant
in South Korea.
LG expects that its eco-friendly product business will
continue to expand in global markets, including Europe
and the U.S., where there is growing demand.
Since the first export of bio-balanced super absorbent
polymer last August, LG has launched 41 products certified
by ISCC Plus, including polyolefin, acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene, polyvinyl chloride, neopentyl glycol, and
others.

 

Ineos Takes Steps Toward Net Zero At Its Cologne Site in Germany

Cologne—Ineos has
secured state support for a feasibility study into a green
hydrogen project in Cologne, Germany, that could cut
greenhouse gas emissions by more than 100,000 t/y, part of
a larger drive towards net zero emissions at the site.
Other steps the company has taken to lower emissions
at the site include: launching a pilot project on one of the
cooling towers to increase energy efficiency using a specialist
software solution; use of a state-of-the-art ultrasonic
device in the energy assets that identifies compressed air
or control air leaks; and introduction of a new dashboard to
improve energy efficiency.
In the first three months of 2022, a total of 215,000
kilowatt hours of electricity were saved in the cooling
tower, and work is now ongoing to include the other site
cooling towers; the ultrasonic device has reduced energy
use by 361 megawatt hours per year; and the dashboard
has saved up to 5% of total steam consumption in process
plants on the site.
The dashboard provides operators with a support tool
and an approach for increasing energy efficiency by guiding
operators to the root causes if deviations, providing insights
that allow operators to adjust process parameters
like temperature or pressure to optimize the energy and
resource efficiency of the plants.

 

Air Liquide to Build New Hydrogen Units At Shanghai Chemical Industry Park

Shanghai—Air
Liquide’s Shanghai Chemical Industry Park Industrial
Gases Co. (SCIPIG) subsidiary will invest over €200-
million to build two new hydrogen production units and
related infrastructure at the Shanghai Chemical Industry
Park (SCIP) in China.
Air Liquide Engineering & Construction will design and
build the steam methane reformers, which will have a total
hydrogen production capacity of around 70,000 nominal cu
m/hr, and will utilize carbon dioxide capture (CO2) and
recycle technology. The units are planned to be operational
in phases, starting from the end of 2023.
The units will replace current supply from a third party
coal-based gasification unit, and are in addition to two
other hydrogen units and four air separation units that
SCIPIG already operates at the park. They will be connected
to SCIPIG’s existing local network.
Both hydrogen plants will be equipped with CO2 recycle
units to contribute to the production of carbon monoxide
for a total capacity of 28,000 nominal cu m/hr. This will
avoid the emission of 350,000 t/y of CO2.
Through more than 15 year-long contracts, the hydrogen
production units will supply Covestro China and
Shanghai Lianheng Isocyanate Co., a joint venture led by
BASF and Huntsman, in the park, as well as other industrial,
mobility and electronics customers.

 

Arkema Buying Polimeros Especiales

Mexico—
Arkema is acquiring Polimeros Especiales, a privatelyowned
emulsion resins producer in Cuautitlan Izcalli, Mexico.
The transaction, for which a value was not given, is
fully in line with Arkema’s strategy to expand its coating
solutions segment in growing markets and in low-volatile
organic compound solutions.
“Thanks to Polimeros Especiales, Arkema will develop
new positions in the Mexican market, which is experiencing
robust growth,” said Manuel Garcia, general manager
of Arkema in Mexico.
“This acquisition will ensure continuous strong support
to our customers and will enable Arkema to broaden its
product offering locally.”

Lummus Introduces ‘Industry’s First’ Net Zero Ethane Cracker Technology

Houston—
Lummus Technology announced the launch of a breakthrough
technology for the “industry’s first” net zero ethane
cracker to help operators decarbonize their investments
and meet their sustainability goals.
The technology, now available for commercial use, can
be incorporated into both new and existing ethane crackers,
and at sites and facilities of different sizes.
Lummus developed this next generation design as part
of its comprehensive strategy to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from all of its technology offerings.
The combustion of methane or other carbon-based fuels
can be eliminated through the new innovative design, resulting
in significant reductions in the fuel firing demand,
enhancements in the recovery section and a partial switch
from steam turbine to electric drivers on the major compressors,
Lummus explained.
“By launching the world’s first CO2-free ethane cracker,
we are leveraging Lummus’ innovative culture and proven
ability to commercialize breakthrough technologies to play
a critical role in the energy transition,” said Leon de
Bruyn, president and chief executive of Lummus Technology.

 

Chemanol Obtains Financing to Complete Methanol Expansion Project in Jubail

Jubail—
Methanol Chemicals Co. (Chemanol), in a notice to the
Saudi Stock Exchange, said it has signed an SAR 240-
million loan agreement with two Saudi banks to finance
the completion of its methanol expansion project at its
complex in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia (PCN, 31
Jan 2022, p 1).
The company is expanding methanol production capacity
by around 100,000 t/y to a total of 331,000 t/y. Completion
is expected in the fourth quarter of this year.

 

Wanhua Selects Clariant’s SynDane Catalyst For New Chinese Maleic Anhydride Plant

Beijing—
Clariant has been awarded a contract by Wanhua Chemical
Group to supply its SynDane catalysts for a new worldscale
maleic anhydride facility in Yantai City, Shandong
Province, China.
The 200,000-t/y maleic anhydride plant, which will be
“one of the largest” in the world, is scheduled to begin operations
next year, Clariant noted.
Compared to conventional technology, the SynDane
catalyst improves production efficiency and reduces power
consumption, it added.
“Sustainability is a vital aspect of our company strategy,
and we are proud to support Wanhua in this ambitious
and important project with our innovative catalysts,” said
Jace Wang, head of business unit catalysts at Clariant in
China.

 

Huntsman Begins Commercial Operation Of New MDI Splitter at Geismar Facility

Geismar—
Huntsman said it has started commercial operation of a
new $180-million methylene diisocyanate (MDI) splitter at
its site in Geismar, La. (PCN, 18 Feb 2019, p 2).
The splitter, on which construction began in 2019, will
enable the company to produce more high value, differentiated
grades from the crude MDI manufactured at the
plant. The project was initially expected to require an investment
of around $125-million.
“Our new splitter bridges the gap between our upstream
MDI manufacturing assets and the downstream
needs of our customers – both domestic and international,”
noted Jan Buberl, vice president of polyurethanes for the
Americas.
“Our mission is to deliver what our customers need to
help them innovate and grow. This investment will
strengthen our ability to meet, and exceed, those expectations.”

 

KBC & CiT Partner on Simulation Software To Design, Optimize Polymer Unit Process

Houston—
KBC said it has partnered with Computing in Technology
(CiT) to launch simulation software for the design and optimization
of polymer plant processes to reduce process
scale-up risks and experimental time.
With the new software, which brings together CiT Predici
modeling software with KBC Petro-SIM simulation
platform and automated digital twin simulator, operators
can now simulate the entire refinery-petrochemicalpolymer
supply chain to predict yield, polymer properties,
and emissions in steady-state and dynamic models.
Users can monitor and analyze KPIs (key performance
indicators) manually, and with automated digital twins,
optimize the plant performance. The software also enables
users to track carbon intensity and determine the most
effective methods to decarbonize the entire supply chain
from end-to-end, including polymer recycling.

 

Grupa Azoty Temporarily Reduces Melamine Production in Poland

Tarnów—Grupa
Azoty Pulawy, citing rising gas prices and analysis of
achievable sales prices for melamine, has temporarily curtailed
melamine production in Poland.
The company has shut down one of its melamine production
units and has reduced capacity to 50% at another
unit due to current market conditions. Also, because of
planned maintenance work on two units, production will
run at about 20% of the maximum capacity of all units
from 9 July 2022, amounting to 270 t/d.
Existing commercial contracts will be fulfilled by the
operational melamine units and from inventories.
“Grupa Azoty is constantly monitoring feedstock price
levels and will adjust production to market conditions,” the
company noted.

