Tammi Weir

Sinochem Quanzhou Successfully Starts Up New Ethylene Plant in Fujian Province

Beijing—KBR
announced that Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical Co.
has successfully commissioned a new ethylene facility in
Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China, utilizing KBR’s
SCORE (Selective Cracking Optimum Recovery) technology
(PCN, 21 Sept 2020, p 3).
The 1-million-t/y ethylene plant is part of Sinochem’s
grassroots integrated refining and petrochemical complex,
which also includes a 400,000-t/y high-density polyethylene
facility, which recently achieved on-spec production, as
well as an 800,000-t/y paraxylene plant, a 350,000-t/y
polypropylene unit and an aromatics extraction unit with
300,000 t/y of capacity.
Sinochem is also expanding its existing refining capacity
by 60,000 b/d to 300,000 b/d.
In addition to SCORE technology, KBR also supplied
key proprietary components of the SCORE SC-1 furnaces,
which deliver high product yields, KBR noted.

 

Lummus and CLG Win Multiple Awards For PRPP’s Refinery & PC Complex

Tuban—
Pertamina Rosneft Pengolahan dan Petrokimia (PRPP) has
awarded multiple technology contracts to Lummus Technology
and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) for a grassroots
refinery and petrochemical complex at PRPP’s site in
Tuban, Indonesia (PCN, 16 Nov 2020, p 1).
Earlier this year, Rosneft said the project would include
a refining capacity of up to 15-million t/y, over 1-million t/y
of ethylene and 1.3-million t/y of aromatics, and was expected
to be commissioned in 2024.
Lummus will provide the license and basic engineering
for the following: ethylene technology, including pyrolysis
gas hydrogenation, C4 total hydrogenation and BASF
SELOP selective hydrogenation technology; ethylbenzene/
styrene technology; and CDMtbe technology.
As part of the award, Lummus will also offer its Short
Residence Time heaters at a later stage in the project.
CLG will provide the license and basic engineering for
its residue desulfurization technology, and will later be
providing ISOMIX-e proprietary reactor internals to optimize
its state-of-the-art catalyst system for higher yields
and longer run lengths.
Last month, PRPP awarded a contract to W.R. Grace &
Co. to supply its Unipol polypropylene (PP) process technology
for a new PP facility, as part of the project.
The plant will include two lines, each with a production
capacity of 580,000 t/y of PP.

 

Formosa Plastics U.S.A Begins Operation Of New LDPE Unit at Point Comfort Site

Austin—
Formosa Plastics Corp. U.S.A. announces the start-up of a
new low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plant at its facility
in Point Comfort, Texas (PCN, 27 Jan 2020, p 1).
The 400,000-t/y LDPE plant, based on technology from
ExxonMobil Catalysts and Licensing, joins a 400,000-t/y
high-density PE unit and a 400,000-t/y linear LDPE facility,
which are already in operation.
“The LDPE unit significantly expands the portfolio of
products we provide to our customers,” said Formosa Executive
Vice President Ken Mounger.
“The range and versatility of our product line is extensive.
We’re looking forward to continuing to supply highquality
resins and enhancing the value we provide to consumers
through our newest line of LDPE products.”

 

Sinopec Approves Project to Invest In New Ethylene Facility in Tianjin

Beijing—Sinopec
announced it has received board of directors’ approval to
invest in the construction of a new 1.2-million-t/y ethylene
cracker in Tianjin, China.
The ethylene and downstream high-end new materials
industrial cluster project will require an investment of
around 28.8-billion yuan. Implementation of the project is
subject to approval by relevant administrative departments,
Sinopec noted. No other details were available.

 

Mitsubishi Chem Decides on Location Of Proposed Gulf Coast MMA Plant

Geismar—
Mitsubishi Chemical said it has acquired a greenfield
property at an integrated site in Geismar, La., for its
planned 350,000-t/y methyl methacrylate (MMA) facility
(PCN, 30 Mar 2020, p 2).
The project, to be based on Lucite’s ethylene-based Alpha
technology, is currently in the early engineering stage
and a final investment decision is expected in early 2022.
If approved, the plant would begin production in 2025.
The Geismar site has readily available major raw materials,
logistics infrastructure, integrated services, and
skilled workforce, the company noted.
“We are pleased to announce that we have acquired this
property and are continuing with our study to build and
operate . . . [the] plant in the United States, taking advantage
of the favorable feedstock position,” said Hitoshi Sasaki,
chief operating officer of Mitsubishi Chemical’s global
MMA business.
“The addition of this asset, which will be fully owned
and operated by Mitsubishi Chemical, strengthens our
global leadership in the MMA merchant market and demonstrates
our commitment to continue providing reliable
and competitive supply to our customers in the U.S. and in
all the regions of the world.”
Lucite was selected earlier this year to design and build
the MMA unit.

 

Advanced Polyolefins Gets Loan Approval To Build New PDH, PP Project in Jubail

Jubail—
Advanced Polyolefins Co. (APOC) has obtained approval
from Saudi Industrial Development Fund for a SR 3-billion
loan to finance construction of a planned propane dehydrogenation
(PDH) and polypropylene (PP) complex in Jubail,
Saudi Arabia (PCN, 12 Oct 2020, p 4).
The project will include an 843,000-t/y PDH unit, based
on Lummus Technology’s Catofin technology, and two
400,000-t/y PP plants, which will use Spheripol and Spherizone
technologies licensed by Basell Poliolefine. Construction
is expected to begin next year, with commercial operation
planned to start by the second half of 2024.
APOC is a joint venture of Advanced Petrochemical
Co.’s Advanced Global Investment Co. and SK Gas Petrochemical,
a subsidiary of SK Gas Co.
In October 2020, the companies said they have decided
to include a 700,000-t/y isopropanol unit in the project.

 

Belneftekhim Investing in Development Of Belarusian Petrochemical Industry

Minsk—
Belarusian state petrochemical concern Belneftekhim
plans to spend around $8.8-billion until 2030 to develop
the petrochemical industry in Belarus, reported a local
news report citing Vladimir Sizov, deputy chairman of the
board of Belneftekhim.
“As for the development of the industry, we see the
main efforts will be focused on transition to a higher oil
conversion ratio,” Sizov noted. “Naftan will be the key enterprise
in these efforts. The oil refinery will gradually
shift its profile from fuel to petrochemical products.”
Investments will be made in a new ethylene and propylene
facility at Naftan, which is expected to be commissioned
in 2026.
The plant will allow for new facilities to manufacture
high-added-value products, such as acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene and polycarbonate.

 

Ineos Styrolution and Indaver Plan Project To Produce ABS from Recycled Feedstock

Berlin—
Ineos Styrolution and Indaver, a “leader” in sustainable
waste management, announced plans to become technology
partners in a project that will demonstrate the production
of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) based on recycled
feedstock.
The four-year project, called “LIFE ABSolutely Circular,”
is funded by the EU LIFE program, the European Union’s
funding instrument for the environment and resource
efficiency, and aims to demonstrate the environmental and
economic benefits of using advanced recycling technologies
to close the loop of plastic recycling.
The initial focus of the project will be to demonstrate
the first time production of ABS based on recycled feedstock,
with plans to demonstrate scaling of the solution
from lab scale to demo plant and ultimately to commercialization.
“We are excited about this project, as we believe there is
intrinsic value in plastics products after usage,” said Dr.
Alexander Gluck, president of EMEA [Europe, Middle East
and Africa] at Ineos Styrolution. “We share the vision with
Indaver to turn plastic waste into valuable resources instead
of letting it end up in landfills.”

 

Mitsubishi Chemical Planning to Integrate Subsidiaries in the U.S., UK and Germany

Tokyo—
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. said it will integrate subsidiaries
at the national level in three countries: the U.S., UK
and Germany, effective 1 Apr. 2021.
“By sharing and integrating expertise and resources,
this integration will enhance cooperation and further
strengthen overall business capabilities in each of these
three countries,” the company noted.
In the U.S., Mitsubishi will combine Mitsubishi Chemical
America, Lucite International, Mitsubishi Chemical
Performance Polymers, Dianal America, Mitsubishi
Chemical Imaging, Cleanpart USA, Mitsubishi Polyester
Film, Mitsubishi Chemical Composites America and MC
Ionic Solutions US into a new integrated company, which
will be named Mitsubishi Chemical America.
Mitsubishi Chemical UK, Lucite International Trading,
Lucite International Specialty Polymers & Resins, Nippon
Gohsei and MC Ionic Solutions UK, all in the UK, will be
integrated into a new company, Mitsubishi Chemical UK.
Finally, In Germany, Mitsubishi Chemical Carbon Fiber
and Composites, Mitsubishi Chemical Europe, Cleanpart
Group, Cleanpart and MCPP Europe will be integrated
into a new company named Mitsubishi Chemical
Europe.

 

People on the Move

Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co.—Othman
Ali Al-Ghamdi has been appointed chief executive and a
member of the board of directors, effective 1 Jan. 2021. Al-
Ghamdi, currently chief executive of Saudi Aramco Mobile
Refinery, will succeed Nasser Damascus Al-Mahasher, who
is retiring.
Clariant—Conrad Keijzer will become chief executive
on 1 Jan. 2021, replacing Executive Chairman ad interim
Hariolf Kottman, who will return to his position as chairman
of the board. Keijzer was most recently chief executive
of AkzoNobel’s Performance Coatings Division and a
member of AkzoNobel’s executive committee.
Total Corbion PLA—Thomas Philipon, previously
with DuPont, recently joined Total Corbion PLA as chief
executive. He succeeded Stephane Dion, who became managing
director of Total Lubricants China Co.
Uralchem JSC—Alexander Prygunkov, most recently
first vice president and chief operating officer of PIK Group
of Companies, has become chief executive of Uralchem.
Wacker Chemie—Christian Hartel has been appointed
chief executive to succeed Rudolf Staudigl, who
will retire at the end of the next annual shareholders’
meeting, scheduled for 12 May 2021. Hartel is currently
an executive board member.
SK Capital Partners—Randy Dearth will join the
company as senior director in January 2021. He was most
recently president and chief executive of GCP Applied
Technologies.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines—Takeshi Hashimoto, currently
representative director, executive vice president and an
executive officer, will become president and chief executive,
as well as a representative director, effective 1 Apr. 2021.
He will succeed Junichiro Ikeda, who has been appointed
representative director, chairman and executive officer.

 

Celanese & Mitsubishi Gas Sign MoU To Restructure KEP Joint Venture

Seoul—Celanese
and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) have signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) confirming their intent to
restructure their Korea Engineering Plastics (KEP) polyoxymethylene
(POM) joint venture in Seoul, Korea.
Under the terms of the MoU, KEP would focus on
manufacturing, developing, producing and supplying highquality
products to its shareholders, who would then independently
market the products globally, without restrictions,
the partners explained. In addition, they have committed
to increasing KEP’s production capacity.
The MoU aims to modernize the original scope of the
joint venture, which was formed in 1987 to manufacture
and market POM in Asia, with a particular focus on serving
domestic demand in Korea.
The restructuring is expected to be completed before the
end of next year, subject to customary closing conditions
and necessary regulatory approvals.
KEP is owned 50% by Celanese, 40% by MGC and 10%
by Mitsubishi Corp.

 

Nova Chemicals, Revolution Ink Agreement For Nova to Sell Recycled LDPE, LLDPE

Calgary—
Nova Chemicals and Revolution have entered into an agreement
for Nova to sell recycled low- and linear lowdensity
polyethylene (r(L)LDPE) produced by Revolution.
“The agreement marks Revolution’s exclusive partnership
with a resin manufacturer and builds Nova Chemicals’
portfolio of post-consumer resin offerings for its customers,”
Nova noted. Nova will begin to provide these resins
in January 2021.

 

Commission Clears Planned Purchase Of Venator Materials by SK Capital

Brussels—The
European Commission, under European Union Merger
Regulation, has approved the acquisition of Venator Materials
by SK Capital (PCN, 7 Sept 2020, p 4).
This past August, Huntsman Corp. said it had signed a
definitive agreement with funds advised by SK Capital
Partners to sell 42.5-million shares in its pigments and
additives business, Venator, for around $100-million.
The agreement included a 30-month option for the sale
of the remaining approximate 9.5-million shares that
Huntsman holds in Venator at $2.15 per share. The transaction
is expected to close “near year-end.”

 

Huntsman Enters Deal to Acquire Gabriel Performance Products

The Woodlands—
Huntsman has agreed to purchase specialty chemical
manufacturer Gabriel Performance Products from funds
owned by Audax Private Equity for $250-million.
Based in the U.S., Gabriel produces specialty additives
and epoxy curing agents for the coatings, adhesives, sealants
and composite end-markets. It has three manufacturing
facilities located in Ashtabula, Ohio; Harrison City,
Penn; and Rock Hill, S. Carolina.
Subject to regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected
to close in the first quarter of next year.

 

L&T Technology Selected by ‘O&G Major’ As Primary Engineering Partner in U.S.

Bangalore—
L&T Technology Services (LTTS) said it has been chosen
by a global “O&G major” to be the primary engineering
partner for two integrated refining and chemical manufacturing
facilities in the U.S.
Under the five year agreement, with a potential value
of over $100-million, LTTS will provide multi-discipline
plant engineering activities, including site sustenance, discipline
engineering and control automation support for
both plants.
“LTTS will leverage its in-house digital engineering
tools and new age technology and solutions to optimize project
execution and drive efficiency improvements for the
customer,” LTTS noted.
“The two sites covered under LTTS’ scope are integrated
refining, chemical and polymer complexes and are
currently among the top 10 biggest downstream sites in the
U.S.”

 

Agilyx and A.Eon Enter MoU to Evaluate Building Waste Plastics-to-Energy Unit

Melbourne—
Agilyx and A.Eon, developer of sustainable energy solutions,
have initiated a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) to evaluate the construction of a commercial-scale
waste plastics-to-energy facility in Melbourne, Australia.
The planned 50-t/d facility would use Agilyx’s proprietary
advanced plastics recycling technology to convert
mixed waste plastics to Agilyx Synthetic Crude Oil
(ASCO).
The output ASCO would be used by A.Eon to generate
electricity for the Victorian state government’s redeveloped
Footscray hospital, local industry, as well as to supply peak
energy demand.
With the project, up to 20,000 t/y of plastic waste will be
diverted from landfills and converted into more than
60,000 mw/hr of electricity.
The MoU includes an option for additional commercialscale
facilities to be developed in Australia by A.Eon.

 

Recycling Partnership Awards Grants To Improve PP Recycling in the U.S.

Richmond—The
Recycling Partnership has awarded nearly $2-million in
catalytic grants to advance polypropylene (PP) recycling in
the U.S. through its Polypropylene Recycling Coalition.
In the initial round of funding, the partnership’s PP Recycling
Coalition is providing four grants to materials recovery
facilities across the U.S. that will improve and increase
sortation of PP and support targeted consumer education
efforts.
The coalition’s investments will increase total nationwide
acceptance of PP in curbside recycling programs by
about 1.7% to an additional 4-million people, resulting in
the recovery of a larger supply of PP that could be made
into new products, such as consumer packaging and automotive
parts, the partnership explained.
After a “strong” response to its original request for proposals,
the coalition is continuing to accept grant applications
to further its efforts to improve PP curbside recycling,
the partnership noted. The next round of proposals is due
by 31 Mar. 2021.
Grants are awarded to candidates that are not currently
recycling PP.

 

LyondellBasell, Suez Announce Purchase Of Belgian Plastics Recycler TIVACO

Brussels—
LyondellBasell and Suez jointly announced the acquisition
of TIVACO, a plastics recycling company is Blandain, Belgium.
TIVACO has five production lines capable of processing
about 22,000 t/y of recycled plastic. It will become part of
Quality Circular Polymers (QCP), the existing 50-50 plastics
recycling joint venture of LyondellBasell and Suez.
With the transaction, for which a value was not given,
QCP will increase its production capacity for recycled materials
to approximately 55,000 t/y.
“We are thrilled to take a step forward with our longterm
partner LyondellBasell,” noted Suez Group Chief Operating
Officer Jean-Marc Boursier.
“With the new acquisition, we will together speed up
the use of quality circular polymers in Europe and support
industrial manufacturers’ efforts to reach their environmental
targets.”

 

Skovgaard Invest, Vesta & Topsoe to Develop Commercial-Scale Green Ammonia Plant

Egtved—
Haldor Topsoe announced that Skovgaard Invest, Vestas
and Topsoe, are jointly investing in the construction of the
“world’s first” commercial-scale green ammonia facility in
Western Jutland, Denmark.
The plant will produce over 5,000 t/y of green ammonia
from renewable power, preventing 8,200 t/y of carbon dioxide
from being emitted into the atmosphere. Production
could start as soon as 2022.
“The cost of green ammonia is currently significantly
higher that that of comparable ammonia from fossil fuel,”
Topsoe noted. “To improve the business case and increase
the attractiveness of green ammonia as a substitute for
fossil fuels, Haldor Topsoe and Vestas are developing a
dynamic, scalable and cost-optimized solution.
“Haldor Topsoe will design the plant’s fully dynamic
ammonia technology to secure optimal production and
adapt to the inherent fluctuations in power output from
wind turbines and solar panels.”
The plant will interface to a green hydrogen solution
developed by Vestas, integrating electrolysis with wind and
solar in one smart control system. Also, the renewable energy
generation will be connected directly to the national
grid, so surplus power can be sold to the grid.
The partnership has applied for public co-funding for
the project.

 

Braskem America & Encina Partner To Produce Circular, Recycled PP

Philadelphia—
Braskem America and Encina Development Group announced
their intention to develop a long-term relationship
enabling the production of circular, recycled polypropylene
(PP).
Encina is planning to begin construction on a new facility
in the second half of 2021 that will process 175,000 t/y
of plastic waste, converting it into more than 90,000 t/y of
recycled chemicals. The plant, based on Encina’s technology,
will be designed to able to process 350,000 t/y of plastic
waste in the future.
As part of the collaboration, Braskem will work with
Encina to develop the necessary logistics, product quality
and certifications for a recycled propylene feedstock that
Braskem will use in the production of recycled PP materials
in applications. The parties plan to develop a formal
supply agreement prior to the project’s financing approval
in 2021.
“Encina’s technology and this important project will divert
thousands of tons of hard-to-recycle plastic from landfills,”
said Braskem America Chief Executive Mark Nikolich.
“As the North American leader in polypropylene,
Braskem is actively looking to purchase sustainable propylene
feedstock that will allow us to increase both recycled
and renewable-sourced products in our portfolio – as
stated in our new Circular Economy commitments.
“This agreement is an important step in our next phase
of growth as a company, aimed at realizing our vision of a
carbon neutral circular economy and helping our clients
meet their aggressive recycled content goals in the years to
come.”

 

NuStar Energy Finalizes Sale to BWC Of Its Texas City NuStar Terminal

San Antonio—
NuStar Energy has completed the sale of its terminals in
Texas City, Texas, to BWC Terminals for $106-million.
The Texas City terminals store a diverse array of liquids,
including chemicals, hydrocarbons and agricultural
products.
“We are excited to finalize the acquisition of the Texas
City NuStar Terminal,” said BWC Terminals Chief Executive
Michael Suder. “This terminal complements our network
of high-quality terminal storage of hydrocarbons,
chemicals, renewables and agricultural products across
North America.
“The addition provides increased growth opportunities
in the Gulf Coast region to optimize and further develop
our operational capabilities in support of the supply chain
needs of our customers.”
NuStar said it will use the proceeds from the sale to
improve its debt metrics and self-fund a larger proportion
of its capital program.

LyondellBasell Acquires Interest from Sasol In Lake Charles Base Chemicals Business

Houston—
Sasol said it has concluded the sale of a 50% stake in its
base chemicals business at Lake Charles, La., to Lyondell-
Basell, and the planned 50-50 Louisiana Integrated Polyethylene
(PE) joint venture (JV) of the two companies has
now been established (PCN, 23-30 Nov 2020, p 1).
Through the new joint venture, LyondellBasell acquires
a 50% stake in Sasol’s 1.5-million-t/y ethane cracker,
900,000-t/y low- and linear low-density PE plants and associated
infrastructures on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
LyondellBasell will operate the three assets on behalf of
the JV and market the PE products on behalf of the two
shareholders of the JV. Both partners will provide pro-rate
shares of ethane feedstocks and will offtake pro-rate shares
of cracker and PE products at cost.
“The formation of this JV is part of our approach to
growing our core businesses, while positioning the company
to benefit from improving economic conditions,” said
LyondellBasell Chief Executive Bob Patel.
“This transaction accelerates the transformation of our
chemicals business toward a focus on specialty chemicals,”
noted Fleetwood Grobler, president and chief executive of
Sasol.
“We’re proud of the world-scale assets we’ve built in
Southwest Louisiana and look forward to working with
LyondellBasell to realize their full potential and create
value for all our shareholders. We also extend our best
wishes and gratitude to our colleagues who are transferring
to LyondellBasell to operate the joint venture assets.”
Approximately 400 Sasol employees have transferred to
LyondellBasell.

 

Ningbo Kingfa Awards Lummus Contract For Two Catofin PDH Units in Ningbo

Ningbo—
Lummus Technology has been awarded a contract from
Ningbo Kingfa Advanced Materials Co. to supply two Catofin
propane dehydrogenation (PDH) units to Ningbo
Kingfa’s site in Ningbo, China.
The units will each have a production capacity of
600,000 t/y of propylene. Value of the contract and a
schedule for the project were not given.
Lummus’ scope includes technology licensing, process
design package and technical services, and catalyst supply
from Clariant.
“Due to its superior thermodynamic operating conditions
of vacuum and lower temperature for reactors, Catofin
provides the highest conversion and selectivity for conversion
of paraffins to olefins,” Lummus noted. “Even
when co-producing propylene and isobutylene, high conversions
can be maintained.
“The Catofin process employs multiple reactors operating
in a cyclic manner with an automated program so that
the flow of process streams is continuous.”
Lummus licensed its Catofin technology for Ningbo
Kingfa’s first PDH unit at the same site in 2011.

 

Kaijin Blue Sky Energy Picks LyondellBasell To Supply Process for Chinese PP Project

Beijing—
LyondellBasell announced that Kaijin Blue Sky Energy
(Zhejiang) Co. has chosen its polypropylene (PP) technology
for a new world-scale facility to be built in Wenzhou,
Zhejiang Province, China.
The project will include a 600,000-t/y PP plant using
LyondellBasell’s Spheripol technology, as well as a
300,000-t/y PP unit based on LyondellBasell’s Spherizone
technology. Value of the contract and a schedule for the
project were not given.
“The selected polyolefin technology . . . gives us the ability
to deliver cost effectively recognized bulk polymers
through the Spheripol technology and to supply differentiated
high margin polymer products through the Spherizone
technology allowing us to build up our organization on
a solid basis,” said Yang Xuanjian, general manager of Kaijin
Blue Sky.
Both plants will begin operations using Lyondell-
Basell’s Avant ZN catalyst.