 

Nexus & Braskem Sign MoU for Offtake From New Advanced Recycling Facility

Chicago—
Nexus Circular and Braskem have signed a detailed
memorandum of understanding (MoU) giving Braskem
exclusive rights to the circular plastic feedstocks from a
proposed advanced recycling plant near Chicago, Ill.
The new facility will have an initial capacity to convert
over 30,000 t/y of used plastic into new materials, with the
potential to “rapidly” expand the processing capacity to
more than 120,000 t/y, the partners noted. Cost of the project
or an expected completion date were not given.
The MoU supports Braskem’s strategic objective to sell
300,000 tons of products from recycled content by 2025 and
1-million tons by 2030.
“With the new facility, we will leverage Nexus’ proven,
commercial advanced recycling technology to secure highquality
feedstock for the production of Braskem’s certified
circular PP [polypropylene] resins,” said Braskem America
Chief Executive Mark Nikolich.
“Braskem has dedicated substantial resources towards
reducing plastic waste and is making significant progress
towards a more sustainable portfolio of PP to support our
clients’ goals.”
This past January, Braskem invested in a minority
stake in Nexus (PCN, 14 Feb 2022, p 4). Terms of the
transaction were not disclosed.

 

Hexion Begins Using Bio-Based Methanol To Produce Sustainable Formaldehyde

Baytown—
Hexion said it has started using bio-based methanol in the
production of formaldehyde at its manufacturing site in
Baytown, Texas, to supply a key customer that leverages
bio-benzene to produce methylene diphenyl diisocyanate.
The company has the capability to further adopt biobased
raw materials into its production processes at other
sites throughout its global manufacturing grid, Hexion
noted.
Compared to conventional fossil fuels, renewable
methanol reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 95%,
cuts nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80%, and eliminates
sulfur oxide and particulate matter emissions, said Hexion
citing the Methanol Institute.
“By leveraging renewable feedstocks, such as bio-based
methanol, we are able to provide a solution that fully
meets our customers’ exacting performance standards and
offers additional sustainable benefits,” noted Dave Collins,
senior vice president, global formaldehyde.

 

BASF Starts Up New Production Line For Acrylic Dispersions at Dahej Site

Dahej—BASF
said it has completed and started up a new state-of-the-art
acrylic dispersions production line at its integrated site in
Dahej, India (PCN, 9 Dec 2019, p 4).
The line, which will almost double the company’s polymer
dispersions capacity in Dahej, complements the existing
setup and allows the production of new dispersions
technologies under Styronal 7918, Styronal ES series, Basonal
FCB, Acronal Edge, Acronal Plus, and nextgeneration
Acronal Eco Product ranges.
In late 2019, BASF said the project was expected to be
operational by early 2021 and would serve the growing
demand for customers in the Indian and South Asian markets.

 

PKN Orlen Gets Commission Approval For Planned Merger with Grupa Lotos

Gdansk—PKN
Orlen recently received European Commission (EC) approval
for its intended merger with Grupa Lotos (PCN, 20
July 2020, p 2).
Orlen, in early 2018, announced it had signed a letter of
intent with Poland’s state treasury to acquire at least a
53% majority stake in Lotos. The transaction was expected
to close within a year.
In 2020, following an in-depth investigation into the
merger, the EC approved the proposed transaction, subject
to full compliance with a commitments package offered by
Orlen, which included divestitures.
Last month, Orlen was notified by the EC of its approval
of the buyers of divestment assets proposed by Orlen.
The commission also approved the agreements entered
into with the prospective buyers.
Final consent to the merger must be received by the
shareholders of both Orlen and Lotos during their general
meetings, scheduled for 21 July 2022 and 20 July 2022,
respectively.
Under the transaction agreement, shareholders of
Grupa Lotos will receive 1.075 Orlen shares in exchange
for one share in Lotos.

 

Agilyx, ‘Leading’ PC Company Begin FEL1 To Develop PS Chemical Recycling Plant

Oslo—
Agilyx announced it has begun the first stage of engineering
(FEL1) with a “leading” petrochemical company to
build a full commercial-scale polystyrene (PS) chemical
recycling facility in Southern Europe.
The plant, for which a capacity was not given, will utilize
the Agilyx technology platform. The first stage of engineering
is the first step in the development of a process
design package for the facility.
“This partnership highlights the strong demand that we
are seeing for an integrated approach to managing waste
plastic,” said Agilyx Chief Executive Tim Stedman. “Our
proven pyrolysis technology has the capability to make
waste plastics circular.
“At the appropriate stage of the project development we
will also leverage the feedstock management capabilities of
Cyclyx, ensuring access to custom-tailored waste plastic
recipes to create new, high-quality products.”
Launched by Agilyx in 2020, Cyclyx is a consortiumbased
supply chain innovation company with a goal to increase
recycling rates to 90% from 10% currently (PCN, 11-
18 Apr 2022, p 4).

 

People on the Move

Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co.—Metab Zaid Al-
Shahrani has been appointed chief executive, effective 24
July 2022, succeeding Omar Ali Al-Ruhaily, who has transferred
to another position at SABIC. Al-Shahrani was
most recently chief executive of the Saudi Methanol Co.

 

Shell Chemicals Park Moerdijk Plans New Pyrolysis Oil Upgrader Plant

Moerdijk—Shell
Chemicals Park Moerdijk, a subsidiary of Shell, is building
a new pyrolysis oil upgrader unit in Moerdijk, the Netherlands,
that improves the quality of pyrolysis oil and turns
it into chemical feedstock for its plants.
The project involves a new 50,000-t/y unit to treat the
pyrolysis oil, liquid made from plastic waste that cannot be
mechanically recycled. Production is scheduled to start in
2024.
The project is expected to accelerate the transition of
the chemicals park into a site able to serve the changing
needs of its customers, the company noted.
“As our customers demand more low-carbon and circular
chemicals we are seeing the reinvention of the chemical
industry,” said Robin Mooldijk, executive vice president,
Shell Chemicals and Products.
Shell intends to invest billions in Shell Moerdijk’s
chemical complex over the next decade, subject to investment
decisions and within existing capital allocation
frameworks.

 

EU Innovative Fund to Give Neste Grant For Chem Recycling Project in Finland

Porvoo—
Neste will receive funding of up to €135-million from the
EU Innovation Fund to support Neste’s project to build
chemical recycling capacities at its refinery in Porvoo,
Finland.
The project, named Project PULSE (pretreatment and
upgrading of liquefied waste plastic to scale up circular
economy), aims to implement Neste’s proprietary technologies
to pretreat and upgrade liquefied waste plastic and
integrate the technologies into the refinery operations.
Project PULSE targets pretreatment and upgrading capacities
of 400,000 t/y, contributing to the company’s goal
of processing over 1-million t/y of waste plastic from 2030
onwards.
In March 2022, Neste announced a feasibility study for
the project. An investment decision is targeted for next
year, with gradual implementation expected to start in
2024.
“We are excited to be among the projects selected by the
EU Innovation Fund,” said Mercedes Alonso, executive vice
president of Neste Renewable Polymers and Chemicals.
“While showing recognition for and faith in our work on
chemical recycling, the funding also highlights the importance
of the approach itself. If we want to move towards a
circular economy for polymers and chemicals, chemical
recycling will have a major role to play.”

 

Clarification

Clarification In last week’s issue of PCN, we mentioned
that Samsung Engineering Co. and Samsung Saudi Arabia
Co. had previously been awarded engineering, procurement
and construction contracts for Advanced Polyolefins Industry
Co.’s new propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit and
polypropylene (PP) facility planned in Jubail, Saudi Arabia
(PCN, 11 July 2022, p 1).
The contracts awarded to Samsung were for the PDH
unit. Tecnimont SpA and Tecnimont Arabia, subsidiaries
of Maire Tecnimont, were awarded the contract to set up
two new PP units.

 

Toray’s Certification Withdrawn/Suspended For Resin Processes at Nagoya and Chiba

Tokyo—
Toray Industries has received notification from the Japan
Quality Assurance Organization (JQA), a registered certification
body of the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO), that its ISO9001:2015 certification is to
be withdrawn or suspended for certain processes relating
to resin at its Nagoya and Chiba sites in Japan.
Upon conclusion of a special audit implemented by
JQA, Toray’s certification is to be withdrawn from the
processes relating to the design, development and manufacture
of nylon resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin,
polyphenylene sulfide resin, liquid crystal polyester resin,
and carbon fiber reinforced resin at Nagoya.
Certification has also been withdrawn at Chiba on
processes relating to the design, development and manufacture
of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin, polylactic
acid resin and carbon fiber reinforced resin pellets.
Furthermore, certification is to be suspended temporarily
for all other products that are designed, developed and
manufacture at the Nagoya plant.
The decision by the JQA is in connection with the inappropriate
action relating to UL (Underwriters Laboratories)
LLC certification, which Toray disclosed this past
January.
On 31 Jan. 2022, Toray announced that certain resin
products were improperly identified by the company as
receiving certification from UL.
“Toray will take definitive steps to prevent recurrence,
making every effort to regain the trust of customers and
the broader society,” the company noted.
“Toray will also work to reacquire certification where it
has been withdrawn and to qualify for reinstatement of
certification where it has been suspended.”

 

BASF Launches PuriCycle Portfolio To Remove Impurities from Pyoils

Ludwigshafen—
BASF announced the launch of its PuriCycle portfolio of
catalysts and adsorbents developed to selectively remove or
convert a wide range of impurities in pyrolysis oils (pyoils)
to enable downstream processing of circular plastic
streams.
“With our PuriCycle portfolio, we are in a very strong
position to make a difference in chemical plastics recycling
and to enable plastics circularity,” noted Detlef Ruff, senior
vice president, process catalysts at BASF.
“The ability of the PuriCycle products to purify the
most challenging pyrolysis oil streams is a major contribution
to help closing the plastics loop, minimizing waste and
ultimately opening up new feedstocks for the chemical industry.”

 

Pearl Polyurethane Systems to Receive Climate-Neutral MDI from Covestro

Berlin—Covestro
announced it will in future supply climate-neutral methylene
diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) to Pearl Polyurethane
Systems, the “leading” polyurethane (PU) systems house in
the Middle East and Africa region.
The cooperation will allow Pearl to help its downstream
customers reduce their carbon footprint by offering a
broader portfolio of more sustainable raw materials, as
part of its newly rebranded EcoPearl product range, Covestro
noted.

 

Borealis Strengthens EverMinds Offering With Borvida Circular Base Chemicals

Vienna—
Borealis recently introduced it is strengthening its Ever-
Minds circular product offering with Borvida, a portfolio of
circular base chemicals.
The Borvida portfolio will offer base chemicals or
cracker products, such as ethylene, propylene, butene and
phenol, with ISCC-Plus certified sustainable content from
the company’s sites in Finland, Sweden and Belgium.
The portfolio will initially comprise Borvida B, from
non-food waste biomass, and Borvida C, from chemicallyrecycled
waste. In the future, the range will include Borvida
A, sourced from atmospheric carbon capture.
Borvida is complementary and is the building block to
Bornewables, a portfolio of polyolefins based on renewablysourced
second generation feedstocks, and Borcycle, which
offers circular polyolefins produced from mechanically- and
chemically-recycled plastic waste.
“We are committed to helping to solve the climate crisis
through offering credible and sustainable solutions,” noted
Thomas Van de Velde, senior vice president of Hydrocarbons
& Energy.

 

Birla Adopts Green Finance Framework For Financing Eligible Green Projects

Mumbai—
Birla Carbon announced the formal adoption of a Green
Finance Framework that provides guidelines to finance
eligible green projects through green loans or bonds.
In addition, under the framework, the company has
successfully concluded the first green finance transaction,
in the form of a green loan of $50-million.
The loan will finance a portion of the costs that have
been incurred towards installing state-of-the-art absorber
technology to remove various compounds from air emission
levels at the North Bend plant in Louisiana.
“Achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is at the
core of our business strategy at Birla Carbon,” said Chief
Executive John Loudermilk.
“The . . . absorber technology initiative at our Louisiana
facility demonstrates our commitment towards using the
best available technologies for sustainable manufacturing
of carbon black products.
“In the years ahead, a significant commitment will be
required for decarbonization efforts of our process and the
introduction of more sustainable carbonaceous materials in
the market. Keeping this in mind, such a framework will
greatly help finance such projects.”

 

Yara Signs Offtake Deal with Acme, Scatec For Green Ammonia from Oman Facility

Muscat—
Yara has signed a term sheet for offtake from a new stateof-
the-art green ammonia facility being built by Acme
Group and Scatec in Oman.
In March 2022, Acme and Scatec signed an agreement
to form a joint venture to design, develop, build, own and
operate a large-scale green ammonia plant in the Duqm
Special Economic Zone.
The first phase of the facility is expected to produce
100,000 t/y of green ammonia with about 300 megawatts of
electrolyzer capacity and powered by 500 megawatts of
solar energy. Once fully complete, the plant is expected to
produce up to 1.2-million t/y of green ammonia. A schedule
for the project is under development.
Yara, Acme and Scatec have agreed that Yara will offtake
100,000 t/y of green ammonia in the first phase, with
a potential further offtake from the second phase.

 

NextChem Picked by Storengy to Take Part In French Project to Produce Biomethane

Paris—
NextChem, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont, has been
awarded a contract by Engie’s Storengy subsidiary to carry
out an advanced basic engineering study for a waste wood
and solid recovered fuel conversion plant to produce biomethane
in Le Havre, France.
The plant will produce 11,000 t/y of renewable and low
carbon natural gas (biomethane), subject to a final investment
decision targeted by the end of 2022, and approval of
permits. An expected completion date was not given.
Under the contract, NextChem will be responsible for
the engineering and cost estimating for the syngas purification,
methanation unit and methane upgrading of the
project, which will be the “first” in the world of its kind to
inject in the grid methane produced through pyrogasification
of waste wood.
Comessa will be responsible for the design and supply
of the chemical reactor. The technology to be used in the
plant has already been successfully applied to Engie’s
Gaya pilot plant near Lyon, France, which validated the
feasibility to produce biomethane.
NextChem and Storengy plan to establish a broader cooperation
agreement with the aim that NextChem would
act as strategic partner, co-developer and co-licensor of the
Gaya technology, currently patented and owned by Engie.

 

 

Inter Pipeline ‘Successfully’ Commissions New PP Plant at Heartland PC Complex

Calgary—
Inter Pipeline Ltd. said it has “successfully” commissioned
its new polypropylene (PP) facility, branded Heartland
Polymers, at its Heartland Petrochemical Complex in
Strathcona County, Alberta, Canada, and initial production
has begun (PCN, 9 Aug 2021, p 2).
The project, estimated to cost around $4.3-billion, is expected
to convert locally sourced, low-cost propane into
525,000 t/y of PP. The primary source of feedstock will be
an on-site propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit, where the
propane will be turned into polymer grade propylene
(PGP).
The PDH plant is expected to enter integrated service
with the PP facility in the third quarter of 2022, making it
the “first” integrated complex of its kind in North America,
the company stated.
“The PP plant has been producing pellets since late
June with polymer grade propylene from our storage cavern,”
noted Jim Madro, senior vice president, petrochemicals.
“The entire Heartland complex remains on schedule
for an integrated start-up in the third quarter of this year,
at which point Heartland will begin commercial production.”