 

Sarawak Chooses Samsung Engineering To Build Malaysian Methanol Facility

Sarawak—
Samsung Engineering has received a letter of intent from
Sarawak Petchem for a contract to build a new methanol
production plant in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia (PCN, 3
Aug 2020, p 2).
The 5,000-t/d methanol unit, which will be based on Air
Liquide E&C’s Lurgi MegaMethanol technology, is expected
to be completed in late 2023.
The licensor, engineering, procurement, construction
and commissioning contract, valued at $1.07-billion, follows
the front-end engineering design contract awarded to
Samsung in April 2019 and the first early work contract
that Samsung received in November 2019.
“Moreover, Samsung Engineering has the opportunity
to develop the market in Sarawak, which has large gas
reserves in Malaysia, and therefore can create a promising
position for future projects in the region,” Samsung noted.

 

Ineos Agrees to Buy Sasol’s 50% Stake In Their Gemini HDPE JV in Texas

La Porte—Ineos
will acquire Sasol’s 50% interest in their Gemini highdensity
polyethylene (HDPE) joint venture in La Porte,
Texas, for $404-million.
Gemini produces bimodal HDPE products at its facility
located within Ineos’ Battleground manufacturing complex.
Operated by Ineos, the plant has a nameplate capacity of
470,000 t/y (PCN, 1 Sept 2014, p 1).
Subject to financing and other customary adjustments,
the transaction is scheduled to close by the end of this
year. Once complete, Ineos will become sole owner of Gemini.

 

Braskem Suspends Etileno XXI Plant After Mexico Blocks NatGas Supply

Mexico City—
Braskem Idesa has completely suspended processes at its
Etileno XXI ethylene cracker in Mexico, after Centro Nacional
de Control del Gas Natural (Cenegas) blocked gas
supply to the facility a day after informing Braskem that it
would not renew the firm-based contract for the transportation
of natural gas to Etileno.
“Cenagas’ actions have caused the total suspension of
the plant’s processes, with the consequent and negative
repercussions not only for us, the plant, our customers,
suppliers and employees, but also for the hundreds of
businesses that depend on this supply chain affecting the
national petrochemical industry and the economy as a
whole,” Braskem noted.
“Braskem Idesa will take applicable legal measures to
protect its rights and find a solution for the issue, and it
cannot estimate, at this time, the date for the return of its
activities.”
The Etileno facility produces low- and high-density
polyethylene.

 

Baofeng Selects JM Technology for Five Single-Train Methanol Plants in China

Beijing—
Johnson Matthey (JM) announced it has won a multiple
license award from Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group for five
of the “largest” single-train methanol units in the world to
be built in China.
The new plants, located at Baofeng’s complex in Ordos
City in Inner Mongolia, will each have the capacity to produce
7,200 t/d of methanol for use in the production of olefins.
A completion date was not disclosed.
Under the agreement, JM will be the licensor of all five
methanol facilities and supplier of associated engineering,
technical review, commissioning assistance, and catalyst.
The plants will be feed with synthesis gas and utilize
JM’s radial steam converters in a patented Series Loop.
Within the design, there is potential for 1% to 2% more
feedstock efficiency over the life of the catalyst, JM noted.
“We are deeply proud that Ningxia Baofeng Energy has
selected JM yet again as methanol technology provider at
their newest and grandest complex,” said John Gordon,
managing director for JM.

 

Arcanum Announces Successful Operation Of Butene-1 Production Plant in Houston

Houston—
Arcanum Infrastructure said it has started up its new Raven
butene-1 production facility in Houston, Texas, and
has been successfully operating and producing 1-butene
(PCN, 15 Jan 2018, p 1).
The plant, based on Axen’s AlphaButol technology, is
the “first” asset under the Arcanum platform. Arcanum
earlier said the facility was supported by long-term, feebased
offtake agreements for substantially all of its nameplate
capacity, without disclosing capacity.
“We initiated the start-up activities late last year and
reached full performance around mid-year,” noted Raven
Butene-1 LLC’s General Manager Nicholas Stewart.
“Starting a new process during normal times is challenging,
but COVID-19 made it even more complicated.
The whole Raven team, including Axens, really pulled together
well to insure [sic] a safe, efficient operation.”

 

Perstorp Planning Facility to Produce Renewable Methanol in Stenungsund

Malmö—
Perstorp announced “Project AIR,” a proposed project that
would involve building a “first-of-a-kind,” large-scale,
commercial carbon capture and utilization (CCU) unit in
Stenungsund, Sweden, to produce sustainable methanol.
“The methanol plant will be unique in the sense that it
is a combined CCU and gasification process where CO2
[carbon dioxide], residue streams, renewable hydrogen and
biomethane will be converted to methanol,” Perstorp noted.
In cooperation with Fortum, Uniper and Nature Energy,
Project AIR aims to substitute the 200,000 t/y of fossil
methanol that Perstorp uses as a raw material for chemical
products in Europe, and will reduce carbon emissions by
about 500,000 t/y.
Fortum and Uniper would supply the renewable hydrogen
from a new electrolysis plant, while Nature Energy
expects to supply biogas to the project. Subject to receipt of
required funding, production is planned to begin in 2025.

 

Braskem Building New Recycling Line To Transform Plastic Waste into PCR

São Paulo—
Braskem, in partnership with Valoren, will invest R$67-
million in the construction of a recycling line in Indaiatuba,
São Paulo, Brazil, that will convert waste plastic into
post-consumer resin (PCR).
The new recycling line, which will utilize Valoren’s
technology, is expected to transform around 250-million
pieces of packaging into 14,000 t/y of high-quality PCR.
Operations are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of
next year.
“Waste recovery rates have been growing gradually
over recent years, and we believe that, among the challenges
the sector still faces, increasing the quality of PCR,
which expands its potential applications, is key to driving
this market’s development,” said Fabiana Quiroga, circular
economy director for South America at Braskem.
“We are very pleased to announce this partnership with
Valoren, which will combine its expertise in waste management
and developing recycling technologies with our
business to benefit the entire plastics value chain.”

 

People on the Move

Stepan Co.—Scott Behrens has been named president
and chief operating officer, effective 1 Jan. 2021. He was
previously vice president and general manager of surfactants
at Stepan, and currently serves as vice chair of the
American Cleaning Institute’s board of directors.
Agilyx—Mark Barranco, most recently senior strategy
advisor at ExxonMobil Chemical, has been appointed senior
vice president of engineering and execution at Agilyx.
Renewable Energy Group—Brad Albin has been
promoted to senior vice president, Manufacturing & Engineering.
He has been with the company since 2006.
Natalie Merrill, who joined the company in 2007, has
been named senior vice president of business development.
Air Products—Brian Galovich has joined the company
as senior vice president and chief information officer. He
most recently served as vice president, digital technology
and chief information officer at Collins Aerospace.

 

Braskem, Topsoe Achieve Production Of Bio-Based Monoethylene Glycol

Lyngby—Braskem
and Haldor Topsoe said they have achieved their “firstever”
demonstration-scale production of bio-based monoethylene
glycol (MEG) at the demonstration unit in
Lyngby, Denmark (PCN, 11 Feb 2019, p 1).
The plant, started up in 2019, was built to validate the
MOSAIK sugar-to-biochemicals process for MEG production.
Since then, the remaining process units of the facility
have been built and put into operation and the production
process has been optimized.
In the next phase, samples will be provided to strategic
partners for testing and validation. The results of the
plant’s operations and validation of products will be essential
in the decision to deploy the technology on a commercial
scale. A commercial plant is expected in 2023.
In addition to MEG, the technology will co-produce a
smaller quantity of monopropylene glycol.
“This first-ever production of MOSAIK MEG is a major
step forward in our project and underlines Braskem’s
commitment to the circular economy through renewable
chemicals,” said Gustavo Sergi, executive officer of renewable
chemicals and specialties at Braskem.
“This technology has the potential to revolutionize the
PET [polyethylene terephthalate] market. That’s why we
are increasingly closer to start building this new value
chain, so we can deliver the sustainable solution that society
is looking for.”

 

Clariant to Adapt, Refocus Organization, Will Result in Reduction of 1,000 Jobs

Muttenz—
Clariant announced plans to adapt and refocus its company,
post divestments, and is transforming itself towards
a higher-value specialty portfolio.
The new specialty portfolio will focus on the company’s
core business areas: care chemicals, catalysis, and natural
resources.
Clariant plans to rightsize regional organizations and
service units in order to avoid remnant cost. The rightsizing
program is expected to result in a reduction of around
1,000 positions in service and regional structures. Approximately
one-third of the cuts will be included in divestment
transfers.
Clariant sold its healthcare packaging business in October
2019 and its masterbatches business in July 2020,
and expects to divest its pigments business.

 

Venture Global Awards Contract to KBR For Plaquemines LNG Export Facility

Arlington—
KBR has been awarded an engineering, procurement and
construction (EPC) contract from Venture Global LNG for
Phase 1 of the Plaquemines liquefied natural gas (LNG)
export facility under development in Plaquemines Parish,
La. (PCN, 18 Mar 2019, p 2).
KBR will integrate highly modularized, ownerfurnished
equipment for the facility, which will have a
nameplate capacity of 10-million t/y of LNG. An expected
completion date was not disclosed.
Venture Global LNG has entered into binding 20-year
offtake agreements with PGNiG for 2.5-million t/y of the
project’s capacity and with EDF for 1-million t/y of the project’s
capacity.

 

Equinor Shuts Down Methanol Facility Following Fire at Tjeldbergodden Site

Oslo—Equinor
said a 2 Dec. 2020 fire at its methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden
in Norway, has caused the methanol facility and an
air separation plant to shut down.
The methanol plant, which is Europe’s “largest,” has a
capacity of around 900,000 t/y, according to Reuters. The
fire was extinguished shortly after starting.
“Nobody was injured in the fire,” the company stated.
“We are working to get an overview of the consequences
and the cause of the fire.” An expected restart date for the
facilities was not given.

 

Neste to Supply Bio-Based Hydrocarbons For DSM’s High-Performance Polymers

Heerlen—
Neste and Royal DSM have entered into a strategic partnership,
in which DSM will use Neste’s bio-based hydrocarbons
in the production of high-performance polymers.
In the new collaboration, DSM Engineering Materials
will start replacing a “significant” portion of the fossil feedstock,
used to date in its high-performance polymers portfolio,
with feedstock produced from recycled waste plastics
and/or 100% bio-based hydrocarbons, the companies noted.
Over the short term, the partnership aims to replace
several thousand tons of fossil feedstock in the production
of polymers with the sustainable feedstock.
Neste produces its bio-based hydrocarbons entirely from
renewable raw materials, such as waste and residue oils
and fats. For the production of waste plastic derived feedstock,
Neste focuses on plastics that cannot be mechanically
recycled and have previously been directed to incineration
and landfilling.
“We have a long history of delivering tangible proof
points of our commitment to sustainability,” noted DSM
Engineering Materials President Shruti Singhal. “As a
next step, we are going to even further reduce our footprint
and will offer a full alternative range of our existing portfolio
based on bio- and/or recycled-based materials by 2030.”

 

MCHC Establishes New Subsidiary

Singapore—
Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. (MCHC) has established
Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Asia Pacific Pte.
(MCHAP), a new wholly-owned subsidiary in Singapore.
Scheduled to start operations in January 2021, MCHAP
will be responsible for regional representation, risk management,
and compliance in the Asia Pacific region.

 

DSM Improving European Distribution

Geleen—DSM
Engineering Materials will advance its distribution set-up
by shifting to a two-channel distribution model per country
from 1 Jan. 2021.
Under the new distribution model, Resinex will act as
DSM’s distributor in all countries in Europe.
Nexeo Plastics will be distributor in the Benelux, Great
Britain, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Denmark,
Sweden, Finland, Norway, CIS/Russia and the Ukraine.
TER Plastics will act as DSM’s distributor in Germany,
Austria, Switzerland, and Central and Eastern Europe
(including Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania,
Slovakia, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia).

 

Trinseo Starts Up New ‘State-of-the-Art’ TPE Pilot Facility at Site in Hsinchu

Taipei—Trinseo
said it has inaugurated its new “state-of-the-art” thermoplastic
elastomers (TPE) pilot plant at its existing manufacturing
site in Hsinchu, Taiwan (PCN, 14 Oct 2019, p 1).
The pilot facility will enable the company to locally produce
custom-engineered TPE and thermoplastic polyurethanes
(TPU), together with its bioplastics portfolio, for
key customers in the Asia-Pacific region. Capacity of the
plant was not given.
“The pilot plant will play a significant role in helping
Trinseo achieve its 2030 sustainability goals, which specify
that sustainably sourced materials will form the basis of
40% of Trinseo’s portfolio within a decade,” Trinseo noted.
“Trinseo’s bio-based and biodegradable TPE and TPU
materials comprise a significant portion of the company’s
environmentally-friendly portfolio, and the pilot facility is
expected to accelerate adoption and development of these
solutions.”

 

MOL Opens New R&D Center in Hungary; Enters Polyols Deal with Thyssenkrupp

Budapest—
MOL has started up a new €10-million polyol research and
development (R&D) center at its Danube refinery in Szazhalombatta,
Hungary, to develop polyol products that meet
the needs of its customers.
The center, named after MOL’s late Chief Executive
Gyorgy Mosonyi, houses the “most modern” experimental
reactor system in the world, supplied and commissioned by
Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, MOL noted. The center
will fund up to 12 engineers and seven technicians.
In addition, MOL and Thyssenkrupp have entered into
a joint R&D agreement to facilitate the entry of both parties
into the polyol market: Thyssenkrupp as a technology
service provider and engineering, procurement and construction
contractor, and MOL as a manufacturer and
seller of various polyol products.
The polyol products will be developed at MOL’s €1.2-
billion polyols complex in Tiszaújváros, Hungary, which
MOL earlier said is expected to begin operations by the
second half of 2021 (PCN, 27 May 2019, p 1).
The complex will include a hydrogen peroxide-topropylene
oxide (PO) plant with 200,000 t/y of PO capacity.
The PO will be converted into polyether polyol and propylene
glycols.
MOL expects to develop at least 10 polyol grades by
July 2022.

 

Cargill, IFPEN and Axens to Advance Lactic-to-Acrylic Acid Technology

Minneapolis—
Cargill, IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) and Axens are
collaborating to further develop and scale up Procter &
Gamble’s lactic-to-acrylic acid technology, which Cargill
licensed earlier this year (PCN, 18 May 2020, p 3).
“More than 6-million tons of petro-based acrylic acid
will be produced this year,” said Dr. Jill Zullo, vice president
of biointermediates in Cargill’s bioindustrial business.
“By leveraging Cargill’s processing technology and IFPEN/
Axens’ know-how in catalysis and scale-up, we’re aiming
to produce acrylic acid from renewable sources, thereby
reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50%.”
The partners are advancing the technology according to
staged milestones. Test samples could be available for potential
customers within the next 12 months; however, it
will be several years before the technology is ready to be
deployed at commercial scale.

 

Odfjell to Buy Lindsay Goldberg’s Stake In Odfjell Terminals Korea for $19-Mn

Ulsan—Odfjell
SE has reached an agreement with Lindsay Goldberg (LG)
to purchase LG’s indirect 24.5% interest in Odfjell Terminals
Korea (OTK) for $19-million.
Following completion of the transaction, expected this
month, Odfjell will control 50% of OTK’s shareholding
alongside Korea Petrochemical Industry Co., the local joint
venture partner.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with LG
to acquire their stake in OTK,” said Kristian Morch, chief
executive of Odfjell.
“OTK is a high-quality terminal and represents a good
fit with our strategy for Odfjell’s terminal division. As
such, this is another milestone in completing the restructuring
of our terminal portfolio and our strategy to focus on
chemical terminals where we can harvest synergies with
Odfjell Tankers or have another angle for further value
creation by Odfjell.
“The acquisition will have a positive effect on results,
return and cash flow for Odfjell SE, and also ensure a simple
and efficient governance structure for OTK.”

 

Vopak, BlackRock JV Completes Purchase Of Three Gulf Coast Terminals from Dow

Houston—
Vopak Industrial Infrastructure Americas, a new joint venture
of Royal Vopak and BlackRock’s Global Energy &
Power Infrastructure Fund, has finalized the acquisition of
three industrial terminals on the U.S. Gulf Coast from
Dow (PCN, 21 Sept 2020, p 2).
The $620-million transaction includes the marine and
storage terminal operations and assets at Dow’s sites in
Plaquemine and St. Charles, La., and in Freeport, Texas.
Total capacity of the three terminals is 852,000 cu m,
and includes 16.4 hectares of expansion land, 36 vessel
berths, multiple pipeline connections, rail and truck racks.
In addition, Vopak Industrial Infrastructure Americas
has entered into long-term service agreements with Dow
for storage and infrastructure services.

Sasol Concludes Louisiana Chem Complex With Beneficial Operation of LDPE Unit

Westlake—
Sasol said its Lake Charles Chemicals Project (LCCP) is
now 100% complete, following beneficial operation of its
new 420,000-t/y low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit
(PCN, 5 Oct 2020, p 1).
The LCCP also includes a 1.5-million-t/y ethane
cracker, a 470,000-t/y linear LDPE plant, a 100,000-t/y
ethoxylates facility, Guerbet and Ziegler alcohol units and
a combined 300,000-t/y ethylene oxide and 250,000-t/y ethylene
glycol plant, all which have begun operation.
“This milestone safely brings our Lake Charles Chemicals
Project to a close and sets the stage for the next step in
the evolution of our chemicals business,” note Sasol President
and Chief Executive Fleetwood Grobler.
“The completion of this unit, and its impending transition
to our joint venture with LyondellBasell, will accelerate
our transformation to a more specialty chemicalsfocused
company with a strong presence of base chemicals
in our portfolio.”
Sasol and LyondellBasell recently entered into a definitive
agreement to form a 50-50 integrated polyethylene
joint venture, which will be named Louisiana Integrated
PolyEthylene JV LLC.
Through the new joint venture, LyondellBasell will acquire
a 50% interest in Sasol’s new Lake Charles ethane
cracker, LDPE and linear LDPE plants, and associated
infrastructure on the U.S. Gulf Coast for a total consideration
of $2-billion.
LyondellBasell has agreed to operate the U.S. Base
Chemicals assets on behalf of the venture. Subject to customary
regulatory approvals and approval by Sasol shareholders,
the transaction is expected to be finalized by the
end of the year.

 

Lummus Wins Master Licensor Contract For Shandong Yulong’s Petchem Project

Beijing—
Shandong Yulong Petrochemical Co. has awarded a contract
to Lummus Technology to provide master licensor
services for six units at its 20,000-t/y refining and petrochemical
integrated project to be located in Shandong,
China.
The contract is for two “mega” mixed feed ethylene
crackers, two “large” polypropylene (PP) lines, and “large”
ethylbenzene (EB) and styrene monomer (SM) plants,
Lummus noted. Capacities of the units and a schedule for
the project were not given.
Lummus’ scope includes technology licensing, process
design package, training and advisory services, master
licensor integration services and catalyst supply for the PP
plant.
The mixed feed crackers will utilize Lummus’ ethylene
technology incorporating the SRT (Short Residence Time)
VII cracking heaters, the PP plant will be based on Lummus
Novolen technology, and the EB/SM units will utilize
the Lummus/UOP EBOne and Classic SM technologies.

 

BASF Petronas Realigning Portfolio; Will Close BDO Facility in Malaysia

Kuantan—BASF
Petronas Chemicals (BPC), a joint venture of BASF and
Petronas Chemicals Group (PCG), announced it is realigning
its product portfolio to focus on long-term growth.
As part of the partner’s ongoing review of their product
portfolio and a result of the realignment, BASF Petronas
will be shutting down its butanediol (BDO) and derivatives
unit in Kuantan, Malaysia, next March. Other plants
within the facility will not be impacted.
“The decision to close the BDO plant will have longterm
strategic benefits to BPC and its stakeholders, given
the shift in business landscape, as well as its unfavorable
long-term prospect,” said PCG Managing Director and
Chief Executive Sazali Hamzah.
“In line with PCG’s own expansion plans, which include
developing a specialty chemicals segment, we are looking
forward to producing new high-value products using advanced
technologies. This would enable us . . . access to
new markets and customers, thus further enhancing our
growth for business sustainability.”
Deciding to close the unit is also a result of “significant
overcapacities in the region due to recent investments into
new coal-based BDO production sites,” noted Marko Murtonen,
managing director of BPC.

 

Nexus, Shell Ink Supply Deal to Expand Production of Plastic Waste-to-Chems

Norco—Nexus
Fuels and Shell have signed an agreement, in which Nexus
will supply pyrolysis liquid made from plastic waste to
Shell to scale-up commercial production of chemicals at
Shell’s facility in Norco, La (PCN, 25 Nov-2 Dec 2019, p 2).
Nexus has agreed to supply Shell with 60,000 tons of
pyrolysis liquid made from plastic waste for a period of four
years. Nexus will supply the ISCC Plus-certified product
from its plant in Atlanta, Ga.
“This enhanced collaboration follows a year of continuous,
high-quality supply to Shell’s chemical plant in Norco .
. . where it has been used in the liquid cracker to make
chemicals that are raw materials for everyday items,” the
parties explained.
“The new agreement builds on that success and on a
common desire to find solutions to plastic waste pollution
and progressing a low-carbon future. It is a next step towards
Shell’s ambition to use 1-million tons of plastic
waste a year in its global chemical plants by 2025.”

 

Invista Completes Nylon 6,6 Expansion At Shanghai Chemical Industry Park

Shanghai—
Invista has concluded an expansion of nylon 6,6 polymer
capacity at its facility in the Shanghai Chemical Industry
Park (SCIP) in China (PCN, 24 Feb 2020, p 1).
The 40,000-t/y expansion brings Invista’s total nylon 6,6
capacity at the plant to 190,000 t/y. It is the company’s
fourth continuous polymerization line at SCIP where the
company now has 30,000-t/y autoclaves and 160,000-t/y
continuous process nylon 6,6 capacity.
“This new polymer capacity is part of Invista’s strategic
investments to supply the strong local demand for highquality
nylon products,” said Angela Dou, Asia-Pacific regional
business director, nylon polymer.
Invista also has a 215,000-t/y hexamethylene diamine
unit at the site and is currently building a 400,000-t/y adiponitrile
(ADN) plant there (PCN, 22 June 2020, p 1).
The ADN project, expected to cost over $1-billion, is
planned to start up in 2022.

 

TNO Launches New Spin-Off Company For the Production of Bio-Aromatics

Rotterdam—
TNO has launched Relement, a new spin-off company of
Biorizon that creates chemical building blocks based on
bio-residuals instead of oil.
Founded in Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands, Relement
was established for the development, production and
marketing of bio-aromatics developed by TNO within the
Biorizon Shared Research Center.
Currently, 40% of all chemical building blocks consist of
aromatics, which can only be produced from fossil raw materials,
TNO noted. “Relement wants to replace the current
fossil aromatics with special bio-aromatics, which are
both much more sustainable and, above all, higher quality,”
it explained.
“The next step is to bring the products to market in a
strategic relationship with a toll manufacturer. As soon as
we achieve commercial sales, we will continue by designing
a commercial plant. Our ultimate dream is to be able to
construct a number of commercial plants for our specialty
aromatics.”

 

Genomatica, Aquafil Plan Demo-Scale Unit For ‘Largest’ Amounts Ever of Bio-Nylon

San Diego—
Genomatica said it signed a “first-of-its-kind” deal with
Aquafil to build a demonstration-scale facility in Slovenia
to produce the “largest” quantity ever available of 100%
renewable nylon 6, in response to “surging” customer interest
in sustainable products (PCN, 3 Feb 2020, p 1).
Under the multi-year agreement, Aquafil will build and
operate the downstream operations of the demonstration
facility, where it will convert Genomatica’s bio-based precursor
to commercial-quality bio-nylon 6 yarns, films and
engineered plastics. Initial volumes of the products will be
available in the second half of 2021.
The first production runs are expected to create 50 tons
of bio-nylon for pre-commercial use by Genomatica’s committed
brand partners, with the demonstration plant to
continue supporting product needs until commercial-scale
plants are in operation.
In January 2020, the companies partnered to produce
the world’s “first” ton of bio-nylon 6 precursor at pilot scale.

 

PTTGC America Puts End to Rumors Of Ohio PC Project Being Shelved

Belmont—PTT
Global Chemical America (PTTGCA), following media reports
that it was considering a review of its plans for a
proposed petrochemical plant in Ohio, said the project remains
its “top priority” (PCN, 28 Sept 2020, p 1).
The project would include a 1.5-million-t/y ethane
cracker for the production of ethylene, linear low-density
polyethylene and high-density polyethylene. A final investment
decision is expected early next year.
“PTTGCA is working to move the project forward, continuing
to invest its time and resources with the goal of
creating thousands of jobs and transforming the regional
economic landscape,” PTTGCA noted.
“The project has not at any point been put on hold.
PTTGCA looks forward to making announcements of the
project’s progression in the weeks and months ahead.”

 

Covestro Begins Operating Pilot Plant Based on New AdiP MDI Technology

Berlin—Covestro
has inaugurated a pilot plant based on AdiP (adiabaticisothermal
phosgenation) technology for the industrialscale
production of diphenyl methane diisocyanate (MDI).
The new technology reduces energy consumption and
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in MDI production. Up to
40% steam and 25% electricity can be saved per ton of MDI
produced — and CO2 emissions are thus reduced by up to
35%, the company noted.
“Another advantage of the innovative method is that
the production output increases by 50% compared to the
technology currently in use,” said Covestro. “As a result,
future MDI production plants based on AdiP technology
can be smaller than in the past.”
The company intends to base all of its operations on the
principles of circular economy and is pursuing the longterm
goal of climate-neutral production.

 

AIChE Names New President for 2021

New York—The
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) announced
that Deborah L. Grubbe will become president of
AIChE in 2021.
Grubbe, owner and president of Operations and Safety
Solutions LLC, will succeed Monty M. Alger, professor of
chemical engineering at Pennsylvania State University.
Christine Grant, professor of chemical and biomolecular
engineering and the inaugural associate dean of faculty
advancement at North Carolina State University’s College
of Engineering, will become 2021 president-elect of AIChE
and will succeed Grubbe as president in 2022.

 

People on the Move

Westlake Chemical—Roger Kearns, executive vice
president of vinyls chemicals, will become executive vice
president and chief operating officer, effective 1 Jan. 2021.
He will be responsible for all of the company’s chemical
businesses and manufacturing operations in North America,
Europe and Asia.
Separately, Kearns has been elected chairman of the
Vinyl Institute for 2021. He served as vice chairman in
2020.

 

Inter Pipeline Still Looking for Partner To Buy Interest in Heartland Complex

Calgary—Inter
Pipeline said its process to secure a partner to purchase a
material interest in its Heartland Petrochemical Complex
in Canada is ongoing and is expected to conclude in the
first half of 2021 (PCN, 28 Sept 2020, p 3).
In late 2019, the company launched the process to find
a partner in the estimated $4-billion project, currently under
construction in Strathcona County.
The complex, expected to start up in early 2022, will
convert 22,000 b/d of propane into about 525,000 t/y of
polypropylene.
“While there can be no certainty that a definitive
agreement will be reached, a partner would benefit from
joining a well-developed, world-scale petrochemical project
that has substantial commercial advantages,” Inter Pipeline
noted.

 

Braskem Clarifies Reports in the Media Regarding Ethane Supply in Mexico

São Paulo—
Braskem, in light of recent news reports, informed its
stakeholders and the market that the ethane supply
agreement in Mexico remains in force and valid, and that,
to date, it has not received any formal notification saying
otherwise.
Braskem Idesa, a joint venture of Braskem and Idesa,
earlier signed a 20-year agreement with Pemex for the
supply of 66,000 b/d of ethane to Braskem Idesa’s Ethylene
XXI complex in Veracruz, Mexico (PCN, 2 Mar 2020, p 3).
The complex consists of an approximately 1-million-t/y
ethane-based cracker, two high-density polyethylene (PE)
plants with a combined capacity of 750,000 t/y, and a
300,000-t/y low-density PE unit.
“Furthermore, as already informed in other opportunities,
the company reinforces its commitments to seek constructive
solutions to the lack of ethane in Mexico,” the
company noted.

 

Wood, Cognite Form Partnership to Create AI Solutions for Industrial Operations

Houston—
Wood and Cognite, a global industrial artificial intelligence
(AI) software company, announced an agreement to form a
strategic partnership to create AI solutions that enable
more connected, sustainable and data-driven operations for
heavy-asset, infrastructure and industrial clients.
The partners will combine Cognite’s flagship product,
Cognite Data Fusion, an industrial data operations and
contextualization platform, with Wood’s multi-sector domain
knowledge, data extraction and technology integration
expertise.
“Wood and Cognite will leverage physics-based models
and AI to quickly provide advanced analytics that drive
more profitable and sustainable industrial operations,”
said Mark House, president of automation and control at
Wood.
“Through the partnership, we are addressing a familiar
challenge in industry when operational and information
technology converge. By combining Wood’s world-leading
process optimization platforms like Virtuoso, and our endto-
end asset and delivery know-how, into packaged and
scalable solutions with Cognite’s technology, we can unlock
significant value for clients.”

 

Koch Modular Gets Contract to Build PureCycle’s New Recycled PP Plant

Columbus—
PureCycle Technologies has selected Koch Modular Process
Solutions to design and build its Phase II commercial recycled
polypropylene (PP) facility in Ironton, Ohio (PCN, 25
May 2020, p 2).
The recycling plant is designed to recycle 119-million
lbs of waste PP, which will be used to produce over 105-
million lbs/yr of new “virgin-like” quality PP, PureCycle
earlier noted (see related story, pg. 4). Construction is underway
and the plant is expected to come online in 2022.
“This award includes the supply of a complete rawmaterial-
in-finished-product-out process system, modularly
constructed, in a controlled indoor environment, and
shipped to the plant site via roadway,” said Koch Modular.

 

Shell Cutting Processing Capacity, Jobs At Pulau Bukom Refinery in Singapore

Singapore—
Royal Dutch Shell said it will reduce crude processing capacity
by half and cut 500 jobs by 2023 at its refinery in
Pulau Bukom, Singapore, Reuters reported.
Shell recently announced a “major” restructuring process,
in which it would only retain its refineries that are
essential to the company and integrate them with its
chemical business, which it plans to grow (PCN, 9 Nov
2020, p 1). It currently has 14 refineries.
The company also plans to cut between 7,000 and 9,000
jobs by 2022 in its refineries, chemical sites, and onshore
and offshore production facilities. These moves are part of
Shell’s goal to be net-zero by 2050.

 

Lummus & TCG Digital Form New JV To Accelerate Digital Transformation

Houston—
Lummus Technology (Lummus) and TCG Digital, both
portfolio companies of The Chatterjee Group, have formed
a joint venture called Lummus Digital to accelerate digital
transformation of the refining, petrochemical and gas processing
sectors.
Lummus Digital will work with Lummus’ existing and
potential customers to provide big data, advanced analytics,
artificial intelligence, process simulations, proprietary
know-how and “24/7” advisory services.
“Lummus Digital’s solutions are designed to: maximize
economic benefit through digitalization; ensure operators
and technicians have the insight to maximize efficiency
and reliability of their operations and assets; improve
safety and decision making of management and operating
staff, and provide flexibility to quickly adapt operations to
take advantage of changing market dynamics,” the partners
explained.

 

Muntajat Successfully Integrated into QP

Doha—
Qatar Petroleum (QP) announced the successful integration
of Qatar Chemical and Petrochemical Marketing and
Distribution Co. (Muntajat) into QP, as part of QP’s strategic
efforts to strengthen Qatar’s downstream capabilities
and enhance its global competitive position in the downstream
sector (PCN, 15 June 2020, p 3).
With this integration, Muntajat will continue to exist as
a legal entity, while QP has been appointed as its marketing
agent.

 

Roth CH & PureCycle Agree to Combine; Will Establish a New Holding Company

Ironton—
Roth CH Acquisition I Co. (Roth CH) and PureCycle Technologies,
an innovator in polypropylene (PP) recycling,
have entered into a definitive merger agreement to combine
the two companies.
Upon closing of the transaction, expected in the first
quarter of next year, a newly created holding company will
be renamed PureCycle Technologies Inc.
PureCycle is building its first commercial-scale plant
for recycling waste PP into “virgin-like” resin in Ironton,
Ohio, the parties noted (see related story, pg 3).
The facility is expected to have a nameplate capacity of
around 107-million lbs/yr of ultra-pure recycled PP (UPRP)
when fully operational. Production is scheduled to begin in
late 2022, with full capacity expected to be reached in
2023.
PureCycle plans to have 30 commercial lines operational
by 2030 and 50 by 2035, globally. It expects to announce
its next location in Europe, and to start production
in 2023 with a nameplate capacity of about 107-million lbs
of UPRP when fully operational.
Additional expansion in the U.S. is planned to include
five scaled-up commercial lines capable of producing over
165-million lbs each of UPRP. Pre-engineering for the design
and installation of five commercial lines in a single
“cluster” site is currently underway and will result in a
combined capacity of over 825-million lbs/yr.
Roth CH is a special purpose acquisition company
backed by Roth Capital Partners and Craig-Hallum Capital
Group.

 

Braskem Concludes $10-Million Expansion Of U.S. Innovation & Technology Center

Pittsburgh—
Braskem announced the successful completion of a $10-
million investment towards an expansion of its U.S. Innovation
and Technology Center in Pittsburgh, Penn.
The expansion, which added eight new research and
development labs with state-of-the-art equipment, is focused
on catalysis and petrochemical process technology
capabilities, expanding 3D printing research capabilities,
and also contains advanced polymer characterization laboratories.
Braskem scientists and researchers in Pittsburgh will
also use the labs to test new ways to convert a mixed, postconsumer
plastics stream back into raw materials that can
be used to produce new plastics.

 

Al-Hejailan and Dow Forming JV to Build PAA, Emulsion Polymers Plant in Jubail

Jubail—Al
Hejailan Group and Dow have agreed to form a joint venture
to design, build and operate a new polyacrylic acid
(PAA) and emulsion polymers facility at Plaschem Park in
Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
The unit, to be built and operated by Al-Hejailan, is
planned to have a capacity of 40,000 t/y, utilizing Dow’s
technologies. Construction is expected to begin in 2021
with production anticipated to come on stream in 2023.
Dow will be responsible for marketing the production from
the plant.
The joint venture will be owned 75% by Al-Hejailan and
25% by Dow.
“At Al-Hejailan Group, we are excited about this investment,
which fulfills an important milestone in our
group’s overall strategy and drives towards the development
of more robust and expansive downstream manufacturing
capabilities in the Kingdom,” said Al-Hejailan Chief
Executive Faisal Al-Hejailan.
“It further strengthens our strategic partnership with
Dow, as we work jointly to capture downstream opportunities
that align with the Kingdom’s localization program
and the overall Vision 2030 program.”

 

Vynova Launches ‘World’s First’ Range Of Circular-Attributed PVC Resins

Geleen—Vynova
said it has launched the “world’s first” range of certified
circular-attributed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins, which
are produced using circular ethylene produced from mixed
plastic waste.
The circular ethylene, made using pyrolysis oil, is supplied
to Vynova from SABIC’s production facilities in Geleen,
the Netherlands. The new range of PVC resins will
initially be manufactured at Vynova’s sites in Beek, the
Netherlands, and Mazingarbe, France.
The circular-attributed PVC resins will be marketed
under the VynoEcoSolutions brand, Vynova’s new portfolio
of circular and renewable products, which currently also
includes the company’s bio-attributed PVC range (PCN, 24
Feb 2020, p 3).
“With the launch of our new generation of PVC resins,
we have reached another milestone in our journey towards
circularity,” noted Jonathan Stewart, vice president of PVC
business management at Vynova.
“By using circular feedstock in the production of PVC,
we are enabling our customers to achieve their sustainability
goals and helping to address the issue of plastics waste
management.”

Oriental Energy Adding Fourth Chinese PDH Unit Based on C3 Oleflex Process

Beijing—
Honeywell UOP announced that Oriental Energy will utilize
its C3 Oleflex technology for a fourth propane dehydrogenation
(PDH) unit China.
The unit, being built in Maoming, Guangdong, will produce
polymer-grade propylene and is scheduled to start up
in 2022. A production capacity was not available.
Oriental previously licensed three C3 Oleflex units,
each with 660,000 t/y of capacity. Two are in operation,
with the third expected to begin production this year.
In 2017, Honeywell UOP and Oriental signed a memorandum
of understanding to cooperate on five new PDH
projects in China, with a combined total production capacity
of 3-million t/y of propylene (PCN, 13 Nov 2017, p 4).
They were to be located along coastal cities, including
Ningbo and Lianyungang.
“Longtime customers, such as Oriental Energy, continue
to invest in UOP’s Oleflex technology because of its
strong record for operational reliability and cost efficiency
compared to other dehydrogenation technologies,” said
Bryan Glover, vice president and general manager of
UOP’s process technologies business.
“We continue to see significant growth in China with
the immense demand for propylene.”

 

PRPP Picks Grace to Supply Technology For New Polypropylene Plant in Tuban

Tuban—W. R. Grace & Co. has been awarded a contract to supply its
Unipol polypropylene (PP) process technology to Pertamina
Rosneft Pengolahan dan Petrokimia (PRPP), a joint venture
of Pertamina and Rosneft, for a PP facility at PRPP’s
site in Tuban, Indonesia (PCN, 24 Feb 2020, p 2).
The new facility, part of PRPP’s proposed grassroot refinery
and petrochemical complex, will include two PP
lines, each with a production capacity of 580,000 t/y.
The agreement includes a long-term catalyst supply
contract and a license for Grace’s Unipol PP Unippac Process
Control Software.
Grace’s Unipol PP technology and Consista 6th generation
catalyst and donor technology provide a broad range of
PP homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers
from a single catalyst, Grace noted.
In February, Rosneft said it expects to make a final investment
decision on the planned complex next year, which
would include a refining capacity of up to 15-million t/y,
over 1-million t/y of ethylene and 1.3-million t/y of aromatics.
Commissioning is planned for 2024.

 

Grace Gets Unsolicited Offer from 40 North  To Buy Company’s Outstanding Shares

Columbia—
W. R. Grace & Co. said it has received an unsolicited proposal
from 40 North Management, a shareholder in Grace,
to purchase all outstanding common shares in the company
for $60 per share in cash, subject to certain conditions.
“Grace has a portfolio of high-value, specialty businesses
and while end markets have been significantly impacted
by the pandemic, the fundamentals of its businesses
remain strong and demand trends continue to improve,”
Grace noted.
“Given the company’s strong prospects and its ongoing
review of the alternative opportunities available, Grace’s
board of directors unanimously believes that 40 North’s
$60 per share proposal significantly undervalues the company
and is not a basis for further discussion.”

 

McDermott Selected to Support Next Phase Of Baltic’s Russian Ethane Plant Project

Moscow—
McDermott International said it has secured the next
phase of Baltic Chemical’s ethane cracking project in Russia
from China National Chemical Engineering & Construction
Corp. Seven Ltd. (PCN, 9 Nov 2020, p 2).
The project, the “largest” ethylene integration project in
the world, will be located near Ust-Luga and include two
ethylene cracking trains with a capacity of 1.4-million t/y
each, McDermott noted. A schedule was not available.
Last year, McDermott was awarded a contract for the
extended basic engineering on the project. The contract
has now been expanded to include the provision of the engineering
and procurement early works package for all
schedule critical equipment.
Lummus Technology was previously awarded the process
design package engineering on the project and the license
for its olefin production and recovery technology.
The project will also include six polyethylene plants
with about 500,000 t/y of capacity each and two sets of linear
alpha olefin units with 137,000 t/y of capacity.

 

US Methanol Resumes Construction On Its Liberty One Methanol Plant

Institute—US
Methanol last month said it would restart full construction
activities on its Liberty One methanol project in Institute,
W. Va., in October 2020 (PCN, 16 Dec 2019, p 1).
Liberty One is planned to have an initial production capacity
of 200,000 t/y and will later be expanded to 350,000
t/y. Completion is anticipated in the third quarter of 2021.
This past March, the company implemented reduced
construction efforts in response to the COVID-19 situation.
During that time, essential work continued to prepare the
site and equipment for a safe restart of full construction
and operational activities.
As of PCN’s press deadline, US Methanol had not responded
to a request for confirmation that construction
had restarted.

 

Evonik Begins Commissioning First Unit Of New Polyamide 12 Complex in Marl

Marl—Evonik
recently completed and is currently commissioning the first
plant of its new polyamide 12 (PA12) production complex
at the Marl Chemical Park in Germany (PCN, 23 Sept
2019, p 1).
Estimated to cost over €400-million, the complex will
increase PA12 capacity at the site by more than 50%. It is
the company’s “biggest” single investment made in Germany,
Evonik earlier said.
Further units will be completed in early 2021, with full
completion expected in the first half of 2021.
“With the new plant complex, we are consolidating our
position as a market leader for this high-performance
polymer,” the company noted.

 

DRPIC Postpones Duqm PCs Project; Plans to Assess Impact of COVID-19

Duqm—Duqm
Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Co. (DRPIC) is suspending
front-end engineering design (FEED) work for its
planned Duqm Petrochemical Project (DPP) in Duqm,
Oman, according to Oman News Agency.
DPP, the second phase of DRPIC’s integrated refineries
and petrochemicals project, includes a 48-million-cu m/d
natural gas-to-liquids unit, a 1.6-million-t/y ethylene facility,
a 480,000-t/y polyethylene line, a 161,000-t/y butadiene
extraction unit, a CDMtbe unit with 145,000 t/y of methyl
tertiary butyl ether capacity and a 1-butene separation
plant with 51,000 t/y of capacity (PCN, 9 Nov 2020, p 1).
DRPIC’s board of directors concluded that suspending
the FEED work is in the interest of the company during a
time of unprecedented global economic uncertainty due to
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, depressed demand,
and highly volatile commodity prices, said the report citing
a statement issued by the company.
Shareholders plan to reassess the project, taking into
account the current global market environment and looking
for opportunities to enhance the value of the project.
Construction continues on the 230,000-b/d refinery being
built adjacent to the DPP, which will provide feedstock
for petrochemicals production.
DRPIC is a joint venture of OQ SAOC and Kuwait Petroleum
Europe BV.

 

Covestro Expanding Production Capacity For Vulkollan Elastomers in Thailand

Bangkok—
Covestro has broken ground on a new plant for the production
of Vulkollan high-performance elastomers in the Map
Ta Phut industrial zone in Thailand.
The facility, which requires an investment in the high
mid double-digit million-euro range, is intended to meet
the growing demand for high-performance elastomers.
Production is scheduled to start at the end of 2022.
“Due to its extremely high mechanical strength and dynamic
load capacity, the elastomer is the engineering material
of choice for demanding applications,” said Dr. Thomas
Braig, head of elastomers.
“In addition, its long-term functional reliability optimizes
the total cost of ownership compared to other elastomers.
This makes Vulkollan the perfect material not
only in the material handling industry, but also for a growing
number of engineering applications.”

 

U.S. Army Temporarily Suspends Permit For FG LA’s Louisiana Sunshine Project

St. James—
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has temporarily suspended
FG LA LLC’s (FG) construction permit for its
world-scale ethylene complex, known as The Sunshine Project,
in St. James Parish, La. (PCN, 9 Nov 2020, p 2).
The complex, estimated to cost $9.4-billion, will include
the production of ethylene, propylene, high-density polyethylene
(PE), low-density PE, ethylene glycol, propylene
and utility plants. It will be built in two phases.
Earlier this month, the Corps asked the U.S. District
Court in Washington, D.C., to pause current litigation
deadlines over one of FG’s permits for the project so that
the Corps could further review certain portions of its permit
analysis.
On 13 Nov. 2020, the Corps informed FG that activities
under the permit are temporarily suspended during this
period of reevaluation.
FG recently said it was deferring major construction on
the project until the global pandemic had subsided and/or a
vaccine was widely available, but that it was continuing
with preconstruction activities.

 

Easton Energy to Acquire ExxonMobil’s South Texas Pipeline System for PCs

Houston—
Houston-based midstream firm Easton Energy has entered
into an agreement to purchase ExxonMobil Pipeline Co.’s
South Texas petrochemical pipeline system for an undisclosed
amount.
The 720-mile pipeline system runs from ExxonMobil’s
Clear Lake and Katy gas plants at the northern end of the
system, to Energy Transfer’s King Ranch gas plant and the
Port of Corpus Christi at the southern end, plus several
surface facilities.
It connects growing petrochemical markets in South
Texas, Easton’s large salt dome storage position in Markham
and Easton’s distribution pipelines in the Houston
Ship Channel and Mont Belvieu areas.
Easton’s interconnected system will range from Corpus
Christi to Houston, Mont Belvieu, Texas City and Lakes
Charles, La., all supported by rights to 50-million bbls of
liquid hydrocarbon storage at Markham.
Easton said it expects to offer pipeline transport optionality
to an increasing petrochemical customer base.
The acquisition is expected to be finalized early next year.
The pipeline system has most recently been in refinerygrade
propylene service.