 

Petrobras Finalizes Sale of Entire Stake In Deten Quimica to Cepsa Quimica

São Paulo—
Petrobras announced it has concluded the divestment of its
entire 27.88% stake in Deten Quimica to Cepsa Quimica
for R$514-million in cash (PCN, 10 Jan 2022, p 1).
Cepsa already holds a 69.94% indirect interest in Deten,
which is the only linear alkylbenzene (LAB) producer
in Brazil.
Deten has a production capacity of 230,000 t/y of LAB
and 120,000 t/y of LABSA (LAB sulfonate acid) at its
Camacari industrial complex in the state of Bahia in Brazil.
It also produces 10,000 t/y of heavy alkylate.

 

Advanced Polyolefins Secures Funding For PDH, PP & IPA Plants at Jubail

Jubail—
Advanced Polyolefins Industry Co. has signed several Islamic
facility agreements to finance construction of a new
propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit, polypropylene (PP)
plant and isopropanol (IPA) facility at Jubail Industrial
City II, Saudi Arabia (PCN, 14 Mar 2022, p 1).
The facility agreements, totaling SR 6.1-billion, will
help fund the 843,000-t/y PDH unit, 800,000-t/y PP plant
and 70,000 t/y IPA unit. Commercial operations are
planned to being in 2024.
Advanced Polyolefins is a joint venture of Advanced
Petrochemical Co.’s Advanced Global Investment Co. and
SK Gas Petrochemical, a subsidiary of SK Gas Co.
Samsung Engineering Co. and Samsung Saudi Arabia
are responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction
of the plants.

 

AGC Finalizes Integration, Reorganization Of Chlor-Alkali Subsidiaries in Thailand

Bangkok—
AGC has completed the previously announced integration
and reorganization of its three consolidated chlor-alkali
subsidiaries in Thailand, and formed a new company, AGC
Vinythai Public Co. Ltd. (AVT), to streamline and promote
its chlor-alkali business there (PCN, 9 May 2022, p 1).
The subsidiaries involved include Vinythai Public Co.
Ltd. (VNT), AGC Chemicals (Thailand) Co. (AGC-TH) and
AGC Chemicals Vietnam Co. (ACVN).
AGC implemented procedures to make ACVN a subsidiary
of AGC-TH. VNT and AGC-TH were then merged
to form AVT. AGC holds a 27.32% stake in the new company
and has the right to increase its stake to up to 30%.
AGC earlier said that following completion of the reorganization,
VNT would be delisted from the stock exchange
of Thailand. AGC would not tender its shares and would
remain a majority shareholder of VNT, which is owned
58.78% by AGC, 24.98% by GC and 16.24% by others.
Separately, GC announced it has acquired the entire
business of GC Glycol Co. and GC Styrenics Co., as part of
a business restructuring plan, and will further proceed
with dissolving the two subsidiaries.

 

CAP and OCBC NISP Sign Loan Facility To Help Grow Indonesian PC Industry

Jakarta—
Chandra Asri Petrochemical (CAP) and OCBC NISP, an
Indonesian banking and financial services company, have
partnered to complete a $100-million loan facility to facilitate
the growth of the Indonesian petrochemical industry.
The 10-year loan facility is also OCBC NISP’s commitment
in maintaining CAP’s position as the “largest” integrated
petrochemical producer in Indonesia, CAP noted.
“This strategic cooperation is a good start for both parties
in reducing Indonesia’s dependence on imports, develop
the local petrochemical industry, support the government’s
vision for Industry 4.0 and create a long term,
high-value career,” said CAP.

 

Wacker Commissions New Site in Panagarh To Boost Silicones Production Capacity

Kolkata—
Wacker said it has opened a new production site for silicone
rubber and ready-to-use silicone compounds in Panagarh,
India, expanding its capacity for silicones in the
country.
The site, for which capacity was not given, will be expanded
in the medium term for the production of silicone
fluids and silicone emulsions. The company is planning to
invest a mid-double-digit million euro amount in Panagarh
in the next few years, in order to serve the increasing demand
for silicones in India.
Wacker and its Indian joint venture, Wacker Metroark
Chemicals, have been operating a smaller production site
for silicones in Amtala near Kolkata since 1999.

 

Versalis and Forever Plast Ink New Deal For Plastics Recycling Facility in Italy

Rome—Eni’s
Versalis and Forever Plast, a recycler of post-consumer
plastics, have entered into an agreement for a new plastics
recycling plant at Versalis’ Porto Marghera industrial site
in Italy.
The agreement, part of a project aimed at transforming
the site, involves an exclusive license from Forever Plast to
build an advanced mechanical recycling unit for selected
post-consumer plastics from waste sorting, in particular
polystyrene and high-density polyethylene.
Scheduled to go on stream in 2024, the facility will have
a capacity of 50,000 t/y of pre-sorted waste for use in the
production of recycled polymer compounds.
“The license acquired from Forever Plast will expand
Versalis’ product portfolio from recycled raw materials and
will strengthen its leadership in Europe in the mechanical
recycling of polystyrene (PS) for high value-added applications,
including food packaging,” Versalis noted.
The new agreement also includes an extension of a contract
with Forever Plast, which will guarantee the volumes
required for the expansion of Versalis’ portfolio of recycled
products.
In 2020, the two companies signed an agreement to develop
and market a new range of solid PS products made
from recycled packaging (PCN, 10 Aug 2020, p 3).

 

Axens Starts Licensing TAC Process For Advanced Recycling of Plastic

Paris—Axens announced
it has begun licensing Plastic Energy’s TAC Process
for advanced plastic recycling and the process has now
been fully integrated into Axens’ technology portfolio
(PCN, 15 Nov 2021, p 2).
The TAC process is a “unique,” patented and industrially
proven advanced recycling technology, processing endof-
life mixed plastic waste into Tacoil, which can be used to
create virgin-quality plastics, Axens noted. Plastic Energy
and Axens are the exclusive licensors for the process.
Axens will provide its customers with associated services
that include basic engineering, supply of proprietary
equipment, and technical assistance for start-up and operation
of the plant. It may also deliver the licensed technology
as a complete modular unit.
Late last year, the two companies signed a strategic collaboration
agreement to increase recycling and decrease
plastic waste through the advanced recycling of plastics.

 

Perstorp Boosts 2-EHA Production Capacity With Expansion at Its Stenungsund Site

Malmö—
Perstorp has increased its production capacity for 2-
ethylhexanoic acid (2-EHA) through a debottlenecking of
two existing plants at its site in Stenungsund, Sweden
(PCN, 7 June 2021, p 3).
The project included modifying both its 2-EHAL plant
and its 2-EHA unit with new installations, as well as replacing
and modifying existing equipment, piping and instrumentation.
Capacity was not given.
“The expansion is really important to further strengthen
our position in the 2-EHA market,” said Betty Lu, vice
president, business Oxo and Plasticizers. “There is a
healthy demand from our customers and these extra volumes
are most welcome.”

 

Ineos Receives State Funding to Study Feasibility of Green Hydrogen in Koln

Koln—
Germany’s state government of North Rhine-Westphalia
will provide €770,000 in funding to Ineos to study the feasibility
of a new 100-megawatt water electrolysis plant for
the production of green hydrogen at Ineos’ Koln site in Germany
(PCN, 25 Oct 2021, p 4).
The proposed project would involve Ineos’ building and
operating the green hydrogen plant that would use only
renewable energy. The hydrogen would be used in the
ammonia production unit at the site and, potentially in the
future, for the production of methanol.
The facility, part of the company’s package of green hydrogen
projects across Europe announced last year, could
lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of over
100,000 t/y at the Koln site.
Support from the state will cover 25% of the eligible
costs for carrying out the feasibility study, which will investigate
how the green hydrogen production plant can be
efficiently implemented at the Verbund site.
Last October, Ineos announced plans to invest over €2-
billion, through its Inovyn business, into electrolysis projects
to make zero carbon, green hydrogen projects across
Europe.
The first plant, to be built in Rafnes, Norway, involves
a 20-megawatt water electrolysis plant. The company also
has plans to build facilities in Belgium, the UK and
France, over the next 10 years.