 

QP Establishes LNG Trading Company

Doha—Qatar
Petroleum (QP) announced the establishment and start of
operations of QP Trading, its dedicated liquefied natural
gas (LNG) trading arm based in Doha, Qatar.
Wholly-owned by QP, the new trading company is mandated
to build a globally diversified portfolio of third-party
and equity LNG. It will also manage the price risk exposure
of its portfolio through physical and derivatives trading.
QP Trading has completed its first long-term LNG sales
and purchase agreement with Pavilion Energy Trading &
Supply, under which QP Trading will supply up to 1.8-
million t/y of LNG to Pavilion in Singapore for a period of
10 years.

 

Maire Tecnimont’s NextChem Introduces Waste-to-Chem Technologies Subsidiary

Rome—
NextChem, Maire Tecnimont’s company for energy transition,
has launched MyRechemical, a new subsidiary dedicated
entirely to chemical valorization of non-recyclable
plastics and waste-to-chemical technologies.
The chemically converted waste is used for the production
of hydrogen, methanol, ethanol and “circular” derivatives,
products with a lower carbon content than those from
fossil sources, Maire Tecnimont noted.
“Through MyRechemical, today NextChem is able to offer
a concrete and immediately available platform for the
conversion of traditional industrial sites through green
chemistry,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, chief executive of
NextChem and Maire Tecnimont Group.
“The great availability of municipal solid waste and
non-recyclable plastics makes them a ‘new oil’ with great
potential: thanks to our engineering in waste chemistry, it
is possible to recreate carbon chemistry without starting
from hydrocarbons.”

 

Ineos Styrolution, Ferrero to Explore Use of Advanced Recycling Concepts

Frankfurt—
Ineos Styrolution has entered into an agreement with Ferrero
to explore the feasibility of using its advanced recycling
concepts, such as depolymerization, for future packaging
solutions.
Ineos aims to develop a process to convert complex plastic
waste back to fully recyclable materials that comply
with food contact regulations.
“We are pleased to work with Ineos Styrolution to explore
opportunities for future packaging solutions that,
today, are not available in practice and at scale,” said Ferrero.
“We are interested to see whether Ineos Styrolution’s
approach can offer a circular solution and support the Ferrero
commitment to make all its packaging 100% reusable,
recyclable or compostable by 2025.”

 

Siemens & Linde Partner to Accelerate Decarbonization of Petchem Industry

Berlin—
Siemens Energy and Linde Engineering have entered into
a strategic partnership, in which they aim to step up decarbonization
efforts in the petrochemical sector.
As part of the agreement, the companies will leverage
their complementary portfolios and competencies to investigate,
develop and optimize technology and equipment
packages to enhance the sustainability and performance of
petrochemical plants.
They will study decarbonization of the facilities through
emission reductions and increases in energy efficiency,
such as optimizing the consumption of power and steam.
Specific areas that will be evaluated, but are not limited
to, include the use of Siemen’s products, including gas turbines,
steam turbines, compressors and generators with
Linde’s steam cracker technology and related processes for
olefin production, purification and separation.
The parties will also explore how renewable technologies
and energy storage can be leveraged to support customers’
decarbonization initiatives, and look to improve
plant availability and uptime, maintenance, operating expense
and capital expenditures, and regulatory compliance.

 

Braskem Outlines Latest Commitment To Achieve Carbon Neutrality by ’50

São Paulo—
Braskem has announced its latest sustainability commitments
to “significantly” expand its efforts to eliminate
plastic waste in the environment by 2030 and to achieve
carbon neutrality by 2050.
By 2025, the company will expand its I’m green portfolio
to include sales of 300,000 t/y of recycled content products,
and by 2030, will continue to expand the portfolio to
include sales of 1-million t/y.
By 2030, Braskem will work to divert 1.5-million tons of
plastic waste away from incineration, landfill or the environment,
and will deliver a 15% reduction in carbon emissions
from its operations.
By 2050, carbon neutrality will be achieved for
Braskem’s global operations.
The company strategy to achieve carbon neutrality focuses
on three pillars of reducing, offsetting and capturing
emissions.
The efforts to reduce emissions will concentrate on improving
energy efficiency in existing operations, as well as
the increased use of low carbon and renewable energy in
current operations.
Additionally, Braskem will continue to explore and invest
in low carbon intensity process technologies, and will
focus on accelerating its investments in renewable feedstock
based chemicals and polymers.
Lastly, its efforts around capturing emissions are being
supported through the research and development of opportunities
in using carbon dioxide emissions as feedstock for
conversion to value-added chemicals.

 

A&R Logistics Opens New Export Facility To Serve Chem Industry in S. Carolina

Charleston—
A&R Logistics said its new “world-class” export facility in
the West Branch Commerce Park in Moncks Corner, S.C.,
is fully operational and will serve the chemical industry.
The facility, located near Port of Charleston, packages,
exports and imports plastic resin and other products for
some of the world’s “largest” chemical companies, A&R
noted.
“With two high-speed packaging lines, sea bulk operations,
liquid transload capability, rail service via CSX and
proximity to the Port of Charleston, we provide supply
chain solutions specifically engineered for the chemical
industry,” said Chris Ball, president.

 

Repsol Selects Axens Vegan Technology For Its ‘First’ Advanced Biofuels Plant

Madrid—
Axens said it has been chosen by Repsol to supply its Vegan
technology for Repsol’s “first” production plant for advanced
biofuels in Spain.
The 250,000-t/y facility, located at Repsol’s Cartagena
refinery, will include the production of biodiesel, biojet,
bionaphtha and biopropane. A start-up date was not
given.
Axens’ scope of work includes the supply of process
books, catalysts and adsorbents, proprietary equipment,
training and technical services.
“This advanced biofuels plant is a step forward in Repsol’s
commitment to become a net zero carbon company in
2050,” noted Repsol.

 

Invista Gets Final Construction Permit For Adiponitrile Facility in Shanghai

Shanghai—
Invista Nylon Chemicals (China) Co. said it has received
the final construction permit for its new adiponitrile (ADN)
plant at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) in
Shanghai, China (PCN, 22 June 2020, p 1).
The 400,000-t/y ADN unit, which will cost over $1-
billion, is based on Invista’s most-advanced, energyefficient
technology. The project remains on track to start
production in 2022.
“Construction has been progressing well for several
months in part of the plant and will now commence in the
remaining areas,” Invista noted.
When complete, the ADN plant will be integrated with
the company’s existing hexamethylene diamine and polymer
facilities to directly supply domestic customers.

 

Agilyx Launches New European Hub To Expand Technology Partnerships

Zurich—Agilyx,
developer of an advanced recycling technology for post-use
plastics, has opened a European hub outside of Zurich,
Switzerland, reinforcing its commitment to accelerate
technology partnerships.
“Following months of planning, we are pleased to expand
our physical presence in Europe,” said Agilyx Chief
Executive Tim Stedman. “This is an important step in
providing more accessibility to Agilyx’s technology and
know-how in Europe, a region where circularity is set high
on the agenda.”
The company’s technology converts mixed plastic waste
to new virgin-equivalent plastics, as well as chemical products
and fuels.

 

Inter Pipeline Finalizes Sale to CLH Group Of Most of Its European Storage Business

Calgary—
Inter Pipeline has completed the divestment of a majority
of its European storage business to CLH Group for cash
consideration of £420-million (PCN, 28 Sept 2020, p 3).
The sale includes 18-million bbls of storage capacity
across 15 storage terminals located in the UK, Ireland, the
Netherlands and Germany.
Inter Pipeline will continue to operate eight remaining
terminals in Sweden and Denmark, which have around 19-
million bbls of aggregate storage capacity.

 

SABIC and Vopak Enter Partnership Deal To Sell 20% Stake in Chemtank to JYIC

Jubail—
SABIC and Vopak Holding Terminals BV, joint venture
partners in Jubail Chemicals Storage and Services Co.
(Chemtank), have signed a partnership agreement with
Jubail and Yanbu Industrial Cities Co. (JYIC), owned by
the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, under which
JYIC will acquire a 20% stake in Chemtank.
Located in Jubail, JYIC has a newly built 568,000-cu m
tank terminal in the King Fahd Industrial Port and serves
“one of the biggest” petrochemical complexes in the world,
according to Vopak’s site.
It provides storage solutions for import and export
through vessel, truck, rail and pipeline to all its clients,
based on long- and short-term contracts.
Under the new agreement, SABIC will have a 58% interest
in Chemtank, with Vopak and JYIC holding the remaining
22% and 20%, respectively. The transaction is
subject to regulatory approvals. An expected completion
date was not given.
“The entry of JYIC cements a partnership, in which the
Royal Commission, SABIC and Vopak have jointly collaborated
over the past 20 years to create a world-class supply
chain infrastructure in Jubail and Yanbu,” said Royal
Vopak Chief Executive Eelco Hoekstra. “This sets a great
platform to deliver further growth and efficiency in the
Kingdom.”

 

SOCMA Releases Statement in Response To Newly Elected President, Congress

Arlington—
The Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates
(SOCMA) has pledged to work with the newly elected
presidential administration and congress to advance issues
important to its members and the specialty chemical industry.
“The extraordinary events of 2020 and the COVID-19
pandemic have significantly altered life as we know it,”
said SOCMA President and Chief Executive Jennifer Abril.
“SOCMA welcomes the opportunity to highlight the important
role specialty chemical manufacturers play in the U.S.
recovery with President-elect Biden and other newly
elected leaders.
“SOCMA members are creating lifesaving vaccines and
pharmaceuticals, as well as consumer and industrial products
essential in mitigating the impact of the disruption to
American lives. To continue our vital role, SOCMA will
advocate for business certainty and relief from regulatory
burdens that could impede this goal.”
SOCMA, expecting a greater federal oversight under
the new administration, said it will provide an impact assessment
from the election and is ready to begin establishing
relationships with newly appointed staff, reinforcing
connections with longtime allies, and focusing on key priorities
the could impact the growth of the industry.

DRPIC Selects Unipol PE Technology For New Petrochem Project in Oman

Duqm—Duqm
Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Co. (DRPIC) has
selected the Unipol polyethylene (PE) process from Univation
Technologies for a new PE line to be built as part of its
planned Duqm Petrochemicals Project in Duqm, Oman
(PCN, 28 Sept 2020, p 1).
The 480,000-t/y PE line will utilize Univation’s Acclaim
high-density PE (HDPE) technology for the manufacture of
high-performance unimodal HDPE resins.
The petrochemicals project also includes a 48-million-cu
m/d natural gas-to-liquids unit, a 1.6-million-t/y ethylene
facility, a 161,000-t/y butadiene extraction unit, a CDMtbe
unit with 145,000 t/y of methyl tertiary butyl ether capacity
and a 1-butene separation plant with 51,000 t/y of 1-
butene capacity, PCN earlier reported.
DRPIC is a joint venture of OQ SAOC and Kuwait Petroleum
Europe BV.
The company is also building a 230,000-b/d refinery adjacent
to the petrochemicals complex, which will provide
feedstock for petrochemicals production. Completion dates
for the projects were not given.
“We value the collaborative relationship already established
with Univation Technologies on this new project,”
said DRPIC Chief Executive Dr. Salim Al Huthaili.
“Furthermore, we look forward to achieving our objective
of becoming a significant player in the region by satisfying
evolving customer demand in both domestic and key
international markets. A key component of DRPIC realizing
that strategy will be accessing the flexible production
capabilities of our Unipol PE process line.”

 

Neste & LG Chem Forming Partnership To Produce Biopolymers, Biochemicals

Yeosu—Neste
and LG Chem announced plans for a strategic long-term
partnership to develop and grow the biopolymers and biochemicals
market globally, namely in South Korea.
In the “upcoming months,” LG will begin replacing traditional
feedstock used in the production of polymers and
chemicals with Neste renewable hydrocarbons at LG’s complex
in Yeosu, South Korea, Neste noted.
The renewable hydrocarbons, which are produced entirely
from traceable, bio-based raw materials, such as
waste and residue oils and fats, will allow LG to produce
renewable polymers and chemicals to meet the increasing
sustainability requirements and expectations of its customers.
“We are delighted to start collaborating with LG Chem,
a company with one of the most diverse polymers and
chemicals offerings in the world, to make an increasing
impact on the global industry’s transformation towards a
circular bioeconomy,” said Mercedes Alonso, executive vice
president, renewable polymers and chemicals at Neste.
“This cooperation enables us to further expand the portfolio
of applications that can benefit from Neste’s renewable
drop-in solutions.”

 

Hengli Chooses Invista’s Technology For Two New PTA Lines in Huizhou

Beijing—Invista
Performance Technologies, the technology and licensing
group of Invista, has been selected by Hengli Petrochemical
to supply its P8 technology for two new purified
terephthalic acid (PTA) lines in Huizhou City, Guangdong
Province, China (PCN, 12 Oct 2020, p 2).
The PTA lines, expected to cost $1.69-billion, will each
have a production capacity of 2.5-million t/y. Subject to
governmental approvals, start-up is scheduled for the end
of next year. Once complete, Hengli’s total PTA production
capacity will increase to 16.6-million t/y.
Hengli is also operating five PTA lines at its site on
Changxing Island, Dalian, China. All five existing lines
utilize Invista’s technology.

 

BASF, Borealis, ADNOC & Adani Shelf Proposed Petrochems Project in India

Gujarat—
BASF, Borealis, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) and
Adani, following completion of a joint feasibility study,
have decided to suspend plans for a chemical complex at
Adani’s site in Mundra, India (PCN, 21 Oct 2019, p 1).
The project was to involve a world-scale propane dehydrogenation
unit, polypropylene production and an acrylics
value chain complex.
“The global economic uncertainties caused by the pandemic
have led the partners to review the timing for undertaking
this investment,” the parties noted. “Despite all
attempts to optimize the scope and the configuration, the
project has been put on hold.
“The partners remain convinced about the strong fundamentals
represented by the Indian market and agreed to
periodically explore market conditions and discuss any opportunity
that may arise over time.”

 

Shell Closing Convent Refinery in U.S.

Baton Rouge—
Royal Dutch Shell will shut down its 211,000-b/d refinery
in Convent, La., next month, after the company failed to
find a buyer, Reuters reported.
“After looking at all aspects of our business, including
financial performance, we made a difficult decision to shut
down the site,” said the report quoting Shell Spokesman
Curtis Smith.
Once the refinery is closed, the company will resume
looking for a buyer. It plans to sell all but six refineries
and chemical plants worldwide and is considering closing
facilities that it cannot divest.
Shell recently announced a “major” restructuring process
in which it would only retain its refineries that are essential
to the company and integrate them with its chemicals
business, which it plans to grow (PCN, 5 Oct 2020, p
1). It will keep sites in key locations that have the flexibility
to adapt.

 

U.S. Army to Reevaluate FG LA’s Permit To Build St. James Petrochemical Plant

St. James—
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in a court filing, said it
would reevaluate a construction permit for FG LA LLC,
part of Formosa Plastics Group, which is planning to build
a world-scale ethylene complex in St. James Parish, La.,
according to several media reports.
The estimated $9.4-billion complex is planned to include
the production of ethylene, propylene, high-density
polyethylene (PE), low-density PE, ethylene glycol, polypropylene
and utility plants. It will be built in two phases
(PCN, 26 Oct 2020, p 2).
Last year, environmental groups sued the Army Corps
over its decision to issue FG LA the permit. The Army
Corps was to file court documents defending its decision,
but instead asked the court to allow it time to reevaluate
the permit.
FG LA recently said it was deferring major construction
on the project until the global pandemic has subsided
and/or a vaccine was widely available, but that it was continuing
with preconstruction activities.

 

ACC’s Plastics Division Announces Leaders of Operating Committee

Washington—The
American Chemistry Council (ACC)’s Plastics Division has
elected a new chair and vice chair for its Operating Committee.
Beginning in January 2021, John Thayer, senior vice
president of sales and marketing for Nova Chemicals, will
chair the committee. He currently serves as member and
vice chair of the committee.
At the same time, Christine Bryant will become vice
chair of the committee. She is senior vice president of,
polyurethanes – North America at Covestro, and also participates
in ACC’s Center for the Polyurethanes Industry
and its Sustainability and Market Outreach Committee.
They will serve in these capacities for one year.

 

NextChem & IndianOil Sign Agreement To Develop India’s Circular Economy

New Delhi—
Maire Tecnimont’s NextChem subsidiary and Indian Oil
Corp. (IndianOil) have signed a memorandum of understanding
to foster the industrialization of circular economy
in India using NextChem’s technologies.
The companies plan to develop projects focused on plastics
recycling, producing biofuels from renewable feedstock,
and circular fuels and chemicals from non-recyclable
waste.
“We are really proud to be partner of choice in the first
industrial initiative in India’s circular economy sector with
such an historical and prestigious player as Indian Oil Corporation,”
said Pierroberto Folgiero, chief executive of
Maire Tecnimont Group and NextChem.
IndianOil is working to develop a sustainable business
model of closed loop ecosystem of waste plastics under its
Plastic Neutrality Initiative and is looking for partners
who can contribute to addressing the end-life management
of plastic waste in the country, Maire Tecnimont noted.
Furthermore, IndianOil plans to introduce recyclates as
a new line in its product portfolio in addition to its existing
virgin polymers business.

 

Lummus to Supply 14 Cracking Furnaces To Baltic’s Russian Gas Chem Complex

Moscow—
Lummus Technology has been awarded a contract to supply
14 ethylene cracking furnaces to Baltic Chemical’s ethane-
rich gas processing complex being built near Ust-Luga,
Russia (PCN, 21 Sept 2020, p 1).
The complex will include two ethane cracking plants
with an ethylene capacity of 1.4-million t/y each, as well as
six polyethylene (PE) reactor lines, each designed to have a
capacity of 500,000 t/y. Completion is anticipated in 2024.
The contract was awarded within the framework of an
engineering, procurement and construction contract between
China National Chemical Engineering & Construction
Corp. and Baltic Chemical.
Lummus’ scope of work includes engineering and supply
of its Short Residence Time VI cracking furnaces,
which will be supplied under an ethylene technology license
contract awarded to Lummus in 2019.
Axens was recently awarded a contract to provide its
AlphaButol technology for the production of 120,000 t/y of
high-purity 1-butene by ethylene dimerization and its AlphaHexol
technology for the production of 50,000 t/y of
high-purity 1-hexene by ethylene trimerization. Both comonomers
will be used in various types of PE.
Axens is also responsible for the transfer of license, the
process book, several chemicals, proprietary equipment,
technical support and training.

 

MCC Ending MMA, MAA Production At Lucite Subsidiary in Beaumont

Beaumont—Mitsubishi
Chemical Corp. (MCC) has decided to discontinue
production of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methacrylic
acid (MMA) at the site of its Lucite International subsidiary
in Beaumont, Texas.
The site, which began operations in 1992, has an annual
production capacity of 135,000 t/y. Production is
scheduled to end on 28 Feb. 2021, and the site will be shut
down.
MCC said it was closing the site to boost competitiveness
and optimize supply chain in keeping with demand
and supply trends for raw materials.

 

People on the Move

Mitsubishi Chemical—Jean-Marc Gilson has been
appointed chief executive to succeed Hitoshi Ochi, who will
step down next year. Gilson is presently chief executive of
Roquette.
Fluor Corp.—David E. Constable, a member of the
board of directors, has been appointed chief executive, effective
1 Jan. 2021. He will replace Carlos Hernandez, who
will retire at the end of this year. Constable was chief executive
of Sasol from 2011 to 2016.
Linde plc—Sanjiv Lamba, currently executive vice
president of Asia-Pacific, has been named chief operating
officer, effective 1 Jan. 2021.
Asahi Glass Co.—Yoshinori Hirai has been appointed
president and chief executive, effective 1 Jan. 2021, to replace
Takuya Shimamura, who will become chairman at
the same time. Hirai is currently executive vice president
and chief technology officer.

 

Supreme Petrochem Planning Project To Boost PS Capacity in Nagothane

Nagothane—
Supreme Petrochem is planning to implement a project to
expand polystyrene (PS) production capacity in Amdoshi,
Nagothane, Maharashtra, India, according to a local news
report.
The project involves building an additional PS line with
80,000 t/y of capacity. Completion is anticipated by December
2021.
In addition, the company is revamping its expandable
PS unit, which will increase production capacity by 20,000
t/y. The revamp is also expected to be completed in December
2021.

 

Ineos Makes Commitment to Achieve Net Zero Emissions at Antwerp Sites

Antwerp—Ineos
said it has committed to staying ahead of European Union
(EU) climate and energy targets in the drive to net zero
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its businesses in
Antwerp, Belgium.
To achieve its goals, it will implement further fuel
switching and green electricity; optimize its existing carbon
capture activity at Zwijndrecht; collaborate in industrial
waste heat and steam networks in the region; increase
use of hydrogen in chemical processes and power
plants, and further invest in electrification.
The company is also involved in the ‘Power to Methanol’
project for sustainable methanol production at Lillo (PCN,
1-8 June 2020, p 4).
In addition, Ineos said it plans to further invest in hydrogen
technology, which it sees as a “game changer” and a
core part of its future business, and switch to recycled or
bio-feedstock where appropriate.
Ineos’ commitment to emission reduction means all
sites in Antwerp will be climate-neutral by 2050 at the latest.
It also takes into account the EU’s ambition to cut
GHG emissions to at least 55% below 1990 levels by 2030.
“We believe that this package of actions will bring substantial
benefits to our customers, to the communities in
which we operate, and to all our stakeholders, and help
ensure that Ineos remains competitive and sustainable in
the light of evolving societal needs,” the company noted.

 

Evonik Finalizes Purchase of Porocel To Expand Its Catalysts Portfolio

Houston—Evonik
said it has expanded its catalysts portfolio with the acquisition
of Porocel Group for $210-million (PCN, 31 Aug
2020, p 3).
Porocel, based in Houston, Texas, will add activities in
the area of desulfurization catalysts and absorbents to
Evonik’s portfolio. Approximately 300 employees from
Porocel and the corresponding production facilities will be
integrated into Evonik’s Smart Materials Division.
“The catalysts business line is an important driver of
growth and sustainability within Evonik’s Smart Materials
Division,” noted Claus Rettig, head of the division.
“With the targeted acquisition, we expand our competencies
with new technologies and products. In this way,
we enable our customers to make their processes and
products more efficient and resource-saving.
“The global presence of Porocel, along with its available
production capacities, will further strengthen the worldwide
presence of Evonik’s catalyst activities.”

 

B&F PLA Starts Up China’s ‘First’ New Fully Integrated PLA Plant

Beijing—Sulzer
Chemtech announced that B&F PLA has begun operating
China’s ‘first’ fully integrated sugar-to-PLA (polylactic
acid) facility in Bengbu, Anhui Province, to support the
growing bioplastic market.
The 30,000-t/y PLA plant, based on Sulzer’s distillation,
crystallization and polymerization technologies, uses glucose
from locally sourced corn to produce lactic acid and
PLA of different grades.
B&F is now able to deliver plant-based polymers with
different molecular weights and L(+)/D(-) ratios to provide
“suitable” materials for a wide variety of applications, Sulzer
noted.
In addition to technologies, Sulzer also provided extensive
remote assistance during pre-commissioning, commissioning
and start-up.