 

DIC, SAP Partner in Pilot Project to Utilize Blockchain Technology to Trace Plastics

Tokyo—DIC
Corp. said it has partnered with SAP SE for a pilot project
that will use blockchain technology in the construction of a
waste plastics traceability system to advance the recycling
of plastic resources.
The project will use the GreenToken by SAP system,
which uses blockchain technology to make the supply chain
transparent. The system tracks raw materials across the
entire supply chain, from the point of generation, to enhance
the visibility of production and inspection processes,
and of data pertaining to physical properties and quality.
The system helps customers understand how much recycled
material is actually contained in the recycled plastics
they are using.
Digital twin technology makes it possible to record information
including unique raw material attributes related
to origin, carbon footprint and source of collected polystyrene
containers, as well as sustainability certification data,
using tokens.
The issue of tokens, a crypt asset, provides the means
to track recycled materials even when they are mixed with
other raw materials and processed into new products, DIC
explained.

 

People on the Move

Polystyvert—Nathalie Morin has been named chief
executive to succeed Founder and Chief Growth Officer
Solenne Brouard. Morin had been chief technology officer
since last year.
Nexus Circular—Joseph Huff has joined the company
as director of operations. He was previously operations
director for global industrial liquids at Axalta.

 

GACL & NTPC-REL Agree to Collaborate In Green Chemicals, Renewable Energy

Vadodara—
Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd. (GACL) and NTPC
Renewable Energy Ltd. (NTPC-REL) have signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) to explore business opportunities
of mutual interest in the fields of green chemicals
and renewable energy.
Under the MoU, the parties will jointly work on synthesizing
green chemicals, such as methanol and ammonia, for
captive use by GACL using hydrogen and carbon dioxide
available at GACL.
The partners will also look into sourcing renewable
power–a mix of solar, wind and other clean energy–
including energy storage solutions to the extent of around
100 megawatts, as required for the operations and manufacturing
of GACL at its Vadodara and/or Dahej complex in
India, or any of its other complexes.

 

Domo and Hynamics Join Forces on Project To Produce Low-Carbon Hydrogen for HMD

Lyon—
Domo Chemicals and Hynamics have agreed to partner in
a joint project with the aim to achieve zero-carbon hydrogen
for the production of hexamethylene diamine (HMD) at
Domo’s Belle-Etoile industrial site in Saint-Fons, France.
The “HyDom” project will enable the installation of an
85-megawatt hydrogen production plant using the water
electrolysis process at the site. The hydrogen unit will
have a production capacity of 11,000 t/y of low-carbon hydrogen.
By 2027, it will supply 100% of the annual production
of HMD.
“This joint investment in a low-carbon hydrogen unit to
replace the existing natural gas-based production unit will
provide the first hydrogen infrastructure in the Lyon area,”
said Domo Chief Executive Yves Bonte.
“This strategic partnership will help us – and hopefully
an entire ecosystem in the Vallee de la Chimie – achieve
Domo’s ambitious goals for 2030, focused on decarbonization,
the use of renewable energy and delivering customer
solutions.”
The project will eventually prevent the emission of
84,000 t/y of carbon dioxide, Domo noted.

 

Wood Wins Owner’s Engineer Contract For Cameron LNG Expansion Project

Houston—
Cameron LNG has awarded an owner’s engineer contract
to Wood for the Cameron LNG expansion project in Cameron
Parish, La. (PCN, 27 June 2022, p 3).
The Phase 2 project will add a fourth liquefied natural
gas (LNG) train with a planned production capacity of
around 6.75-million t/y.
Wood’s contract will cover activities relating to the development
of the fourth train, and improved production
from the first three trains, which currently deliver 12-
million t/y of LNG export capacity.
“LNG has come into sharp focus as countries look to ensure
energy security, particularly with the disruption to
European energy supplies,” said John Day, senior vice
president of conventional energy, Americas, at Wood.
“The U.S. is positioned to become the largest LNG producer
in the world and projects such as this one will enable
the rapid and much-needed increase in the supply of
cleaner natural gas.”

 

Tecnimont, NextChem Win Contract to Build Low-Carbon Ammonia Unit in GCC Region

Riyadh—
Tecnimont SpA and NextChem, subsidiaries of Maire Tecnimont,
have been awarded an engineering, procurement
and construction (EPC) contract for a new low-carbon ammonia
Synloop facility to be built in the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) region.
The project involves a 1-million-t/y ammonia plant on
which a final investment decision is expected later this
year. Completion is anticipated by the second half of 2025.
Under the lump sum turnkey contract, valued at
around $300-million, the companies will be responsible for
engineering activities, supply of all materials and equipment,
as well as construction activities.
Tecnimont will begin engineering work immediately.
The procurement and construction works will be confirmed
when a final investment decision is made.
“This strategic project is extremely important since it
will provide a significant contribution to the energy transition
of the GCC region by reducing the carbon footprint of
the fertilizer value chain,” said Maire Tecnimont Group
Chief Executive Alessandro Bernini.

 

Shell Building Holland Hydrogen I Plant To Supply Energy and Chemicals Park

Rotterdam—
Shell Nederland BV and Shell Overseas Investments BV,
subsidiaries of Shell plc, said they have made a final investment
decision to build Europe’s “largest” renewable
hydrogen plant, Holland Hydrogen I, to supply Shell Energy
and Chemicals Park Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Plans include construction of a 200-megawatt electrolyzer
on the Tweede Maasvlakte in the port of Rotterdam
to produce up to 60,000 kilograms a day of renewable hydrogen.
Renewable power for the electrolyzer will come
from the Hollandse Kust (noord) offshore wind farm, which
is partly owned by Shell. Operations are planned to begin
in 2025.
The renewable hydrogen will be delivered to Shell Energy
and Chemicals Park Rotterdam via the HyTransPort
pipeline, where it will replace some of the grey hydrogen
currently being used in the refinery.

 

Covestro Begins Construction in Shanghai On PUDS & Elastomers Production Units

Shanghai—
Covestro has broken ground for two new production plants
within the Covestro Integrated Site Shanghai in China to
meet the rising demand for polyurethane dispersions
(PUDs) and elastomers (PCN, 8 Feb 2021, p 4).
The PUD plant, as well as a further line for polyester
resins, is due to be completed in 2024. Both facilities represent
a combined investment of a mid double-digit million
euro amount. Capacities were not given.
“These projects will contribute to the high-quality and
sustainable development in China and beyond,” said
Covestro China President Holly Lei.
“They will also add to the scale and strength of our
Shanghai site, which will be playing a key role in the quest
of Covestro to becoming operational climate neutral by
2035.”
In the past year, the Shanghai site obtained ISCC Plus
mass balance certification, which will allow it to supply
customers with larger product volumes from renewably
attributed raw materials.

 

Arkema Group to Increase Investments To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Paris—Arkema
announced it has set itself an ambitious target, based on a
Science Based Target approach, to cut its Scope 1 and
Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and its Scope 3
emissions by 46% by 2030, through the support of an increase
in investments contributing to decarbonization.
In line with its expectations of the Paris Agreement to
contain global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels
by the end of the century, the company aims to limit
Scope1 and Scope 2 emissions to 2-million tons of carbon
dioxide (CO2) equivalent in 2030, compared to the 3.7-
million tons emitted in 2019.
“As a responsible manufacturer, Arkema is strongly
mobilized to address the major societal challenge of decarbonization,”
said Luc Benoit-Cattin, executive vice president,
Industry and CSR.
“With this new ambitious climate plan, the group is
taking a new step forward in its action for the fight against
global warming. In particular, our cutting-edge expertise
and innovation benefit our partners and customers in their
own quest for sustainable performance, and we act on a
daily basis to limit our carbon footprint.”

 

Shell Selected by QatarEnergy to Partner In NFE LNG Expansion Project in Qatar

Doha—
QatarEnergy has chosen Shell to partner in the North
Field East (NFE) liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion
project in Qatar (PCN, 27 June 2022, p 2).
As part of the agreement, Shell will hold a 25% share in
a joint venture company, which will own 25% of the NFE
expansion project, the single “largest” project in the history
of LNG, Shell noted.
The project, anticipated to cost $28.75-billion, is expected
to increase Qatar’s LNG capacity to 110-million t/y
from 77-million t/y by 2026. The expansion will add four
new LNG trains with a total capacity of 32-million t/y. It
will also be integrated with carbon capture and sequestration
to reduce emissions.
Last month, ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy signed an
agreement to form a joint venture company that will own a
25% stake in the entire expansion project. QatarEnergy
will hold a 75% interest in the new company, with Exxonmobil
holding the remaining 25% interest.
“Shell’s investment in this LNG expansion will support
delivery of much needed supplies of natural gas to markets
around the world,” said Shell.

 

Ravago Gains Aurora & Venture Polymers, UK-Based Recyclers of Post-Use Plastics

London—
Ravago said it has acquired Aurora Manufacturing Ltd.
and Venture Polymers (UK) Ltd., both “market leaders” in
recycling post-consumer waste plastics in the UK.
Aurura and Venture have a current production capacity
of 20,000 t/y of high-quality PCR (post consumer recycled)-
based polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene
(HDPE) compounds at their production site in Leigh.
The acquisition will extend Ravago’s Ravapura product
portfolio and support customer demand for PCR PP and
HDPE compounds.
“Following two decades of work within the UK plastics
recycling industry, we are pleased to announce the acquisition
of our businesses into the Ravago group,” noted Alex
Cook at Aurura.
“As the recycling market continues to mature within
the UK, we are very much focused on expansion and realizing
full potential in the coming years. The investment and
support of Ravago will play a key part in this and will accelerate
our ability to adapt and meet the requirements of
the future market for recycled plastics.”

 

APLA Schedules 42nd Annual Meeting For 12-15 November 2022 in Cancun

Cancun—The
Latin American Petrochemical and Chemical Assn. (APLA)
will hold its 42nd Latin American Petrochemical Annual
Meeting from 12-15 Nov. 2022 at the Grand Fiesta Americana
Coral Beach in Cancun, Mexico.
The event, organized by APLA, will feature conferences,
panel discussions, networking activities and more.
For further information or to register online, visit
https://apla.lat.

Lummus Announces ‘Successful’ Start-Up Of Shandong Ruize’s Chinese PDH Unit

Beijing—
Lummus Technology said that a new propane dehydrogenation
(PDH) unit at Shandong Ruize Chemical Technology
Co.’s complex in Zibo City, Shandong Province, China,
has been commissioned and started up.
The 300,000-t/y PDH unit utilizes Lummus’ Catofin
PDH technology for the production of propylene.
Lummus was responsible for the technology license, basic
engineering design, and training and start-up services.
“Catofin has been selected for a majority of new PDH
awards recently because of its high reliability and performance,
which also lead to lower operating expenses and
higher profitability for Lummus’ customers,” noted Lummus
Technology President and Chief Executive Leon de
Bruyn.

 

Merinos Selects Uhde Inventa-Fischer To Build New Turkish Polymer Plants

Istanbul—
Uhde Inventa-Fischer, a subsidiary of Thyssenkrupp Industrial
Solutions, has been awarded a contract from Merinos
Hali Sanayi Ve Ticaret to build three “major” polymer
plants in Turkey.
The project, based on Uhde Inventa-Fischer’s patented
MTR (Melt-to-Resin) technology, will produce 330,000 t/y
of resin for the production of polyethylene terephthalate
bottles, as well as bright chips for textile applications.
Value of the contract and an expected completion date
were not given.
Scope of delivery for all plants includes basic and detail
engineering, delivery of all necessary components, technical
services regarding plant erection, as well as supervision
of erection and commissioning.
“The MTR process eliminates the SSP (solid-statepolycondensation)
and leads to substantial energy savings,”
Thyssenkrupp noted. “It reduces investment, operating
and maintenance costs, has a higher raw material
yield and results in products of superior quality.”

 

GC Inter BV Acquires Full Ownership Of Isocyanates Producer Vencorex

Rayong—PTTGC
International (Netherlands) BV (“GC Inter BV”), a subsidiary
of PTT Global Chemical Co., has purchased an additional
9.18% stake in isocyanates manufacturer Vencorex
Holding from Perstorp Holding, making GC Inter BV sole
owner of Vencorex.
Vencorex, with operations in Rayong, Thailand; Grenoble,
France, and Freeport, Texas, is a technology owner
and manufacturer of isocyanates, particularly in hexamethylene
diisocyanate (HDI) and HDI derivatives.
Prior to the share purchase, GC Inter BV held a 90.82%
stake in Vencorex. Value of the transaction was not disclosed.

 

Qingdao Jinneng New Material Opens New Catofin PDH Plant in Qingdao

Beijing—Lummus
Technology and its catalyst partner Clariant announced
the successful start-up and acceptance of Qingdao Jinneng
New Material Co.’s Catofin propane dehydrogenation
(PDH) unit in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China (PCN, 9
Apr 2018, p 1).
The new 900,000-t/y PDH unit, based on Lummus Technology’s
Catofin technology, is the “world’s largest”
operating Catofin PDH unit, Lummus noted.
“The successful start-up of the world’s largest PDH unit
demonstrates the continuous improvements of our Catofin
technology and Clariant’s catalyst performance,” said Leon
de Bruyn, president and chief executive of Lummus Technology.
“No other technology has such a strong track record of
reliability, productivity and performance, especially for
units at this scale, which is why it is the global leader in
propylene production.”

 

Linde Commissions Industrial Gases Units For JGSOC’s Naphtha Cracker Expansion

Manila—
Linde Philippines announced the recent start-up of its nitrogen
and hydrogen production units for JG Summit Olefins
Corp.’s (JGSOC) naphtha cracker expansion at
JGSOC’s manufacturing complex in Batangas City, Philippines
(PCN, 19 Feb 2018, p 2).
Linde invested more than $10-million in the new facilities,
which came on stream this past April. The plants will
supply nitrogen throughout the naphtha cracker complex,
and nitrogen and hydrogen will be supplied to JG Summit’s
polyethylene and polypropylene plants.
PCN earlier reported that JGSOC’s naphtha cracker is
being boosted to 474,000 t/y from 320,000 t/y, and ethylene
and propylene production were being expanded by 160,000
t/y and 50,000 t/y, respectively.

 

ExxonMobil, Shell and CNOOC Ink MoU For Potential CCS at Dayawan PC Park

Beijing—
ExxonMobil, Shell, CNOOC and the Guangdong Provincial
Development & Reform Commission have signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) to jointly study a possible
world-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at
the Dayawan Petrochemical Industrial Park in China.
The proposed project could capture up to 10-million t/y
of carbon dioxide, supporting China’s ambition of carbon
neutrality by 2060. It could also serve as a model for the
chemical industry as one of the first petrochemical projects
to be decarbonized, the companies noted.
The partners will also evaluate the carbon policy systems
in China and propose policies for consideration that
would support the deployment of CCS in the Dayawan Petrochemical
Industrial Park.