 

Sibur Touts ‘Unique’ Digital Technology That Models Gas Chemical Reactions

Moscow—Sibur
said it has rolled out a “unique” digital technology that
makes it possible to accurately model physical and chemical
processes at petrochemical plants.
The pilot was launched at Sibur’s Tomskneftekhim facility
in Tomsk, Russia, where a low-density polyethylene
reactor was digitally modeled to deliver a “considerable”
reduction in related operational expenses.
The digital model of the Tomsk reactor has already
helped test 139 combinations of process parameters and
rate of consumption for the feedstock and reaction initiators.
As a result, the “best possible” mode of operation was
determined, reducing the rate of consumption of costly additives
by 12% without compromising quality, Sibur noted.
The expected annual savings could reach RUB 50-
million to RUB 60-million facility-wide.
“While the model is unique for each unit, our successful
experience in Tomsk can be leveraged to plan digital models
for Sibur’s other production facilities, including those
operating on a large scale,” noted Sergey Tutov, head of
Sibur’s research and development function.
“In addition, Sibur operates both new and older plants,
with some of them dating back to the last century (1193 in
the case of the Tomsk reactor). Digital models are a way
for those facilities to aim for alignment with global petrochemical
benchmarks without a major renovation.”
The digital model can potentially be used to determine
process parameters for new product grades in the future.

 

EPS Gets Order from Zhejiang Satellite For 4 New Very Large Ethane Carriers

Singapore—
Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has won a 15-year time
charter from Zhejiang Satellite Petrochemical (Satellite)
for four new very large ethane carriers.
EPS will purchase, build and operate the 98,000-cu m
ethane carriers. They will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries
and Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea.
Delivery is scheduled in the first half of 2022.
All four carriers will feature dual fuel ethane propulsion,
which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions when
compared to conventional marine fuels. Ethane will be
carried from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Satellite’s facility in
Lianyungang, China.

 

North-C-Methanol Project to Produce Green Methanol in North Sea Port

Ghent—Ten private
and public-sector partners have signed a collaborative
agreement for the North-C-Methanol project, which will
turn carbon dioxide (CO2) into green methanol in the
North Sea Port in Belgium.
The “world-class” project, which is expected to have the
“largest” renewable hydrogen-to-methanol complex in the
world, will reduce CO2 emissions by 140,000 tons and generate
44,000 tons of green methanol to be used as feedstock
for the chemicals and renewable industries, as well as fuel
for ships and trains, Oiltanking noted.
Currently estimated to cost €140-million, North-CMethanol
is the “first” large-scale demo plant that is part
of the North-CCU-Hub program.
The project involves construction of a 65-megawatt
(MW) electrolyzer at Engie’s site on the Rodenhuize peninsula,
which will convert water into green hydrogen and
oxygen using wind power.
A second plant, a methanol facility owned by Proman
on the Rodenhuize peninsula, will use the green hydrogen
to convert the collected CO2 emissions of local companies,
such as Yara, ArcelorMittal and Alco Bio Fuel, into green
methanol.
North-CCU-Hub expects a gradual increase of the
North-C-Methanol capacity from 65 MW in 2024 to 600
MW in 2030, as part of a program whereby new technologies,
markets and products, such as ammonia, formic acid,
fatty acids, esters and proteins will be developed and integrated.
“A new, circular economy will be created in North Sea
Port: waste from one enterprise will be used as a raw material
by another one,” said Oiltanking. “All by-products of
the methanol production process . . . will also be recycled
locally. This will ensure a unique and far-reaching industrial
and circular integration.
“Of course, this will fully go hand in hand with the
building of much supporting infrastructure, such as new
pipelines and storage tanks, in order to transport raw materials,
by- and finished products to the correct location.”
Oiltanking and Fluxsys will be responsible for this, with
Mitsubishi Power overseeing the integration and coordination
of the entire construction process.
The North-CCU-Hub was formed in 2019, following an
initial feasibility study, when 20 private- and public-sector
partners shared the common goal of carbon neutrality and
carbon capture and utilization (CCU).
It includes players from various sectors: steel, power,
new raw materials, chemicals, logistics and transport.

 

LyondellBasell Lifts Force Majeure Event On PO and Derivatives in the Americas

Houston—
LyondellBasell, in a letter to its customers, said it has
ended the force majeure event for all products within its
Americas propylene oxide (PO) and derivatives portfolio,
effective 1 Nov. 2020.
The products include PO, P-glycols, allyl alcohol, BDO
(1-4, butanediol) and derivatives, P-series glycol ethers and
P-specialties glycol ether, which will be under sales control.

 

Sarawak Inks MoU with Sumitomo, Eneos To Produce Green Hydrogen in Bintulu

Bintulu—
SEDC Energy Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Malaysia’s Sarawak
Economic Development Corp., has signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) with Sumitomo Corp. and
Eneos to study the feasibility of building a green hydrogen
production plant in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia, Bernama
reported.
The facility, planned to be located at the Bintulu Petrochemical
Park, would produce zero-carbon hydrogen for
export to Japan and other countries. Start-up is expected
by 2023. Cost of the project and a capacity were not given.

 

NEDO Picks Marubeni, JGC Holdings To Study CO2 Minimization Project

Beijing—The New
Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
(NEDO) has selected Marubeni Corp. and JGC Holdings
Corp. to perform a feasibility study on the minimization
of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by the utilization of
by-product hydrogen in China.
Marubeni and JGC will conduct the study, together
with Juhua Group Corp., at Juhua’s chemical facility in
Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province.
The study will evaluate the usage of Japanese technologies
(hydrogen mixed combustion engine and polymer
electrolyte fuel cell) for the “local production for local consumption
business model” by utilizing by-product hydrogen,
Marubeni noted.
Results of the study will be available within fiscal year
2021, at which time the partners will move to the demonstration
phase.

 

OMV Acquires Additional Borealis Stake From Mubadala at a Cost of $4.68-BN

Vienna—OMV
has completed the acquisition of an additional 39% interest
in Borealis from Mubadala Investment Co. at a purchase
price of $4.68-billion (PCN, 17 Aug 2020, p 1).
OMV now owns a 75% interest in Borealis, with
Mubadala holding the remaining 25% stake.
“This transaction is another milestone in the implementation
of our strategy,” said Rainer Seele, chief executive
and chairman of the executive board of OMV. “We are
thus establishing an integrated and sustainable business
model extending OMV’s value chain towards higher value
chemical products and recycling, thereby repositioning the
group for a lower carbon future.”
OMV earlier said that OMV and Borealis aim to be a
“leader” in the circular plastics economy and will invest €1-
billion in “innovative” solutions by 2025 (PCN, 3 Aug 2020,
p 3).
Borealis’ activities in plastics recycling, through its
subsidiaries Ecoplast and mtm plastics, Project STOP and
the Design For Recycling initiative are a “perfect” addition
to OMV’s ReOil technology for the chemical recycling of
post-consumer plastic, OMV noted.
The proprietary ReOil technology converts hard-torecycle
plastic waste into “high-quality” feedstock for its
refineries, substituting the need for crude oil.

 

AGCC Selects Univation’s PE Process For Gas Chemical Project in Russia

Svobodny—Amur
Gas Chemical Complex LLC (AGCC) has chosen Univation
Technologies’ Unipol PE (polyethylene) process for three
new PE lines, as part of AGCC’s world-scale integrated gas
chemical complex under construction in Svobodny, Russia
(PCN, 24 Aug 2020, p 1).
The technology will be used in two 600,000-t/y lines for
high-density PE (HDPE) and linear low-density PE production,
and one 600,000 t/y single line focused on a broad
range of both bimodal and unimodal HDPE production.
AGCC’s project will process ethane fraction from Gazprom’s
Amur Gas Processing Plant, also under development,
for the production of ethylene. The project will also
include the production of 400,000 t/y of polypropylene.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2024 with
commissioning planned in 2025.
Univation will also supply its advanced software platforms
for both process control capability and virtual process
training tools.
“The Amur GCC project represents a significant step
towards Sibur’s transformation into a global-level petrochemical
company,” said Sergey Komyshan, management
board member – executive director of petrochemicals at
Sibur.
“This strategic project signifies a key investment commitment
directed at creating new world-scale polyolefin
manufacturing capabilities and contributing to unlocking
Russia’s huge non-commodity export potential.”

 

DGR Picks Grace’s Unipol PP Process To Expand PP Capacity in Dongguan

Shanghai—
W. R. Grace & Co. has again licensed its Unipol PP (polypropylene)
process technology to Dongguan Grand Resource
Science & Technology Co. (DGR) to increase PP
production capacity at DGR’s site in Dongguan, Guangdong
Province, China (PCN, 20 July 2020, p 1).
The new 600,000-t/y PP facility, scheduled for completion
in 2023, is the same size and located on the same site
as the first PP plant, which was completed last year.
In addition to the technology license, the deal includes a
long-term catalyst supply agreement between Grace and
DGR, giving DGR the ability to produce a wide range of
resin grades and provide more PP options to its customers.
DGR recently awarded a contract to Clariant to provide
its Catofin catalyst for a second propane dehydrogenation
(PDH) unit at Dongguan.
The new 600,000-t/y PDH plant will increase propylene
capacity to 1.2-million t/y and is expected to be commissioned
in 2022.

 

ExxonMobil Plans Additional Job Cuts, Will Primarily Affect Houston Offices

Irving—
ExxonMobil, which recently announced job cuts across a
number of its European sites, is now planning to reduce
staffing levels in the U.S., mainly at its management offices
in Houston, Texas (PCN, 12 Oct 2020, p 1).
The company anticipates that around 1,900 employees
will be affected through voluntary and involuntary programs,
as a result of ongoing reorganizations and workprocess
changes to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
“These actions will improve the company’s long-term
cost competitiveness and ensure the company manages
through the current unprecedented market conditions,”
ExxonMobil explained. “The impact of COVID-19 on the
demand for ExxonMobil’s products has increased the urgency
of the ongoing efficiency work.”
In the beginning of October, the company said it anticipated
that up to 1,600 positions would be impacted across
several of its affiliate’s sites in Europe by the end of 2021.

 

Balaji Amines Receives Board Approval To Set Up New Methylamines Facility

New Delhi—
Balaji Amines is planning to build a new methylamines
plant in Solapur, Maharashtra, India, and has received
approval from the company’s board of directors.
The project, for which a cost and schedule were not
given, will have between 40,000 t/y and 50,000 t/y of methylamines
capacity. Balaji has already got environmental
clearance.
Separately, the company said it has begun an expansion
of acetonitrile capacity to about 18-20 t/d from its current
capacity of around 9 t/d. Production will be gradually
ramped up by the end of this fiscal year.

 

Methanex Concludes Geismar 1 Expansion; In Process of Restarting Chile IV Plant

Vancouver—
Methanex, in its third quarter 2020 results, said it has
completed an expansion of its Geismar 1 methanol facility
in Louisiana and expects to ramp up to full production over
the “coming weeks.”
The expansion project will increase the company’s production
capacity by about 10%, or 100,000 t/y. The Geismar
2 methanol facility is also being expanding as part of
the project (PCN, 4 Nov 2019, p 2). Capacities of the
plants were not given.
Methanex also said it is in the process of restarting its
800,000-t/y Chile IV methanol unit in Puenta Arenas,
Chile, which had been idled due to the uncertainty in the
global economy from the COVID-19 pandemic (PCN, 6-13
Apr 2020, p 1).
In addition, the company announced that no decision
has been made at this time on whether to restart its 1.8-
million-t/y Geismar 3 project, located next to its Geismar 1
and Geismar 2 plants.
Earlier this year, Methanex decided to defer about
$500-million of capital spending on Geismar 3 for up to 18
months. Construction activity and procurement of noncritical
equipment and bulk materials have been suspended
until market conditions allow the project to restart.
“We are encouraged by recent early signs of economic
recovery, including improvement in methanol demand and
methanol prices,” noted President and Chief Executive
John Floren.
“However, in this unprecedented environment impacted
by both COVID-19 and challenging commodity prices, the
path and pace for global economic recovery and methanol
demand remains uncertain.”

 

Wanhua Chemical Begins Operations At New Methanol Facility in Yantai

Yantai—Wanhua
Chemical has started up a new coal-based methanol plant
at its site in Yantai, Shandong Province, China, Argus Media
reported.
The methanol plant has a nameplate capacity of
600,000 t/y and is capable of producing up to 670,000 t/y.
It will replace an older 200,000-t/y methanol unit at the
site that has been mothballed.
Wanhua plans to initially use the methanol mainly as
feedstock for its diphenylmethane diisocyanate, methyl
methacrylate and methyl tertiary butyl ether units.

 

Eneos Ending Petrochem Production At Chita Facility by Next October

Tokyo—Eneos Holdings,
formerly known as JXTG Holdings, will discontinue
production at its petrochemicals plant in Chita, Japan, by
October 2021, reported an industry source citing the company.
Ending production at the facility would reduce Eneos’s
paraxylene capacity by 400,000 t/y giving the company a
total paraxylene production capacity of over 3-million t/y.
“We have decided to end production at Chita as the
plant is expected to stay in loss-making conditions due to
[the] slumping paraxylene market,” said the report quoting
Eneos Executive Vice President Junichi Iwase (see related
story, pg. 3).

 

Shell to Transform Refining Portfolio; Will Integrate Refining & Chemicals

London—Royal
Dutch Shell announced further details of its plan to integrate
its refining portfolio with chemicals, as part of its
goal to be net-zero by 2050 (PCN, 5 Oct 2020, p 1).
“For us, the strategic value of refining is in its integration,”
said Shell Chief Executive Ben van Beurden. “That
means integration with trading and optimization of course.
But it also means integration with chemicals and increasingly
integration with low-carbon fuels, like biofuels, hydrogen
and synthetic fuels.
“And, to that end, we will concentrate our portfolio in
six positions that we call energy and chemicals parks,
mainly around the U.S. Gulf Coast, Northwest Europe and
in Singapore.”
Shell recently announcing a “major” restructuring process,
in which it would cut between 7,000 and 9,000 jobs by
2022 in its refineries, chemical sites, and onshore and offshore
production facilities. Shell currently has 14 refineries.

 

Brenntag Plans Transformation Program; Will Cut About 1,300 Jobs, Close Sites

Essen—
Brenntag announced a new comprehensive transformation
program, Project Brenntag, that is expected to bring a sustainable
annual contribution of additional operating
EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization) of €220-million by 2023.
Beginning in January 2021, the company will be
steered in two global division with a focus on changing customer
needs and supplier needs: Brenntag Essentials and
Brenntag Specialties.
The new operating model is expected to lead to a reduction
of around 1,300 jobs. In addition, about 100 sites
across all regions are expected to close; however, the group
will invest in existing and new sites, create regional hubs,
and close “white spots” in the network, Brenntag noted.

 

Aliplast Chooses Nextchem Technology For Waste Plastic-to-Polymers Plant

Milan—Maire
Tecnimont’s Nextchem subsidiary and Aliplast, a subsidiary
of Hera Group, have signed a strategic agreement, in
which Aliplast will use Nextchem’s MyReplast upcycling
technology for a new facility to produce polymers from
plastic waste.
Nextchem will provide technology and engineering, procurement
and construction services for the plant, which
will be located at one of Hera’s sites in Europe.
The facility, once fully operational, will be capable of
producing up to 30,000 t/y of polymers. It will be equipped
with processes automation and high digitalization for data
analytics, the companies noted. A schedule for the project
was not given.
“The partnership with Nextchem will allow Aliplast to
exploit recycling and compounding opportunities in order
to expand into the sector of rigid plastics like PP [polypropylene],
HDPE [high-density polyethylene] and ABS [acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene], which are difficult to recycle
effectively with mechanical processes,” said the parties.
Aliplast operates 90 facilities in France, Spain and Poland.

 

Alberta Announces Start Up of New Petrochemicals Incentive Program

Alberta—The government
of Alberta said its new Alberta Petrochemicals
Incentive Program (APIP) is “open for business” (PCN, 13
July 2020, p 4).
Part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan, the APIP will help attract
billions in petrochemical project investments and continue
to diversify the province’s economy, while drawing
directly on Alberta’s abundant reserves of natural gas, the
government explained.
Projects eligible for the program must have a minimum
$50-million in capital investment; consume natural gas,
natural gas liquids or petrochemical intermediaries; create
new and permanent jobs in Alberta, and meet the federally
set definition of a manufacturing and processing facility.
Key features include: a 10-year program, during which
eligible projects must be built and operational; every project
that meets the program’s criteria will receive funding
once built and operational; instead of royalty credits,
grants will be issued after projects are operational, and the
government will make the funds available throughout the
program’s duration once the facilities are in service, in order
to align with typical business investment cycles.

 

Mitsui to Form JV with Veolia, Seven & I To Build PET Recycling Plant in Japan

Tokyo—
Mitsui & Co. has signed a shareholders’ agreement with
Veolia Japan and Seven & i Holdings to establish a joint
venture for setting up a new polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) recycling facility in Japan.
The plant, expected to have around 25,000 t/y of recycled
PET resin capacity, is planned to begin operations in
2022. The parties are expected to make a final investment
decision by the end of this fiscal year, after which the joint
venture company would be formed.
Veolia would contribute its advanced technology and
know-how accumulated through regular exchange of technical
information among the group’s plants to handle lowgrade
waste plastic bottles. It operates 10 recycling plants
worldwide.
Seven & i would supply waste plastic bottles to the recycling
facility and use the recycled PET materials in some
of its containers.
As a follow on from this project, Mitsui would contribute
its wide range of business assets and global network to
study and promote similar projects.

 

Nexeo Plastics Enters Deal with STFG To Distribute PA6 Products in Europe

Houston—
Nexeo Plastics and STFG Filamente GmbH, an affiliate of
KuibyshevAzot, have signed an agreement, in which Nexeo
will distribute STFG’s polyamide 6 (PA6) products
throughout Europe.
Nexeo has agreed to carry and distribute the Volgamid
Eco-line series, which includes the Eco-G6A, a mostly
prime/recycled material mix, and the Eco-G6B line with
100% recycled materials.
“The agreement with KuibyshevAzot extends our reach
in EMEA [Europe, Middle East and Africa] and improves
the selection of standard and eco-friendly thermoplastics to
those requiring solutions for a variety of applications,” said
Nexeo Plastics President and Chief Executive Paul Taylor.

 

Idemitsu Kosan Considering Purchase Of Eneos’ Chita Paraxylene Facility

Tokyo—Idemitsu
Kosan said it has concluded a basic memorandum with
Eneos to acquire Eneos’ 400,000-t/y paraxylene manufacturing
plant and ancillary facilities in Chita City, Aichi
Prefecture, Japan, for an undisclosed amount (see related
story, pg. 2).
“To prepare for the structural decline in demand for
domestic petroleum products and the future growth of the
Asian market, the company has been setting up an optimal
production and supply system,” Idemitsu Kosan noted.
“On the other hand, the demand for gasoline fraction is
declining, and the company’s utilization of such gasoline
fraction more than ever has been a significant issue for
improving the overall group refineries’ competitiveness and
maximizing their value.
“Under these circumstances, the company was informed
that Eneos has decided to stop the Chita plant’s manufacturing
function and thought it would be more efficient for
the company to purchase the petrochemicals manufacturing
equipment located at the Chita plant than to build new
equipment. Therefore, the company has agreed with Eneos
to proceed with the consideration thereof.”

 

CF Board Approves Green NH3 Project As Part of Clean Energy Commitment

Deerfield—CF
Industries has received board of directors’ approval for a
green ammonia (NH3) project at its Donaldsonville, La.,
nitrogen complex, to support its clean energy commitment.
CF will install a state-of-the-art electrolysis system at
the site to generate carbon-free hydrogen from water that
will then be supplied to an existing plant to produce about
20,000 t/y of green ammonia.
The company is also developing carbon capture and sequestration
and other carbon abatement projects across its
production facilities, which will enable CF to produce lowcarbon
ammonia.
CF estimates that over time it could produce approximately
3.5-million t/y of low-carbon ammonia, which represents
around one-third of its annual ammonia production
capacity, without affecting its current product mix.
To carry out these initiatives, the company said it is
partnering with “leading” technologies companies and has
signed memorandum of understandings with Haldor Topsoe
and ThyssenKrupp.

 

Celanese Extends Terminal Service Contract With Dragon Crown for Nanjing Facility

Nanjing—
Celanese (Nanjing) Chemical Co., a subsidiary of Celanese
Corp., has extended a contract with Nanjing Dragon Crown
Liquid Chemical Terminal Co. to provide terminal services
to Celanese’s integrated chemical facility in the Nanjing
Chemical Industrial Park, Nanjing City, China.
Extending this “critical” contract will provide the facility
with ongoing and “reliable” terminal services for the
company’s acetyls chemical products, Celanese noted.
“Dragon Crown has consistently provided Celanese with
safe, compliant and reliable terminal services in China for
more than a decade,” said John Fotheringham, senior vice
president of acetyls at Celanese.
“The renewal of this contract is a representation of the
collaboration between the two parties and further
strengthens our long-term business relationship.”

 

Lucite and Mitsubishi Join Agilyx To Deliver Fully Circular PMMA

Tigard—Lucite International,
with the support of its parent company Mitsubishi
Chemical Corp. (MCC) said it plans to pursue a commercial-
scale trial for the recycling of polymethyl
methacrylate (PMMA) at Agilyx’s facility in Tigard, Ore.,
to deliver fully circular PMMA.
The decision follows the success of an initial smallerscale
trial using Agilyx’s molecular recycling technology.
The companies expect commercial production of recycled
PMMA by 2023.
“The results of the trial were so encouraging that we
asked Agilyx to run a full-scale plant trial to further prove
and optimize their technology,” said David Smith, circular
economy program lead at Lucite.
“The MMA yield and purity figures of the first trial
surpassed our expectations, so we are excited to see how
well PMMA can be recycled at full production levels. Most
encouragingly, when we tested a wide variety of PMMA
feedstocks during the initial trial; we purposely included a
number of containments and the Agilyx technology handled
them with no issues.”

 

Trinseo and TRS Form Partnership To Increase Use of Recycled Tires

Berwyn—Trinseo
has reached a definitive agreement with Tyre Recycling
Solutions (TRS) on a commercial collaboration to accelerate
the development of sustainable synthetic rubber tire formulations
through the increased use of recycled tires.
The partners will collaborate on research and development,
utilizing their combined technology expertise to help
global tire manufacturers develop the formulations.
As part of the definitive agreement, Trinseo will make
an equity investment in TRS. Subject to customary closing
conditions, the transaction is expected to close later this
quarter. No other details were disclosed.
“This collaboration is extremely important for developing
real circular solutions for the tire and technical rubber
goods industries,” said Francesca Reverberi, vice president
of engineered materials and synthetic rubber at Trinseo.
“As a leading supplier of synthetic rubber to the tire industry,
we are committed to helping our customers achieve
their sustainability goals and believe that the most successful
way to do this is through collaboration across the
value chain. The partnership with TRS will provide us
with high-quality recycled tire feedstock to serve customers
globally.”