 

PRL Awards FEED Contract to Wood For Refinery Expansion & Upgrade

Karachi—Wood
has won a multimillion-dollar front-end engineering design
(FEED) contract from Pakistan Refinery Ltd. (PRL) for a
planned Refinery Expansion and Upgrade Project (REUP)
in Karachi, Pakistan.
The project, estimated to cost over $1-billion, will involve
adding propylene production as a petrochemical feedstock,
and aims to increase crude processing capacity to
100,000 b/d by adding a 50,000-b/d crude unit and associated
processing facility to its existing refinery.
Wood completed the pre-FEED work last year. The
FEED portion of the project is expected to be completed in
August 2023.
“The REUP . . . plays an important role in Pakistan’s
energy landscape and is a significant addition to Wood’s
Process & Chemicals portfolio,” said Giuseppe Zuccaro,
president of Process & Chemicals at Wood.
“We are committed to delivering a world-class FEED,
and ready to support PRL in the subsequent phases of this
strategic investment.”

 

Ineos Opens Chocolate Bayou PAO Unit; Plans to Expand PAO Plant in LaPorte

Houston—
Ineos Oligomers said it has started up the “world’s largest”
single train, low-viscosity polyalphaolefin (LV PAO) plant
at Chocolate Bayou, Texas (PCN, 18-25 Dec 2017, p 1).
The new 120,000-t/y LV PAO unit, originally expected
to start up in 2019, is fully integrated into the company’s
production of linear alpha olefin (LAO). Its feedstocks are
also supplied from the adjacent LAO plant that started up
in 2020 and from its LAO unit in Joffre, Canada.
Separately, Ineos announced a phased 50% expansion
of its high-viscosity (HV) PAO plant in LaPorte, Texas,
which is expected to be fully effective by mid-2025.
The HV PAO unit, based on metallocene HV PAO technology,
was initially built with a nameplate capacity of
20,000 t/y. It was engineered to allow efficient expansion
to support anticipated sales growth. Last year, it was expanded
for the first time to reach a capacity of 25,000 t/y
and will expand again to nearly 40,000 t/y.

 

World’s ‘Largest’ Ethane Carrier Joins Ineos’ Expanding Fleet of Carriers

Houston—Ineos
announced that the “world’s largest” ethane carrier, built
in Jiangnan, China, has joined its growing carrier fleet.
The 99,000-cu m very large ethane carrier (VLEC),
named Pacific Ineos Belstaff, is fitted with type B tanks, a
brand new design for transporting ethane. Made of around
18,000 tons of steel, Pacific Ineos Belstaff is 230 meters
long, the length of about 8 basketball courts, Ineos noted.
The new ship, primarily built to transport U.S. ethane
to both China and Europe, has the potential to also carry
products such as ethylene and liquefied petroleum gas.
“As always at Ineos we have innovated and invested in
the future, so I am delighted that we now operate the
world’s largest VLEC and I look forward to this vessel
transporting vital feedstocks for years to come,” said Ineos
Trading & Shipping Chief Executive David Thompson.
Pacific Ineos Belstaff expands the Ineos ethane fleet to
11 vessels consisting of three VLECs and eight ‘dragon’
ships. A fourth VLEC is set to launch this spring.

 

Enterprise Products Responds to Reports Regarding Proposed Ethylene Cracker

Houston—
Enterprise Products Operating (Enterprise), in clarifying
media reports regarding a planned ethylene cracker, said,
while it has been working to develop and commercially underwrite
an ethane to ethylene facility for a number of
years, the company has neither approved nor sanctioned
the construction of such a facility.
Enterprise, a subsidiary of Enterprise Products Partners,
recently filed applications for tax abatements for six
proposed projects, including an ethane to ethylene cracker
that could be located in one of at least three jurisdictions.
“None of the six projects and their locations have been
finalized, approved or sanctioned at this time,” Enterprise
noted.

 

Sadara Touts EO/PO Pipelines Project ‘Fully Operational’ at PlasChem Park

Jubail—Sadara
Chemical Co. recently announced that its ethylene oxide
(EO) and propylene oxide (PO) pipeline transportation system
is now “fully operational” and supplying feedstock
from its Jubail chemical complex to the adjacent PlasChem
Park in Saudi Arabia (PCN, 6 Sept 2021, p 1).
The EO/PO pipeline transportation system is the “first
of its kind” in the Middle East and North Africa region,
said Sadara.
“This is a major step in the development of PlasChem
Park, which provides business tenants with an easy access
to one of our distinguished feedstocks,” stated Sadara
Chief Executive Dr. Faisal M. Al-Faqeer.
Located in Jubail Industrial City II, PlasChem Park
was developed by the Royal Commission for Jubail and
Yanbu, and is dedicated to downstream chemical and conversion
industries in Saudi Arabia. It is positioned to enable
and support many Sadara-based downstream opportunities
in many market segments, Sadara noted.

 

People on the Move

AkzoNobel—Gregoire Poux-Guillaume has been
named chief executive, effective 1 Nov. 2022, to succeed
Thierry Vanlancker, whose term is coming to an end. Gregoire
is currently chairman of the board of Medmix and
was previously chief executive of Sulzer.
Roger Jakeman has become chief technology officer to
replace Klaas Kruithof, who has retired. Jakeman will also
continue to head up the Product Management Center of
Excellence.
Worley—Scott Hildebrand has joined Worley as senior
director of business development – chemicals and energy
transition. He had been responsible for petrochemical
business development at Inter Pipeline.
Nexus Circular—Steve Adams, previously senior director
of manufacturing at Rockwater Energy Solutions,
has become director of engineering at Nexus Circular.
Neste—Chris Cooper, vice president for Americas for
Neste Renewable Aviation, has been appointed president of
Neste US as of 1 July 2022.
Arkema—Emmanuelle Bromet has been named sustainable
development vice president, effective 28 July
2022. Since 2021, she has been industrial director,
Europe, for the coating solutions business segment.

 

IVL Inks License Agreement with Binhua For PO, TBA, MTBE Co-Production Unit

Beijing—
Indorama Ventures (IVL) has entered into a license
agreement with Shandong Binhua New Material Co. (Binhua),
to build, own and operate a propylene oxide (PO), tbutanol
(TBA) and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) coproduction
unit in Shandong, China.
The plant, which will feature the “world’s only” MTBE
‘single-step’ reaction technology, is part of a larger complex
comprising propane dehydrogenation to propylene, butane
isomerization, synthetic ammonia and other installations.
Once complete, the project will be capable of producing
600,000 t/y of propylene, 800,000 t/y of butane isomerization,
150,000 t/y of synthetic ammonia, 240,000 t/y of PO
and 742,000 t/y of MTBE. An expected completion date
was not given.
Under the contract, IVL will supply the design package,
technology, operational know-how and training for the construction
and operation of the PO co-production with
MTBE and TBA units.
“With the lowest operational cost of all other propylene
oxide technologies and close to 50 consecutive years of successful
and safe operation, the license with IVL was selected
because of its superiority, unique features and competitiveness,”
said Liu Hongan, vice president of Befar
Group and general manager of Binhua.

 

BASF Expanding Production Capacity For Key Specialty Amines at Geismar

Geismar—
BASF said it will increase production capacity for key specialty
amines, including polyetheramines and tertiary
amines, at its site in Geismar, La.
Following completion of a capacity expansion of a flexible
world-scale production asset by mid-2023, the company
will be able to produce more of its key polyetheramines and
tertiary amines marketed under the Baxxodur and Lupragen
brands, respectively. No other details were given.
“This investment underlines our commitment to continuously
support the growth of our customers with highquality
specialty amines,” noted Kevin Anderson, vice
president, business management amines, acetylenics and
carbonyl derivatives, chemical intermediates, North America
for BASF.

 

Trinseo & GMP Intend to Collaborate On PS Recycling Facility in Europe

Amsterdam—
Trinseo and GMP Group plan to cooperate on a project to
establish a polystyrene (PS) waste recycling plant in the
Netherlands.
The collaboration aims at providing a frame work for
cooperation, on an exclusive basis, on the construction and
operation by GMP of an advanced pretreatment or regeneration
unit with a minimum 25,000 t/y of capacity. The
partners also plan to execute a long-term tolling and offtaking
agreement.
The new plant will purify PS waste and deliver highquality
recycled PS pellets via the Super Clean recycling
process. Start-up is expected in 2024.
Trinseo and GMP also plan to conduct research into
other supply and processing opportunities, utilizing their
combined technology expertise to help develop more sustainable
solutions.

 

Neste Confirms Final Investment Decision For Renewable Products Refinery Boost

Rotterdam—
Neste, in response to growing demand for renewable products,
has made a final investment decision to go ahead
with plans to expand production capacity at its world-scale
renewable products refinery in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
(PCN, 31 May 2021, p 3).
The project, expected to require an investment of €1.9-
billion, will expand Neste’s overall renewable product capacity
by 1.3-million t/y to a total capacity of 2.7-million t/y
at Rotterdam. Start-up is planned during the first half of
2026.
“The investment in the expansion of our Rotterdam refinery
strengthens our global leading position in renewable
products,” said Neste President and Chief Executive Matti
Lehmus.
“It also marks an important step in ensuring our future
competitiveness and our renewables’ growth strategy execution,
as it will bring a substantial amount of renewable
diesel, SAF [sustainable aviation fuel] and renewable feedstock
for polymers and chemicals to our sustainabilityfocused
customers.
“This investment will further strengthen our competitive
advantages, which are based on the global optimization
of our production and waste and residue raw material
usage. With our proprietary NEXBTL technology, high
quality renewable products can be refined flexibly from a
wide variety of lower quality waste and residues.
“The new production line – together with our Singapore
expansion – will be best in class in terms of energy efficiency
and raw material flexibility.”
In 2018, the company announced plans to increase renewable
products capacity in Singapore by up to 1.3-
million t/y, with start-up expected in the first half of 2022
(PCN, 25 Oct 2021, p 3).

 

LyondellBasell Signs First U.S. PPAs To Cut Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Houston—Lyondell-
Basell said it has entered into its first two U.S. power purchase
agreements (PPAs), which will enable to company to
reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by around 225,000 t/y.
The combined agreements, representing 216 megawatts
of renewable energy, support the company’s climate goal to
procure a minimum of 50% of electricity from renewable
sources by 2030.
The first 12-year PPA is with Engie North America for
100 megawatts of renewable electricity sourced from Engie’s
new Limestone wind project in Navarro and Limestone
counties in Texas. The Limestone project is expected
to begin operations late this year.
LyondellBasell also signed a 10-year PPA with Buckeye
Partners for 116 megawatts of renewable electricity
sources from its Files solar project in Hill County outside
of Dallas, Texas. The solar farm is planned to commence
operations in the second quarter of next year.

 

Balmoral Finalizes Trecora Acquisition

Los Angeles—
Balmoral Funds has completed the acquisition of Trecora
Resources at a total transaction value of $247-million
(PCN, 27 June 2022, p 1).
With the completion of the transaction, Trecora’s stock
will cease trading on the New York Stock Exchange and
Trecora will no longer be listed on any public marke

 

SDK, Microwave Chemical to Jointly Develop Microwave-Based Chem Recycling Process

Tokyo—
Showa Denko (SDK) and Microwave Chemical Co. have
begun the joint development of a new microwave-based
chemical recycling technology to directly transform used
plastic into basic chemical feedstocks.
The technology, expected to be commercialized “soon,”
will decompose used plastic containers and packaging by
irradiating microwave, which would produce chemical
feedstocks, such as ethylene and propylene, SDK noted.
Compared with other heating methods, microwave
heating heats only the object. The planned process would
use microwave absorber to give energy to used plastic in a
focused way, enabling efficient decomposition of the used
plastic into chemical feedstocks.
The process is expected to have low energy consumption
and be highly efficient, said SDK.
“By the end of this year, the two companies will study
conditions for formation of product through microwave
heating, search for catalysts to improve the yield of targeted
components, and try to optimize conditions and processes
for decomposition to establish basic technology,” said
SDK.

 

Neste Gets European Rights to Alterra’s Thermochem Liquefaction Technology

Akron—Neste,
which holds a minority stake in Alterra Energy, has purchased
the European rights to Alterra’s thermochemical
liquefaction technology to advance chemical recycling.
Alterra has developed the proprietary thermochemical
solution for liquefaction of hard-to-recycle plastic, and is
operating an industrial scale facility that transforms endof-
life plastics into an intermediate product that can be
further refined into raw material for new plastics and
other petrochemical products.
Neste has processed liquefied waste plastic sourced
from, among others, Alterra in a series of trial runs at its
Porvoo refinery in Finland. To scale up processing capacities
for the liquefied waste plastic at its Porvoo refinery,
Neste is currently conducting a feasibility study to examine
investing in proprietary pretreatment and upgrading
capabilities.
In addition, Neste previously announced plans to set up
a joint venture with Ravago to deploy the Alterra technology
in Vlissingen, the Netherlands (PCN, 22-29 Nov 2021,
p 2).

 

Azelis Reaches Agreement to Buy All Shares of Chemical Partners

Antwerp—Azelis has
entered into an agreement to purchase 100% of the shares
of Chemical Partners and Chempart Polymers’ entities in
Lebanon and Belgium.
Chemical Partners is “one of the leading” distributors of
specialty chemicals in Africa and the Middle East, with a
“strong foothold” in the industrial chemicals market, particularly
in CASE (coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers)
and R&PA (rubber and plastic additives), Azelis
noted.
“We are all very happy to be having Chemical Partners
joining Azelis, and to welcome their team, principals and
customers,” said Azelis MEA (Middle East and Africa)
Managing Director Chris Sacy.
“Chemical Partners has a strong reputation and benefits
from longstanding relationships in the region. They
are the ‘go to’ distributor in segments such as CASE and
plastic additives, and therefore a great fit with the existing
LVC [lateral value chain] of Azelis.”

 

Air Products, Gunvor Agree to Cooperate On Green Hydrogen Import Terminal

Rotterdam—Air
Products has signed a joint development agreement with
Gunvor Petroleum Rotterdam, a wholly owned subsidiary
of Gunvor Group, to partner on a green hydrogen import
terminal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Gunvor’s site in Europoort Rotterdam is one of several
European sites being considered by Air Products for the
import terminal, as it offers strategic access for receiving
green ammonia from large-scale green hydrogen production
locations operated by Air Products and its partners
from projects around the world, Air Products noted.
The green ammonia will be converted to hydrogen and
distributed to markets within Europe, including the Netherlands,
Germany and Belgium. Subject to a final investment
decision, among other things, the terminal is expected
to begin providing green hydrogen to the Netherlands
in 2026.

 

Lummus Digital, LACC to Develop Remote Monitoring for Louisiana Ethane Cracker

Houston—
Lummus Digital has entered into an agreement with
LACC, a subsidiary of Lotte Chemical USA, to focus on
developing a remote performance monitoring solution for
LACC’s 1-million-t/y ethane cracker unit in Lake Charles,
La. (PCN, 19-26 July 2021, p 2).
“We are proud to have built such a partnership with
LACC that serves as the cornerstone of their digital transformation
journey,” noted Debdas Sen and Ujjal Mukherjee,
joint managing directors at Lummus Digital.
“We will monitor and improve the plant performance
using KPIs [key performance indicators] and an intelligent
digital view of the plant to detect the problems, identify the
underlying causes and then recommend suitable actions.
“The remote performance monitoring will include realtime
data from Historian, LIMS, ERP and will be ingested
in our AI [artificial intelligence] platform, tcg mcube.”