 

GPCA Reschedules 15th Annual Forum; Will Take Place in February in Dubai

Dubai—The
Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Assn. (GPCA) has decided
to reschedule its 15th Annual GPCA Forum, originally
planned to be held from 7-9 Dec. 2020; and will now
hold it from 10-11 Feb. 2021 at the Madinat Jumeirah in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
With the theme “Leadership in the new reality – Catalyzing
sustainable growth in the chemical industry,” the
conference agenda will examine strategies to drive recovery
and recalibrate for sustainable growth. GPCA will announces
speakers at a later date.
“The health and safety of our colleague is of supreme
importance and we will ensure that the necessary precautions
are taken when we welcome you to the 15th Annual
GPCA Forum,” the association noted.
For more information on the forum, visit GPCA’s website
at https://gpcaforum.net/about.

 

Lubrizol & Grasim Partner to Develop India’s ‘Largest’ CPVC Resin Facility

New Delhi—
Lubrizol Advanced Materials and Grasim Industries announced
they have entered into a definitive agreement to
build India’s “largest” chlorinated polyvinyl chloride
(CPVC) plant in India.
The state-of-the-art facility, which will be located at
Grasim’s site in Vilayat, India, will have close to 100,000
t/y of CPVC production capacity. The project will take part
in two phases, with the first phase of production expected
to be operational in late 2022.

 

IVL Finalizes Acquisition of 100% Stake In Polish PET Recycler IMP Polowat

Warsaw—
Indorama Ventures (IVL) has completed the purchase of a
100% equity interest in Industrie Maurizio Peruzzo Polowat
spolka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia (IMP Polowat),
a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycler in Poland
(PCN, 10 Aug 2020, p 3).
IMP Polowat has two production sites located in Bielsko-
biala and Leczyca, close to Krakow and Warsaw, respectively.
The sites have a combined capacity of 23,000
tons of recycled PET (rPET) and 4,000 tons of rPET pellets.
Value of the transaction was not disclosed.

SABIC and Aramco to Re-Evaluate Scope Of Planned Crude Oil-to-Chems Project

Jubail—
SABIC and Saudi Aramco announced their intention to reevaluate
the scope of their proposed project to develop an
industrial complex to convert crude oil to chemicals in
Yanbu, Saudi Arabia (PCN, 5 Nov 2018, p 1).
The complex, announced in 2017, is expected to process
400,000 b/d of crude oil for the production of about 9-
million t/y of chemicals and base oils. Operations are
scheduled to begin in 2025.
The scope will now be expanded to include continuing
the advancement of crude-to-chemicals technologies
through existing development programs with the goal to
increase efficiency, competitiveness and value creation opportunities
for petrochemicals.
The partners will study the integration of Saudi
Aramco’s existing refineries in Yanbu with a world-scale
mixed-feed steam cracker and downstream olefin derivative
units.

 

Huntsman Announces Official Start-Up Of New Terol Polyols Plant in Taiwan

Taipei—Huntsman
said it has officially opened its new Terol aromatic
polyester polyols facility at its systems house in Kuan Yin,
Taiwan.
The 22,000-t/y polyols plant uses the company’s proprietary
process that upcycles polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) bottles. This is the “first” time Huntsman has
manufactured its Terol polyols outside the U.S., the company
noted.
Huntsman manufactures Terol polyols for the Americas
and European regions from its plant in Houston, Texas,
where it upcycles the equivalent of 1-billion PET bottles
per year. It also manufactures polyols from scrap PET bottles
at its Huntsman Building Solutions site in Boisbriand,
Canada.

 

LG Develops Biodegradable Material With Properties Equivalent to PP

Seoul—LG Chem
said it has successfully developed the world’s “first” biodegradable
material that has mechanical properties that are
equivalent to synthetic resins, such as polypropylene (PP).
The new material is manufactured using 100% biobased
contents, including corn-based glucose and crude
glycerol, and has “significantly improved” flexibility and
transparency compared to existing biodegradable materials,
the company noted.
LG recently received confirmation from the German
biodegradable materials international certification agency,
Din Certco, that more than 90% of the newly developed
material was decomposed within 120 days.
The company is scheduled to conduct prototype evaluations
for client companies in 2022 with the goal of mass
production in 2025.

 

Total Denies Reports of Possible Sale Of Its Resins Business at Carling

Paris—Total, in response
to information published by certain media, confirmed
there is no process underway to sell the Societe
Cray Valley resins business at its Carling, France, facility.
The company said it reaffirms its commitment made in
2013, during Carling’s restructuring, and will continue to
develop the C4 resin (Ricon and Krasol) and RW resin
(Cleartrac) businesses.
“Since the 2013 investment, the Carling platform has
grown by focusing on specialty resins, value-added polymers
intended primarily for the automotive industry and
by also consolidating its position as Total’s main polystyrene
production site in Europe,” Total noted.
In addition, an agreement signed with the French government,
the Grand Est region and local communities, has
enabled several third-party industrial projects to be set up
at Carling. The four projects, representing a total investment
of €125-million, are led by Metex, Afyren, SNF Coagulants
and Quaron.

 

Celanese Adding New Line in Texas For Production of GUR UHMW-PE

Dallas—Celanese
is planning to build a new GUR ultra-high molecular
weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) production line at its
manufacturing facility in Bishop, Texas.
The UHMW-PE line is expected to add around 15,000
t/y of GUR capacity by the start of 2022. Cost of the project
was not available.
Celanese said it continues to be the “only truly” global
producer of UHMW-PE in Asia, North America and
Europe.
In June 2019, the company completed an expansion of
GUR capacity by about 15,000 t/y at its Nanjing, China,
integrated chemical complex (PCN, 7 May 2018, p 1).

 

Nippon Shokubai, Sanyo Chemical Terminate Earlier Agreement to Combine Businesses

Tokyo—
Nippon Shokubai and Sanyo Chemical, at their respective
board of directors’ meetings, have decided to cancel their
previously announced business integration agreement
(PCN, 16 Mar 2020, p 3).
The companies executed the final agreement late last
year to conduct the integration by way of a joint share
transfer. They planned to combine into a new business
named Synfomix Co.
Their decision was due to “significant” changes in raw
material prices and product prices, as well as “heightened”
uncertainty about product demand in the future, Nippon
Shokubai noted.
The companies also determined that, in light of the current
business environment, exerting their respective
strengths as independent companies will lead to “enhancing”
the companies’ corporate value.

 

Hengyi Industries Lets Lummus Contract For New PP Plant at Brunei Complex

Brunei Bay—
Lummus said it has been awarded a contract by Hengyi
Industries for a new large-scale polypropylene (PP) facility
to be built in Brunei.
The 1-million-t/y PP unit is part of Hengyi’s second
phase expansion of its refinery and petrochemical complex
at Palau Muara Besar (PCN, 21 Sept 2020, p 2).
PCN earlier reported that the project would involve increasing
capacity of the 160,000-b/d oil refinery and adding
an ethylene facility, paraxylene unit and a purified
terephthalic acid plant. Construction is expected to last
three years.
The first phase was started up last year and included
the oil refinery, a 1-million-t/y aromatics facility and a
500,000-t/y benzene unit.
Lummus’ scope includes technology license, basic design
engineering, training and technical services. Value of
the contract was not given.
The new PP unit will be “one of the largest” PP units in
the world and will offer a complete product range, Lummus
noted, adding that the unit is its “largest” PP license to
date.

 

Nova Enters Agreement with Alpek To Divest Its Styrenics Business

Pittsburgh—Nova
Chemicals has signed an agreement to sell its expandable
styrenics business to a subsidiary of Alpek for an undisclosed
amount.
Alpek will acquire a 100% stake in Nova’s BVPV Styrenics
business, which owns and operates a facility in
Monaca, Penn., with a capacity of 123,000 t/y of expandable
polystyrene (EPS), 36,000 t/y of Arcel resin, and a research
and development pilot plant, as well as a plant in
Painesville, Ohio, with 45,000 t/y of EPS capacity.
The sale, which is expected to close this quarter, is an
“important” step in Nova’s plan to focus on its olefin and
polyethylene (PE) business, which includes additional investments
to advance a global circular economy for plastic,
Nova noted.
“This transaction provides us with immediate cash generation
to further strengthen our balance sheet and focus
on the safe and successful completion and start-up of our
world-class Advanced Sclairtech technology facility, under
construction in Ontario, Canada,” said Nova President and
Chief Executive Luis Sierra (PCN, 20 Apr 2020, p 1).
The Sclairtech facility will have around 450,000 t/y of
PE capacity and is being built adjacent to the company’s
Corunna cracker, which is being expanded. The expanded
cracker will supply ethylene feedstock to the new PE plant.
Both projects are scheduled to be completed in late 2021.

 

Rosneft Touts Development of Process To Obtain Hydrogen and Aromatics

Moscow—Rosneft
said it has developed an “innovative” methane aromatization
technology that can obtain hydrogen and aromatics
from natural and associated petroleum gas (APG).
With the new process, 1-billion cu m of hydrogen and
500,000 tons of aromatic hydrocarbons can be produced
from 1-billion cu m of natural gas or APG.
The technology offers a reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions, lower unit capital costs, increased product yield
and economic efficiency, the company noted.

 

FG Says Its Deferring ‘Major’ Construction On Sunshine Project in St. James Parish

St. James—
FG LA LLC, part of Formosa Plastics Group, told PCN it is
deferring major construction on its world-scale ethylene
complex, known as The Sunshine Project, being built in St.
James Parish, La. (PCN, 3 Aug 2020, p 1).
The estimated $9.4-billion complex is being built in two
phases and will include the production of ethylene, propylene,
high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density PE,
ethylene glycol (EG), polypropylene and a utility plant in
the first phase.
The second phase will include a second ethylene cracker
and utility plant, as well as the production of low-density
PE, HDPE and EG. An expected completion date was not
disclosed.
“The widespread impacts of a global pandemic, including
the challenge it creates in evaluating construction costs
and the restrictions it has placed on international travel,
are being felt across all industries and businesses, including
FG,” said Janile Parks, director of community and government
relations at FG. “As a result, FG has deferred
major construction until the pandemic has subsided and/or
an effective vaccine is widely available.”
FG is continuing with preconstruction activities for the
project.

 

Shell, NEA to Jointly Study Feasibility Of Chemical Recycling in Singapore

Singapore—Shell
and the National Environment Agency (NEA) have decided
to jointly explore the feasibility of chemically recycling
plastic waste in Singapore.
The study will look into waste segregation facilities and
plastic pyrolysis plants to recycle plastic waste via pyrolysis,
a chemical process that converts plastic waste into
higher-value products such as pyrolysis oil. The oil can be
upgraded as feedstock to manufacture new plastics and
chemicals.
“Chemical recycling will enable the recycling of contaminated
plastics that are recovered from our general
waste,” said NEA Chief Executive Tan Meng Dui.
“This feasibility study is part of NEA’s efforts to develop
our local plastic recycling capabilities, improve our plastic
recycling rates and enhance the resilience of our overall
waste management infrastructure.
“The joint study with Shell will help NEA gain a better
understanding of the technical and commercial aspects of a
chemical recycling value chain in Singapore and bring us
one step closer to realizing our goal of a circular economy
for plastics.”
The study with Shell will complement NEA’s consultancy
study on the feasibility of developing a pilot Plastic
Recovery Facility in Singapore, which will be awarded by
the end of this year and run parallel to the study between
Shell and NEA.

 

People on the Move

BioLogiQ—Steven Sherman, most recently president
and chief operating officer, has become chief executive to
lead the company through its next stage of growth.
Bryce Esplin has become chief operating officer to succeed
Sherman. He was previously vice president of manufacturing
operations.

 

West Virginia Methanol Selects Site For New $350-MN Methanol Plant

Charleston—West
Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced that West Virginia
Methanol has selected a site in Pleasants County, W.
Va., to build a new $350-million methanol facility.
The 900-t/d high-purity methanol plant is expected to
begin operations as early as mid-2023. A final investment
decision is anticipated in the first half of 2021.
The company is currently working on permitting and
final design details and has selected Haldor Topsoe for the
supply of the main methanol units’ engineering, procurement,
fabrication and assembly.
West Virginia Methanol plans to use three MeOH-To-
Go plant units, based on Topsoe’s technology, in collaboration
with Modular Plant Solutions.
“The MeOH-To-Go process is based on proven, robust
and safe technology,” said Amy Hebert, deputy chief executive
of West Virginia Methanol.
“It features a modularized design that is fabricated offsite
and transported to the site where it is assembled. This
lowers cost and shortens the time from investment decision
to first methanol production. The MeOH-To-Go technology
is the fastest route to monetizing the rich natural gas resources
in West Virginia.”

 

Borealis Opens New Naphtha Cavern To Utilize for Its Porvoo Operations

Porvoo—Borealis
has commissioned its new naphtha cavern in Porvoo,
Finland, which it said it will use to source and store naphtha
for its local operations from the global market in a
more “flexible, cost-efficient and secure” way.
The 80,000-cu m facility can also accommodate renewable
naphtha so that customers may, in the future, draw
on certified renewable polypropylene and polyethylene, as
well as renewable base chemicals, ethylene propylene and
phenol, Borealis noted.
Furthermore, naphtha can now be delivered by large
marine vessels in addition to rail. The project required an
investment of around €25-million.
“The innovative cavern in Porvoo improves our commercial
flexibility and will make a valuable contribution to
the achievement of our sustainability goals and the circularity
of our products,” said Martijn van Koten, executive
vice president of base chemicals and operations.

 

Nouryon, Atul Get Environmental Clearance To Set Up New MCA Facility in Gujarat

Mumbai—
Anaven, a 50-50 joint venture of Nouryon and Atul, has
received environmental clearance for a new monochloroacetic
acid (MCA) plant to be built in Gujarat, India (PCN,
22-29 Apr 2010, p 3).
The facility, which will become the “largest” MCA unit
in India, will have an initial production capacity of 32,000
t/y of MCA and has been designed for future expansion to
60,000 t/y, the companies noted.
Construction and testing of the plant is scheduled to be
completed this year and full production capacity is expected
to be reached in the first half of 2021.
Atul will supply chlorine and hydrogen to the new facility.
It will consume a portion of the MCA directly in its
own production and the remaining MCA will be supplied to
the Indian market.

 

AOC Reaches Agreement to Purchase Spolchemie’s Czech UPR Operations

Prague—Resins
and specialty materials supplier AOC has reached an
agreement with Spolchemie and Kaprain to acquire Spolchemie’s
unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) manufacturing
operations in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic.
The plant, which has already been supplying resins to
AOC on a contract basis, features state-of-the-art UPR
production equipment and has “unique” capabilities for
manufacturing green resins based on recycled polyethylene
terephthalate, AOC noted.
The transaction, for which a value was not given, is expected
to be finalized in the fourth quarter of this year.
“This acquisition will give AOC a major leverage for
strengthening our market position in Central and Eastern
Europe, as well as in Germany,” said AOC Chief Executive
Joe Salley. “It enables us to ensure continued competitiveness
in the region.
“The acquisition proves our commitment to this industry,
helping us and our customers to build even stronger
relationships through supply security and continued technical
collaboration.”
Kaprain, a Czech investment group, is a majority shareholder
in Spolchemie.

 

AmSty’s PS Food Packaging Products To Contain 25% Recycled Content

The Woodlands—
AmSty has made a commitment that all products designed
for foodservice and food packaging applications will contain
25% recycled content by 2030.
The company plans to reach this goal utilizing a circular
recycling process, which is operating commercially at
Regenyx, its joint venture with Agilyx (PCN, 28 Sept 2020,
p 2).
Amsty and Ineos Styrolution recently announced plans
to build a joint facility for the advanced recycling of PS in
Channahon, Ill.
Engineering design is underway for the new 100-t/d
plant, which will utilize Agilyx’s advanced recycling technology.
An expected completion date was not given.
Agilyx will source and supply plastic waste feedstock to
the facility through its Cyclyx International subsidiary.

 

Clariant and Tianjin University to Partner On Research & Development of Catalysts

Tianjin—
Clariant Catalysts and Tianjin University (TJU) recently
announced a long-term strategic partnership that will focus
on the research and development of new catalysts for
the Chinese market.
The partnership, with an initial commitment of four
years, will establish the Clariant-TJU Academy.
“This pioneering academy offers our students opportunities
to gain industrial experience with Clariant’s scientists
and it enhances the industrial catalysis knowledge of
our researchers and faculties,” said Donghan Jin, president
of TJU.
“The cooperation also provides a way for us to commercialize
the joint research results using Clariant’s established
infrastructure.”
TJU is ranked number one in China in the field of
chemical engineering and technology by the Chinese Ministry
of Education.

 

Covestro Receives a ‘First’ Delivery Of Renewable Phenol from Borealis

Berlin—Neste
announced that Covestro, as part of a strategic cooperation,
has received a “first” delivery of 1,000 tons of renewable
phenol from Borealis (PCN, 1-8 June 2020, p 1).
The ISCC Plus mass balance certified phenol is manufactured
using ISCC Plus certified hydrocarbons produced
by Neste, which are produced entirely from renewable raw
materials. Covestro will use the phenol to produce polycarbonate
– as a replacement for part of the phenol previously
manufactured from purely fossil resources.
“We are delighted to see our renewable feedstock helping
Covestro to achieve this new milestone,” said Neste
President and Chief Executive Peter Vanacker. “It highlights
the drop-in nature of our product replacing fossil
crude and its fit for a continuously increasing number of
demanding applications.
“Furthermore, it clearly demonstrates how sustainability-
focused collaboration among frontrunner companies –
Neste, Borealis and Covestro – can make a positive impact
even within a complex value chain.”
Neste’s renewable hydrocarbons are suitable for existing
infrastructures and enable customers to produce more
sustainable products using their existing processes.

 

Ineos Styrolution Obtains Flemish Funding For ‘Remove2Reclaim’ Research Project

Berlin—
Ineos Styrolution said it is joining the research project “Remove2Reclaim
– Recycling of plastics and titanium dioxide
via advanced dissolution and separation techniques for
plastic additive removal,” and has received funding from
the Flemish Agency of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Working together with European research institutes,
the project aims to develop innovative solvent-based extraction
routes to remove additives, such as titanium dioxide,
from different polymer matrices and to reuse both the
titanium dioxide and polymer in new products, Ineos explained.
For Ineos, this dissolution route complements the existing
mechanical and depolymerization recycling projects.
Polymers targeted in the project include polystyrene (PS),
high impact PS and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
The Remove2Reclaim project is organized under the
umbrella of the Flemish spearhead cluster Catalisti. Research
partners include Ghent University, Katholieke Universiteit
Leuven, the Flemish Institute for Technological
Research in Mol, and Centexbel.

 

Elix Polymers, Repsol Reach Agreement For the Supply of Recycled Styrene

Madrid—Elix
Polymers and Respol have signed a circular economy partnership
agreement, in which Repsol will supply ISCC Pluscertified
recycled styrene to Elix on a regular basis from
2021.
The ISCC Plus certification, which Repsol obtained late
last year on all of its production centers for polyolefins and
other circular petrochemical products, will enable Repsol to
guarantee the traceability of the waste used.
In addition to the regular supply of the recycled styrene,
the agreement includes the possibility of developing
joint projects within the scope of the circular economy for
developing more sustainable solutions, Elix noted.
The deal with Repsol is part of Elix’s sustainability
strategy, which includes forming partnerships with raw
material suppliers that allow it to integrate increasingly
more renewable raw materials into its products, in addition
to high-quality, mechanically-recycled acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene and monomers from chemical recycling.

 

Huntsman Chooses Univar to Distribute Polyurethane Additives in the Americas

Chicago—
Univar Solutions has been selected by Huntsman’s Performance
Products Division as distributor of polyurethane
additives for the Americas.
Effective 19 Oct. 2020, Univar is distributor for Huntsman’s
JEFFADD Aldehyde Scavenger and JEFFCAT Catalyst
product brands.
“We are excited to build on our existing partnership
with Univar Solutions Inc., which will bring first-class experience
to our customers and help enable their success,”
said David Ming, vice president of Huntsman’s Performance
Products Americas business.

 

MOL Completes Rubber Bitumen Unit

Budapest—
MOL said it has completed a new $10-million rubber bitumen
plant at its site in Zala, Hungary, to meet increasing
demand.
The facility, based on MOL’s patented technology, is capable
of producing about 20,000 t/y of rubber bitumen using
3,000 t/y of rubber scrap (about half a million used
tires).
The Zala refinery produces regular, polymer-modified
and rubber bitumen.

Arlanxeo Subsidiary Agrees to Divest Its Olefins Business to Mitsubishi

Sarnia—Arlanxeo
Canada, a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, has executed an
agreement with Diamond Petrochemicals Canada, a subsidiary
of Mitsubishi Corp., in which Arlanxeo will divest
its olefins business to Mitsubishi.
Arlanxeo’s olefins business produces butadiene and raffinate
at the Bio-Industrial Park Sarnia in Ontario, Canada.
Current employees of Arlanxeo’s olefins business will
be transferred to Mitsubishi, which plans to continue operations
at the Sarnia site.
The transaction, for which a value was not given, is
subject to customary closing conditions, including required
regulatory approvals. Closing is expected in the first half
of next year.

 

Lummus Establishes New Green Business For Energy Transition, Circular Economy

Houston—
Lummus Technology announced it has formed a new business
entity, Green Circle LLC, to concentrate and expand
its capabilities and capture new opportunities in the energy
transition and circular economy.
“Green Circle will build on Lummus’ role as a leading
licensor of process technology for the refining and petrochemicals
industries,” the company noted.
“The business will leverage the experience gained in designing
and integrating plants with modern olefins production
facilities, to deliver technology that converts a wide
range of end-of-life plastics derived from solid waste to
value-added fuels or circular polymers for a true plasticsto-
plastics formula.”
Several options will be available for lowering the carbon
footprint of existing facilities, including through the production
of renewable fuels, bio-based chemicals and polymers;
technology for carbon dioxide capture, utilization and
storage, and sustainable hydrogen production.
Green Circle will cooperate with technology providers in
these areas and serve Lummus’ customers that are looking
to develop a comprehensive roadmap of sustainable process
solutions.

 

Tatneft Obtains Construction Permit For Normal Butane Processing Unit

Moscow—Tatneft
said it has received a permit for the construction of a
planned normal butane (n-butane) processing unit and associated
off-site facilities at its Minnibayevo gas processing
plant in Russia.
The 50,000-t/y n-butane unit, which will be used for the
production of solid maleic anhydride for polymers, is scheduled
for commissioning in 2023.
“Taking into account the current situation at the petroleum
market, gas processing and petrochemicals are becoming
the most important work area for our entire company,”
noted Azat Bikmurzin, director of the oil, gas and
petrochemical complex of Tatneft.

 

Shell and Linde Decide to Collaborate On E-ODH Technology for Ethylene

Berlin—Shell and
Linde GmbH said they have entered into an exclusive collaboration
agreement on ethane-oxidative dehydrogenation
(E-ODH) technology for ethylene production that will enable
the accelerated deployment of the technology across
the wider chemicals sector.
The catalytic process is an alternative route to ethane
steam cracking, offering the potential of economic advantages,
acetic acid co-production and a “significantly” lower
overall carbon footprint through electrification of power
input.
The companies have each been developing E-ODH for a
number of years. With this collaboration, the partners will
combine their complementary patent positions, expert
know-how and commitment to a lower-carbon future, the
companies noted.
Linde will be responsible for marketing the technology
to customers under the name EDHOX.

 

PCC Rokita Gets Additional EIB Funds To Support Its Planned Investments

Wroclaw—The
European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted PCC Rokita
an additional €22.5-million in financing, which PCC Rokita
will use towards its investment project that includes the
modernization and extension of its chemical installations
(PCN, 28 Jan 2019, p 1).
Its planned investments, estimated to cost €110.5-
million, include the further expansion and modernization
of chemical plants, such as a pilot plant for the development
of polyols and a pilot plant for the production of
phosphates and phosphites.
PCC Rokita will also use the financing for the expansion
and optimization of electrolysis production and a propylene
oxide plant, the construction of the Process Innovation
and Scaling Centre, and other investments aimed at
adapting existing infrastructure to increase its scale of operations.
At the beginning of 2019, the EIB granted PCC Rokita €45-million in financing for the projects.

Huntsman Cuts Geismar MDI Production

Geismar—
Huntsman announced it is experiencing a partial outage at
its diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) facility in Geismar,
La., which is estimated to last about five weeks.
The outage is due to a mechanical failure at a thirdparty
raw material supplier, the company noted. An update
will be provided on Huntsman’s third quarter earnings
conference call on 29 Oct. 2020.
It is expected that the reduced operating rates will affect
the company’s fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA (earnings
before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization)
by around $15-million.

 

Shell Canada Decides to Cancel Plans To Sell Sarnia Manufacturing Centre

Sarnia—Shell
Canada has called off plans for the potential sale of its
Sarnia Manufacturing Centre in Canada, reported Reuters
citing a company spokeswoman.
“We have decided to stop actively marketing the Sarnia
Manufacturing Centre and its associated infrastructure,
which includes the refinery, chemicals plant, Sarnia and
Hamilton Distribution terminals and Shell’s 45% interest
in Sun-Canadian Pipeline,” the spokeswoman said.
“Shell will continue to operate these assets while maintaining
our market presence in Ontario and continuing to
honor branded supply and wholesale agreements.”
Shell announced in January 2019 that it was looking
for qualified buyers for its 75,000-t/y Sarnia refinery and
chemical plant (PCN, 14 Jan 2019, p 4).
According to Shell Canada’s website, the Sarnia Manufacturing
Centre makes propane, butane, pure chemicals,
benzene, toluene, xylene, liquefied petroleum gas, lowsulfur
gasoline, distillates, diesel, furnace oils, jet fuel and
heavy oils.

 

Sinopec Begins Ethylene Production At Zhanjiang Refinery, PC Complex

Zhanjiang—
Sinopec Zhongke Zhanjiang Petrochemical has achieved
on-spec production of ethylene, propylene and butadiene at
its integrated refinery and petrochemical complex in Zhanjiang,
Guangdong Province, China, reported Argus Media.
The complex includes facilities for the production of
800,000 t/y of ethylene, 400,000 t/y of propylene and
120,000 t/y of butadiene, as well as downstream units for
the production of 350,000 t/y of high-density polyethylene,
250,000 t/y/400,000 t/y of ethylene oxide, 100,000 t/y of
ethylene vinyl acetate and 200,000 t/y of polypropylene.
The $6.2-billion complex also includes a 200,000-b/d
crude oil refinery, which began operations this past June
(PCN, 22 June 2020, p 4).

 

Poseidon Plastics Gets Grant from UKRI To Construct Waste PET Recycling Unit

London—
Poseidon Plastics has received a £2.6-million grant from
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the national science
and research funding agency, to fund construction of a
waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling facility
at Teesside, UK (PCN, 18 Nov 2019, p 1).
The grant will be used to commercialize Poseidon’s
chemical recycling technology through the new plant,
which will initially be capable of processing 10,000 t/y of
waste PET. Construction is planned to begin in the second
quarter of 2021 and will be completed in 2022.
The recycling facility will redirect the equivalent of over
1-billion bottles per year out of landfills and the environment,
to instead be repurposed into consumer packaging
and other end-uses by Poseidon’s commercial partners.
Poseidon’s partners include Alpek Polyester, Biffa
Polymers and DuPont Teijin Films.
“By completing the supply chain from waste collection
and sorting to feedstock production and PET manufacture
through to consumer end-use goods, Poseidon and its partners
will achieve a UK-first, a fully circular economy for
PET plastic,” Poseidon noted.

 

Carbios Regrouping All of Its Activities To Michelin Site in Clermont-Ferrand

Paris—Carbios
recently announced it will move all of its activities to a single
site owned by Michelin near Carbios’ headquarters in
Clermont-Ferrand, France.
The facilities at the site will accommodate all of Carbios’
teams, which are currently spread over several locations.
They will include the development laboratory, the
pilot facility and the demonstration plant of the company’s
enzymatic recycling technology for polyethylene terephthalate
plastics and fibers (PCN, 6 July 2020, p 2).
Carbios’ demonstration plant was originally planned to
be built in Saint-Fons, France, and become operational in
June 2021. The project is now expected to be operational
in September 2021.
This collaboration with Michelin will support Carbios’
corporate and operational synergies to advance project development
and ensure technological and economic optimization,
Carbios noted.

 

Abu Qir Expanding Urea Production

Cairo—Abu Qir
Fertilizers (ABUK) is planning to increase the daily production
capacity of its ABUK-3 urea line in Egypt by 6% to
8%, according to Daily News Egypt.
The project, estimated to cost $80-million to $90-
million, will increase urea production capacity to 2,370 t/d
from 1,925 t/d currently. The expansion is planned to begin
at the end of this year and take about 24 months to
complete.
PCN recently reported that ABUK was proceeding with
feasibility studies for a new methanol facility in Ain Sokhna,
Egypt (PCN, 12 Oct 2020, p 2).
The $2.6-billion project would be implemented in two
phases and include the production of 1-million t/y of
methanol and 400,000 t/y of ammonia in the first phase. A
schedule was not given.

 

People on the Move

Cefic (European Chemical Industry Council)—
Martin Brudermüller, chief executive of BASF, has been
elected president of Cefic, effective immediately. He succeeds
Versalis Chief Executive Daniele Ferrari, who has
served as president of Cefic since October 2018.
Toray Plastics (America)—Christopher Voght has
been named general manager of the Torayfan Division. He
was most recently senior director of sales in that division.
Ingevity Corp.—Erik Ripple has become chief growth
and innovation officer and has joined the company’s leadership
team. He was previously president, Asia/Pacific,
and will continue to serve in that position until a permanent
replacement is named.
David Newton, most recently vice president of commercial
and growth, performance materials, has been named
vice president of strategy.
Spartech—John Inks, previously chief operating officer,
has been appointed chief executive.
Renewable Energy Group—Bob Kenyon has joined
the company as vice president of Sales & Marketing to replace
Gary Haer, who has decided to retire. Kenyon had
been president of Atlas Oil Co.

 

Borealis Signs Long-Term PPA with Eneco To Supply Production Plants in Belgium

Brussels—
Borealis has entered into a long-term power purchase
agreement (PPA) with sustainable energy supplier Eneco
to source renewable electricity from the newly built offshore
wind farm Mermaid for use in Borealis’ production
plants in Belgium.
The agreement, which begins in January 2021, involves
the purchase and supply of over 1,000 gigawatt hours of
wind power over the next 10 years.
By increasing the share of renewable power at its Belgian
production facilities, Borealis moves closer to its goal
of sourcing at least 50% of its electricity consumption from
renewable sources for its Polyolefins and Hydrocarbon &
Energy business areas by 2030.
The renewable electricity generated within the framework
of the PPA will reduce Borealis’ indirect carbon dioxide
emissions at its Belgian operations by about 20,000 t/y.
Eneco has an exclusive agreement with Mermaid to
procure the green energy it generates. Mermaid will be
fully operational at the end of 2020.

 

Wacker Investing in New Production Plants For Polymer Products at Its Nanjing Site

Nanjing—
Wacker Chemie plans to invest about $100-million in the
construction of a reactor for vinyl acetate ethylene copolymer
(VAE) dispersions and a spray dryer for VAE dispersible
polymer powders at its Nanjing, China, site.
The project, which will more than double Wacker’s production
capacity in Nanjing, is expected to come on stream
in the second half of 2022. Once complete, the plants will
be the “largest” of their kind in the world, the company
noted.
“China is the largest building market in the world, accounting
for 20% of all construction investment,” said
Wacker Chief Executive Rudolf Staudigl. “Our capacity
expansion in Nanjing strengthens our position as the
global leader for vinyl acetate ethylene dispersions and
polymer powders.”
Wacker also produces polyvinyl acetate solid resins at
the Nanjing site.

 

TechnipFMC, McPhy Ink MoU to Jointly Develop Green Hydrogen Technology

Paris—
TechnipFMC has entered into a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with McPhy, a manufacturer and supplier
of carbon-free hydrogen production and distribution
equipment, to collaborate on technology development and
project implementation to accelerate green hydrogen.
Through the MoU, TechnipFMC’s Technip Energies
segment and McPhy will jointly address commercial opportunities,
work on integrating their respective offerings and
research and develop hydrogen technology. TechnipFMC
will also make an equity investment in McPhy.
The MoU established a collaboration framework for the
manufacturing and commercialization of hydrogen electrolysis
production systems for large industry, renewable
energy storage and large mobility projects, and hydrogen
distribution systems for large mobility projects.
Technip Energies has offered proprietary steam reforming
technology for over 270 hydrogen production plants
worldwide.

 

Recycling Technologies and Partners Agree To Further Develop Chemical Recycling

London—
Recycling Technologies, Neste and Unilever are combining
their expertise to further develop and harness chemical
recycling to recover and reuse plastic packaging that is
either incinerated, buried in landfills or exported from the
UK.
Recycling Technologies is currently building its first
commercial-scale chemical recycling plant in Scotland, UK,
that will use its RT7000 scalable patented technology that
recycles plastic waste into petrochemical feedstocks and
waxes, trademarked as Plaxx, for new plastic production
(PCN, 16 Mar 2020, p 4).
The three partners have been awarded a £3.1-million
grant from UK Research and Innovation, which will help
assist, support and refine the testing and any improvement
of Recycling Technologies’ new recycling facility.
In a three-year project, Recycling Technologies will
process plastic waste into Plaxx and deliver it to Neste to
analyze and test the quality and suitability for further upgrading
into high-quality drop-in feedstock for the production
of new, virgin-quality plastics.
Earlier this year, Neste and investor Mirova announced
a combined €10-million investment into Recycling Technologies
to allow for construction of the new Scotland recycling
plant.
At the same time, Neste said it had signed a joint technology
agreement and a Plaxx offtake agreement with Recycling
Technologies.

 

Dow, JM Win Lawsuit Against Shanjun Related to Their LP Oxo Technology

Beijing—Dow
announced that the Jiangsu High People’s Court in China
ruled that Shanjun Clean Energy Technology Co. (the defendant)
infringed the trade secrets of LP Oxo technology,
jointly owned by affiliates of Dow and Johnson Matthey.
The court ruled that defendant illicitly obtained and infringed
trade secrets owned by Dow Global Technologies, a
subsidiary of Dow Chemical, and Johnson Matthey,
through its Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Ltd. subsidiary.
“Dow thanks the Jiangsu High People’s Court for its final
decision on this case,” said Yoke Loon Lim, president of
Dow Greater China. “The ruling demonstrates fair enforcement
of trade secret rights and commitments of the
U.S. and China’s Phase One Agreement and China’s commitment
to improve intellectual property rights.
“This enforcement is critical to protect the legitimate
operations and economic resiliency of domestic manufacturers
in China, the U.S. and around the globe. Dow will
continue to vigorously exercise our full legal rights to protect
our intellectual property in all countries.”
LP Oxo technology is a catalyzed low pressure process
for the production of oxo alcohols.

 

Lummus Picked by New Hope Technologies To License Waste Conversion Technology

Houston—
Lummus Technology has entered into a cooperation agreement
with New Hope Technologies, in which Lummus’ new
Green Circle business will be the exclusive licensor of New
Hope’s plastic waste conversion technology (see related
story, pg. 1).
“This partnership between Lummus and New Hope will
help reduce plastic waste through integrated processing
solutions for turning end-of-life plastics into pyrolysis oil,”
said Leon de Bruyn, president and chief executive of Lummus
Technology.
Under the terms of the agreement, Green Circle will be
the exclusive licensing party for this technology and will be
responsible for providing studies, basic engineering, technical
services, and proprietary equipment as part of the
technology transfer package.
New Hope has been operating a plastic waste conversion
plant for over five years in Tyler, Texas, with a design
capacity of 150 t/d.
“New Hope is excited to partner with Lummus to create
industrial scale waste plastic to circular chemicals plants
to address the over 1-million tons of plastic impacting the
environment daily,” noted Johnny Combs, chief executive
of New Hope.

 

Distributor Barentz Acquiring Maroon To Expand into Specialty Chemicals

Avon—Life science
ingredients distributor Barentz has entered into a
definitive agreement to acquire Maroon Group, a North
American specialty chemicals and life science ingredients
distributor.
The acquisition, expected to close this quarter, will expand
Barentz’s activities and is aligned with its strategy to
become a global leader in the life science and broader specialty
chemical industries. A purchase price was not disclosed.
“Our product portfolios are very complementary,” said
Barentz Chief Executive Hidde van der Wal. “We have no
conflicts of interest and we can learn a lot from each other.
“Maroon Group has significant scale in North America –
the biggest economy of the world, where we were small
until today. The combination will immediately make Barentz
a leading global distributor with an excellent opportunity
to establish new business segments in North America.
It is a natural combination that enables us to offer
quality and expertise to our combined customer base.”

 

Gevo Inks Deal with Total Cray Valley To Develop Renewable Isoamylene

Englewood—Gevo
and Total Cray Valley, a part of Total’s Polymers Division,
have signed a joint development agreement to upgrade fusel
oils from ethanol production into renewable isoamylene.
“This collaboration is a spin-off of Gevo’s chemicalbased
catalytic processes that selectively converts lowvalue
fusel oils, a mixture of alcohols that are byproducts
from fermentation processes such as ethanol or isobutanol
production, into renewable isoprene, ketones, aldehydes or
olefins,” said Gevo Chief Executive Patrick Gruber.
“Fusel oil from the ethanol industry alone equate to
about 2.5-million tons of potential bio-based waste feedstock
and this alliance will be another move towards the
delivery of low carbon sustainable chemicals.”
No other details of the partnership were given.

 

ADM & Spiber Announce Deal to Expand Spiber’s Bio-Based Polymers Production

Chicago—
ADM and Spiber said they have agreed to partner on expanding
the production of Spiber’s “innovative” Brewed
Protein brand bio-based polymers.
The polymers will be produced at ADM’s site in the U.S.
using plant-based dextrose as a feedstock, and then
shipped to Spider’s downstream facilities, where they will
be processed into an array of materials—primarily fibers—
for use in a variety of applications such as apparel, lightweight
auto parts, high-performance foams, and more.
The collaboration will combine Spiber’s structural protein
fermentation technology with ADM’s expertise in
large-scale fermentation technologies, engineering, operations
and extensive agricultural supply chain.
In 2019, ADM provided technical, engineering and
process support, along with access to production resources,
to help develop and test Spiber’s process at scale.

Celanese Concludes Sale to Daicel Of 45% Interest in Polyplastics JV

Dallas—Celanese
announced it has finalized the sale of its 45% stake in the
Polyplastics joint venture to Daicel Corp. for $1.575-billion
(PCN, 27 July 2020, p 2).
Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Polyplastics manufacturers
and sells various types of engineering plastic and
polymers, including polybutylene terephthalate, acetal copolymer,
fiberglass reinforced polyethylene terephthalate,
cyclic olefin copolymer, liquid crystal polymer and polyphenylene
sulfide.
“The sale of Polyplastics is an intentional departure
from a legacy relationship to a more contemporary approach
to independently drive future growth, advance application
development with customers, and pursue highreturn
expansion opportunities for the benefit of Celanese
and its customers,” Celanese noted.

 

Shrieve Completes Acquisition of CLP’s Styrene Business Unit, Other Assets

The Woodlands—
Shrieve Chemical has completed the purchase of the styrene
business unit and other assets from CLP Chemicals
for an undisclosed amount.
Based in Houston, Texas, CLP specializes in the distribution
of styrene, acrylates, acetic acid, glycerin and other
niche chemicals. CLP’s glycerin business unit was not included
in the sale.
“The combination with Shrieve is an exciting inflection
point for the platform CLP has built in styrene, acrylates
and acetic acid,” said CLP President Chris Parker.
“With Shrieve’s support, we are excited to offer our customers
a substantially expanded product slate and serve
new customers with the same leading customer service the
market has come to expect from CLP. We are excited for
the growth opportunities this combination presents for our
customers, employees and suppliers.”

 

Pesco Wins Project Management Contract For BCC’s Russian Gas-Chem Complex

Moscow—
China National Chemical Engineering & Construction
Corp. Seven Ltd. has awarded a project management services
contract to Pesco for Baltic Chemical Co.’s (BCC) gaschemical
complex being built in Russia (PCN, 25 Nov – 2
Dec 2019, p 1).
The gas-chemical complex, which Pesco said will be the
“largest” in Russia, will be comprised of two ethylene
cracking facilities with a capacity of 1.4-million t/y each,
and will also include six polyethylene plants with 480,000
t/y of capacity and two sets of linear alpha olefin units with
137,000 t/y of capacity, PCN earlier reported.
Under the contract, Pesco will provide project management
for early works, LLI procurement and supply. Value
of the contract and a schedule for the project were not
given.

 

Lummus Awarded Technology Contract For Lukoil’s New PP Plant in Bulgaria

Burgas—
Lukoil Burgas has awarded a technology contract to Lummus
Technology’s Novolen business for a new polypropylene
(PP) facility to be built in Burgas, Bulgaria.
Lummus’ scope includes the technology license for a
280,000-t/y PP unit, as well as basic design engineering,
training and services, and catalyst supply. A schedule for
the project was not given.
Lukoil recently awarded a similar contract to Lummus
for a new PP plant in Kstovo, Russia, with 500,000 t/y of
provisional capacity for export (PCN, 7 Sept 2020, p 1).

 

ExxonMobil Plans Up to 1,600 Job Cuts Across Several European Affiliates

Irving—Exxon-
Mobil said it is anticipated that up to 1,600 positions would
be impacted across a number of European affiliates, as
part of its extensive global review announced earlier this
year (PCN, 23 Mar 2020, p 2).
In March, the company said it was looking to “significantly”
reduce spending as a result of current market conditions
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and commodity
price decreases.
“Europe remains an important market for ExxonMobil,
as evidenced by recent major investments,” the company
noted. “However, significant actions are needed at this
time to improve cost competitiveness and ensure the company
manages through these unprecedented market conditions.”
The jobs would be impacted by the end of 2021. Country-
specific impacts will depend on the company’s local
business footprint and market conditions.

 

CAP & Vopak Setting Up JV Company For Industrial Terminal in Indonesia

Cilegon—
Chandra Asri Petrochemical (CAP) and Royal Vopak have
signed a letter of intent (LoI) to set up a joint venture company
for collaboration in the industrial infrastructure
business in Cilegon, Banten Province, Indonesia.
As part of the LoI, the two companies will explore storage
opportunities in supply networks to help grow existing
petrochemical value chains and lay the foundation for an
expanded industrial cluster in Cilegon.
Finalization of the LoI and setting up the joint venture
company are subject to final terms and conditions, including
customary regulatory and shareholder approvals.
The proposed partnership is part of CAP’s plan to develop
its second petrochemical complex in Cilegon (PCN, 27
Jan 2020, p 2).
The new complex would double CAP’s production capacity
from 4-million t/y to 8-million t/y with products ranging
from polyethylene, polypropylene, aromatics, mixed C4 and
pygas. Commercial operations are scheduled to begin in
2024.

 

CPChem Completes ‘First’ U.S. Production Of Circular PE on a Commercial Scale

Houston—
Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) said it has “successfully”
completed the “first” U.S. commercial-scale production
of circular polyethylene (PE) using advanced recycling
technology.
The technology converts post-use plastics, including
many difficult to recycle plastics, into building blocks for
new chemicals. Circular polymers have the potential to be
repeatedly recycled into new materials, the company noted.
Following two years of exploring the technical viability
of creating circular polymers, CPChem is now working on
scaling up its production of circular PE to meet its production
plans.
Plans include working with several proven suppliers of
pyrolysis oil, the feedstock made from waste plastics, and
pursuing certification for the new PE through the International
Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus approach
using their mass balance certification methodology.
“We are exceptionally proud to be the first company to
announce production of a circular polyethylene on this
scale in the U.S.,” said Jim Becker, vice president of polymers
and sustainability.
“The successful production run marks a huge step for
CPChem on our path to being a world leader in producing
circular polymers.”

 

Hengli Planning to Boost PTA Production With Two New Units at Site in Huizhou

Beijing—
Hengli Petrochemical plans to build two new purified
terephthalic acid (PTA) production plants in the Daya Bay
petrochemical park in Huizhou, Guangdong Province,
China, reported Argus Media.
The units, requiring an investment of $1.69-billion, will
each have 2.5-million t/y of PTA production capacity. Subject
to governmental approvals, operations are scheduled to
begin at the end of 2021. Once complete, Hengli’s total
PTA production capacity will increase to 16.6-million t/y.
The company recently started up a fifth PTA line at its
site on Changxing Island, Dalian, China, making Hengli
the “largest” PTA producing site in the world (PCN, 10 Aug
2020, p 1). All five PTA lines at Dalian utilize Invista’s
technology.

 

Lummus Gets Contract to Design, Supply Ethylene Cracking Furnaces for SGCC

Tashkent—
Lummus Technology has been awarded a contract by Enter
Engineering to design and supply four Short Residence
Time (SRT) ethylene cracking furnaces for the Shurtan
Gas Chemical Complex (SGCC) in southern Uzbekistan
(PCN, 3 July 2017, p 1).
The project will more than double ethylene production
at Shurtan’s facility, Lummus noted. No other details
were available.
“Our advanced SRT ethylene furnaces optimize reliability
in capacity, yield, run-length and energy efficiency,”
said Leon de Bruyn, president and chief executive of Lummus
Technology.
“We are grateful to continue our partnership at Shurtan
and look forward to working with Enter Engineering to
expand the ethylene production while reducing relative
emissions and operating costs at the Shurtan Gas Chemical
Complex.”

 

Abu Qir Fertilizers to Study Feasibility Of New Methanol Plant in Ain Sokhna

Cairo—Abu
Qir Fertilizers is moving forward with feasibility studies
for a new methanol facility planned to be built in Ain Sokhna,
Egypt, according to local news reports.
The $2.6-billion project, which would be implemented in
two phases, would include a production capacity of 1-
million t/y of methanol and 400,000 t/y of ammonia in the
first phase.
In the second phase, the company would add production
units for acetic acid, MTO and calcium ammonium nitrate.
A schedule for the proposed project was not given.
The facility is expected to be owned by Abu Qir Fertilizers,
Helwan Fertilizers and Al Ahly Capital Holding.

 

OTAGT Commissions Europe’s ‘Largest’ LPG Storage Tank for Ineos in Antwerp

Antwerp—
Oiltanking Antwerp Gas Terminal (OTAGT) announced
the opening of Europe’s “largest” liquefied petroleum gas
(LPG) storage tank, designed to store butane on behalf of
Ineos (PCN, 13 Mar 2017, p 4).
The 135,000-cu m fully refrigerated tank, located at the
OTAGT terminal, doubles OTAGT’s storage capacity. A
second tank with similar storage dimensions is currently
under construction at the terminal.
The new tank allows Ineos to import butane from the
U.S. and world markets to supply competitive raw material
to its plants at Koln, Germany. It will also provide Ineos
Trading & Shipping with options to trade butane in
Europe.
Oiltanking GmbH acquired OTAGT in 2016, as part of
its strategy to further expand its chemicals and gas assets
portfolio. The terminal is heavily integrated with the surrounding
industry and connected to all major pipeline networks,
Oiltanking noted.

 

People on the Move

Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.—B.J. Hebert will
join the company in the newly created role of executive vice
president and chief operating officer, effective 1 Nov. 2020.
He was most recently president of Occidental Chemical.
European Petrochemical Assn. (EPCA)—Hartwig
Michels, president of petrochemicals at BASF SE, has become
president of EPCA. He succeeds Arkema Chief Operating
Officer Marc Schuller, who will retain his seat on the
board.
TechnipFMC—Arnaud Pieton has been named president
and chief executive-elect of Technip Energies, effective
immediately. He was most recently president of Subsea
at TechnipFMC.
Energy Transfer—Mackie McCrea has been appointed
co-chief executive, effective 1 Jan. 2021. He has been serving
as president and chief commercial officer, and is a
member of the board of directors.
Tom Long, most recently chief financial officer, has
been named co-chief executive alongside McCrea, effective
1 Jan. 2021. He also serves on the board of directors.
Loop Industries—Sheila Morin has joined the company
as chief marketing officer. She was previously with
Cirque du Soleil Group as executive vice president and
chief marketing officer, Brands and Consumer Experience.

 

Aramco Partnership Produces and Ships ‘Blue’ NH3 from Saudi Arabia to Japan

Dhahran—
Saudi Aramco and the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan,
in partnership with SABIC, have successfully demonstrated
the production and shipment of “blue” (carbon free)
ammonia from Saudi Arabia to Japan for use in zerocarbon
power generation.
The Saudi-Japan blue ammonia supply network demonstration
spanned the full value chain; including the conversion
of hydrocarbons to hydrogen and then to ammonia,
as well as the capture of associated carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions, Aramco noted.
SABIC will use 30 tons of captured CO2 in its methanol
production at its Ibn-Sina facility, while Aramco will utilize
20 tons of captured CO2 for enhanced oil recovery at its
Uthmaniyah field.
“At SABIC, we can economically leverage our existing
infrastructure for hydrogen and ammonia production with
CO2 capture,” said Dr. Fahad Al-Sherehy, vice president of
energy efficiency and carbon management at SABIC.
“Our experience in the full supply chain along with integrated
petrochemicals facilities will play an important
role in providing blue ammonia to the world.”

 

UPM Begins Construction in Germany On State-of-the-Art Biochems Facility

Leuna—UPM
has started construction on its new state-of-the-art biorefinery
in Leuna, Germany, that will produce a range of
100% wood-based chemicals (PCN, 3 Feb 2020, p 1).
The €550-million industrial-scale facility will convert
solid wood into 220,000 t/y of bio-based monoethylene glycol
and lignin-based renewable functional fillers, as well as
bio-based monopropylene glycol and industrial sugars.
Start-up is anticipated by the end of 2022.
“The biorefinery in Leuna will be the nucleus for an entirely
new and high-value growth business and opens totally
new markets for UPM with large growth potential for
the future,” noted Jyrki Ovaska, executive vice president of
technology at UPM.

 

Ube, Ebara Ink Deal with JGC to License Process for Gasification Chem Recycling

Tokyo—Ube
Industries, together with co-licensor Ebara Environmental
Plant Co., has signed an agreement to license their Ebara
Ube Process (EUP) to JGC for gasification chemical recycling
of waste plastics (PCN, 2 Sept 2019, p 4).
Developed in 2000, the EUP gasifies plastic waste using
partial oxidation with oxygen and steam to produce synthesis
gases that can be utilized in the synthesis of ammonia,
olefins and other chemicals.
A 70,000-t/y gasification facility utilizing EUP has been
operating at Showa Denko’s (SDK) Kawasaki, Japan, plant
since 2003.
Last year, Ube, Ebara, JGC and SDK began a study of
collaboration for an engineering, procurement and construction
business for plastic waste gasification facilities
using the EUP.
“The Ube Group is aiming to achieve an 80% reduction
of GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions by 2050, as part of its
mandate to engage in corporate activities that are in harmony
with nature, as outlined in the Ube Group Environmental
Vision 2050,” Ube noted.

 

Antwerp@C Partners Get CEF Grant To Reduce CO2 at Port of Antwerp

Antwerp—
Antwerp@C, a project being carried out by a consortium of
Port of Antwerp, Air Liquide, BASF, Borealis, ExxonMobil,
Ineos, Fluxys and Total, has been awarded a Connecting
Europe Facility (CEF) grant from the European Union for
a project to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at the Port
of Antwerp, Belgium.
Late last year, the partners signed a collaboration
agreement to study the feasibility of developing carbon
capture, utilization and storage infrastructure in the port
(PCN, 23-30 Dec 2019, p 4).
The CEF grant was awarded to carry out studies for a
liquid CO2 export terminal, a CO2 backbone within the
port and a CO2 cross border pipeline to connect to the
Netherlands.
The consortium aims to reduce CO2 emission within the
port potentially by half between now and 2030, the Port of
Antwerp noted.

 

Indian Government Extends Deadline Of EoI Submissions for BPCL Stake

New Delhi—The
government of India has extended the submission deadline
to 16 Nov. 2020 for expressions of interest (EoI) in acquiring
its 52.98% stake in Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd.
(BPCL), reported The Times of India.
This is the fifth deadline extension for submitting EoIs.
The first deadline was set for 7 Mar. 2020. A notification
from the Dept. of Investment and Public Asset Management
cited “requests from interested bidders and the prevailing
situation arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic” as
the most recent reason for the deadline extension.
The BPCL stake is valued at around Rs 50,000 crore.
The winning bidder will have to invest an additional Rs
30,000 crore for making an open offer, the report said.
BPCL operates four refineries located in Kochi, Mumbai,
Bina and Numaligarh, India, with a combined capacity
of 38-million t/y.

 

Yara, Orsted to Make Renewable Hydrogen For Producing Green Ammonia at Sluiskil

Antwerp—
Yara and offshore wind developer Orsted are planning a
project to develop a wind powered electrolyzer plant to replace
fossil hydrogen with renewable hydrogen for green
ammonia production at Yara’s Sluiskil plant in Zeeland,
the Netherlands.
The renewable hydrogen would be used to produce
around 75,000 t/y of green ammonia, approximately 10% of
the capacity of one of the ammonia plants in Sluiskil.
The project has the potential to abate more than
100,000 t/y of carbon dioxide, Yara noted. Subject to securing
public co-funding and a confirmed business case, a final
investment decision could be reached in late 2021 or early
2020, with operations planned to begin in 2024/2025.
“Green ammonia can be essential to enable sustainable
food production, in addition it is emerging as the most
promising carbon neutral energy carrier for several energy
applications, such as decarbonized shipping fuel,” said
Terje Knutsen, executive vice president and head of farming
solutions at Yara.
“Teaming up with Orsted in this project in the Netherlands
represents a major step forward in enabling Yara to
deliver on its strategic ambitions.”

 

AGIC and SKGP Adding IPA Facility To Proposed Saudi PDH, PP Project

Jubail—
Advanced Petrochemical Co.’s Advanced Global Investment
Co. (AGIC) subsidiary and SK Gas Petrochemical (SKGP),
a subsidiary of SK Gas Co., have decided to include an isopropanol
(IPA) plant to its planned propane dehydrogenation
(PDH) and polypropylene (PP) complex in Jubail Industrial
City, Saudi Arabia (PCN, 25 May 2020, p 1).
The project, now estimated to cost around $1.88-billion,
will include an 843,000-t/y PDH unit, based on Lummus
Technology’s Catofin technology, two 400,000-t/y PP
plants, which will utilize Spheripol and Spherizone technologies
licensed by Basell Poliolefine, and a 70,000-t/y IPA
unit.
Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with
commercial operations expected to begin by the second half
of 2024.
AGIC and SKGP signed a shareholder’s agreement this
past March to form a joint venture company, named Advanced
Polyolefins Co., which will build and operate the
new complex. Advanced Polyolefins will be owned 85% by
AGIC and 15% by SKGP.
SK Engineering and Construction will be responsible
for the front-end engineering design of the project, while
Fluor has been named project management consultant.

 

Covestro Launches New Production Line For Polycarbonate Films in Thailand

Bangkok—
Covestro has begun operating a new production line for
polycarbonate films at the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate
in Thailand.
The project, which cost over €100-million, is based on
state-of-the-art technology and also included an expansion
of associated infrastructure and logistics to shorten delivery
times. It is the first step in a global expansion of the
company’s plastic film production, Covestro noted.
“The new production line is important to us because it
enables faster market launches and at the same times expands
our market access in Asia-Pacific,” said Dr. Thorsten
Dreier, global head of specialty films.
“Our most important goal is to intensify our cooperation
with customers in the region and to increase our efficiency.
We intend to drive growth in the plastic film business with
innovations and a stronger customer focus.”
Covestro is also expanding films production in Dormagen,
Germany. The project is scheduled for completion by
the end of this year.

 

Acron Revamping Veliky Novgorod Site; Will Boost Capacity of Four Urea Units

Moscow—
Acron Group said it has started a “major” overhaul of its
ammonia, urea, ammonium nitrate and nitric acid production
facilities at its Veliky Novgorod site in Russia.
The project will include upgrading four urea units at
the facility (units 1-4) to reach 2,000 t/d. An expected completion
date was not given.
Acron is also investing $34-million to expand its Ammonia-
4 unit at the site to increase output to 2,500 t/d
(PCN, 27 July 2020, p 1). Operations are scheduled to begin
in late 2020.

 

NextDecade Targeting Zero Emissions At Proposed Rio Grande LNG Facility

Houston—
NextDecade Corp. said it has developed proprietary processes
using proven technology to cut carbon dioxide equivalent
(CO2e) emissions by about 90% at its planned Rio
Grande LNG facility, and is exploring options to address
the remaining emissions to enable Rio Grande LNG to
achieve carbon-neutrality (PCN, 20 July 2020, p 4).
NextDecade has determined that carbon capture and
storage, in conjunction with its proprietary processes, is
the most feasible technical solution for the project.
The project had been planned to include six liquefied
natural gas (LNG) trains, each capable of producing 4.5-
million t/y of LNG for export.
This past July, NextDecade said it can now produce 27-
million t/y of LNG with just five trains instead of six.
Train 6 will be vacated. A final investment decision is expected
in 2021.

OQ Raises INA Capacity at Oberhausen

Berlin—OQ
Chemicals, formerly Oxea, has completed an expansion of
isononanoic acid (INA) production capacity at its site in
Oberhausen, Germany.
The project, which increased the company’s global INA
capacity by 30%, is part of its previously announced carboxylic
acid expansions.
“The additional volume will further enhance the flexibility
of our production platforms and improve reliability of
supply, allowing our customers to grow their business
across the whole acid portfolio for the next decade,” said
OQ Chief Operating Officer Dr. Oliver Borgmeier.

LyondellBasell & Sasol Sign Agreement To Form Integrated PE Joint Venture

Houston—
LyondellBasell and Sasol have entered into a definitive
agreement to form a 50-50 integrated polyethylene (PE)
joint venture, which will operate under the name Louisiana
Integrated PolyEthylene JV LLC.
Through the new joint venture, LyondellBasell will acquire
a 50% stake in Sasol’s 1.5-million t/y ethane cracker,
its 900,000-t/y low and linear-low density PE plants and
associated infrastructure on the U.S. Gulf Coast for a total
consideration of $2-billion.
LyondellBasell will operate the U.S. Base Chemicals
assets on behalf of the venture. Both partners will provide
pro-rate shares of ethane feedstocks and will offtake prorate
shares of cracker and PE products at cost.
Sasol’s Lake Charles Research and Development complex,
Lake Charles East Plant ethane cracker and U.S.
Performance Chemicals Business assets in Lake Charles
are not included in the joint venture.
The agreement includes customary rights for each party
regarding the potential future sale of its ownership interest.
Subject to customary regulatory approvals and approval
by Sasol shareholders, the transaction is expected to
close by the end of 2020.
“This transaction represents a significant step for Sasol
in achieving its financial and strategic objectives by reducing
net debt and rapidly shifting the company’s portfolio
towards specialty chemicals,” the companies noted.

 

AOC Materials Concludes Purchase Of Ashland’s MA Business, Facility

Wilmington—
Ashland Global Holdings has closed the sale of its maleic
anhydride (MA) business and manufacturing facility to
AOC Materials for $100-million (PCN, 3 Aug 2020, p 1).
The business has a manufacturing plant in Neal, W.
Va., and was previously excluded from Ashland’s sale to
Ineos Enterprises of its composites business and butanediol
manufacturing plant in Marl, Germany.
“This sale furthers Ashland’s strategic focus on specialty
ingredients and improved margins,” said Ashland
Chairman and Chief Executive Guillermo Novo.

 

Polyplex Planning to Add Second Line For BOPET Film at Site in Decatur

Decatur—Polyplex
Thailand announced it plans to expand its U.S. operations
with an additional thin biaxially oriented polyethylene
terephthalate (BOPET) film line at its site in Decatur, Ala.
The $103-million project will involve installing a
50,000-t/y BOPET film line adjacent to the existing film
line and debottlenecking its resin plant to increase capacity
to 86,000 t/y from 58,000 t/y currently.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the first half of
2021 with production expected to begin in about 24 months
from now.

 

Shell Expects to Cut Up to 9,000 Jobs by ’22 As Part of ‘Major’ Restructuring Process

London—
Shell, as part of its goal to be net-zero in all its operations
by 2050, has announced a “major” restructuring process
that will affect its refineries, chemical sites, onshore and
offshore production facilities, and will result in a reduction
of between 7,000 and 9,000 jobs by the end of 2022.
The upstream business will be run to ensure a “strong”
cash flow. The company will continue to invest, but it will
not be about the quantity of oil or gas, it will be about how
much it adds to the bottom line. Upstream will be “critical”
to Shell, as it will provide the financial strength to invest
further in lower-carbon projects, Shell noted.
Refining will also be refocused. Shell will retain only
what is strategically essential to the company and integrate
those refineries with its chemicals business, which it
plans to grow. It will keep sites in key locations that have
the flexibility to adapt.
“It is also worth noting that, if we want to be a large
player in biofuels, a lot of the biofuel capability will be
built within our refining infrastructure,” said Ben van
Beurden, chief executive of Shell.
“We will end up with fewer than 10 refineries, compared
to 55 around 15 years ago, but they will be set up to
serve the changing needs of society.”
The company also plans to expand its integrated gas
business as the market grows.

 

IQ Receives Approval from Shareholders To Acquire Remaining QAFCO Interest

Doha—
Industries Qatar (IQ), at a virtual Extraordinary General
Assembly, received shareholders’ approval for the proposed
purchase of the remaining 25% stake in Qatar Fertilizer
Co. (QAFCO) from Qatar Petroleum (QP) for $1-billion,
according to a local news report.
The acquisition, which would make IQ sole owner, is
subject to regulatory and customary approvals. An expected
completion date was not available (PCN, 31 Aug
2020, p 2).
Also, as part of the same transaction, the board of directors
recently approved QAFCO’s purchase of QP’s 40%
interest in Qatar Melamine Co. (QMC), effective 1 July
2020.
In addition, QAFCO has entered into a new gas sale
and purchase agreement with QP from 1 Aug. 2020 until
31 Dec. 2035, that covers all of QAFCO’s gas requirements
for trains one through six and the facilities of QMC.
QAFCO, based in Mesaieed, Qatar, produces about 3.8-
million t/y of ammonia and around 5.7-million to 5.8-
million t/y of urea.
“The 25% ownership in QAFCO will return back to
Qatar Petroleum at the end of the term [31 Dec. 2035] for a
nil consideration,” said the report quoting Mohammed Jaber
Al Sulaiti, manager of the Privatized Companies Affairs
Dept. at QP.

 

Dow Shutting Down Several Facilities As Part of Its Restructuring Program

Midland—Dow
recently announced it is implementing a restructuring program
to reduce its global workforce costs by about 6% and
to rationalize certain manufacturing assets.
Dow will shut down certain amines and solvents plants
in the U.S. and Europe, as well as select small-scale downstream
polyurethanes manufacturing units.
It will also close mainly small-scale coatings reactors,
and will rationalize its upstream asset footprint in Europe,
the U.S. and Canada by adjusting the supply of siloxane
and silicon metal.
These actions are expected to result in total annualized
EBITDA savings of more than $300-million by the end of
2021.
Separately, Dow said it would complete the sale of its
rail infrastructure assets at six North American sites to
Watco on 30 Sept. 2020 (PCN, 13 July 2020, p 3).
The transaction, valued at over $310-million, includes
rail infrastructure assets and related equipment at Dow’s
sites in Plaquemine and St. Charles, La; Freeport and
Seadrift, Texas, and Ft. Saskatchewan and Prentiss in Alberta,
Canada.

 

TPPI Increasing Aromatics Capacity At Its Tuban Complex in Indonesia

Tuban—Trans-
Pacific Petrochemical Indotama (TPPI), a subsidiary of
Pertamina, is expanding production capacity for paraxylene
and benzene at its complex in Tuban, East Java, Indonesia,
according to Argus Media.
The project, part of a planned $180-million renovation
and maintenance program, will increase paraxylene capacity
from 600,000 t/y currently to 780,000 t/y and will boost
benzene capacity to 490,000 t/y from 360,000 t/y. TPPI will
also expand an upstream platforming unit at the site, increasing
reforming capacity to 55,000 b/d.
Existing equipment at the site has reached the end of
its lifespan and will be replaced with more efficient equipment,
which will result in the additional production capacity,
the report said. Production is expected to begin in
early 2022.

 

Hexion Agrees to Sell 3 of Its Businesses To Black Diamond and Investindustrial

Columbus—
Hexion has signed a definitive agreement with Black Diamond
and Investindustrial, in which Hexion will sell its
Phenolic Specialty Resins, Hexamine and European-based
Forest Products Resins businesses to the two firms for
about $425-million.
The transaction involves 11 manufacturing plants
worldwide and around 900 employees. Subject to regulatory
approvals and other customary closing conditions, including
consultation with the Works Council, the sale is
expected to be finalized in the first quarter of next year.
“We continue to strategically manage our portfolio providing
us the ability to further strengthen our balance
sheet and maintain a strong business going forward,” said
Hexion Chairman, President and Chief Operating Officer
Craig Rogerson.
“As we proceed, we will leverage our differentiated
technology and global manufacturing footprint to serve the
diversified customers of our remaining businesses.”

 

TechnipFMC Wins Shell Contract to Install New Ethylene Furnaces at Moerdijk Site

Moerdijk—
Shell has awarded a contract to TechnipFMC to install
eight new ethylene furnaces at Shell’s Moerdijk complex in
the Netherlands (PCN, 7 Sept 2020, p 4).
Under the contract, valued at between $75-million and
$250-million, TechnipFMC will be responsible for the engineering,
procurement and module fabrication for proprietary
equipment and related services for the furnaces.
Based on TechnipFMC’s innovative multi-lane radiant
coil design, the energy-efficient furnaces will replace 16
older units without reducing capacity at the site. Completion
is scheduled for 2025.
“We continue to invest in innovation, even in difficult
economic times,” said Shell Moerdijk General Manager
Richard Zwinkels.
“This investment . . . contributes to the reduction of
carbon emissions from our manufacture of chemicals and
to Shell’s ambition of becoming a net-zero emissions energy
business by 2050 or sooner. We aim to achieve our ambition
in step with society.”
The upgrade is expected to reduce Shell Moerdijk’s carbon
dioxide emissions by about 10% a year.

 

Cargill and Virent Partner to Evaluate Process to Produce Biofuels, Biochems

Madison—
Cargill and Virent announced that they are working together
to study the use of Cargill’s corn dextrose as a feedstock
to Virent’s BioForming technology for the production
of “drop-in” low-carbon biofuels and biochemicals.
The technology uses sugars found in plants as feedstock
to produce renewable gasoline and jet fuel, as well as lower
carbon biochemicals, including bio-paraxylene.
“We are working to scale up the BioForming process
and are very pleased to announce our work with Cargill to
study the availability of corn dextrose as feedstock,” said
Virent President Dave Kettner.
Once the study is complete, Virent will use the findings
to evaluate options for scale-up and the development of a
first commercial plant utilizing the BioForming process.
“The long-term objective is to use commercially available
feedstocks today as a bridge to next-generation lignocellulosic
feedstocks in the future,” the parties noted.

 

People on the Move

Toray Plastics (America) Inc.—Christopher Roy has
been has been named executive vice president and will
oversee the company’s Torayfan and Lumirror Divisions.
In addition, his role in providing support to Toray Films
Europe will be expanded. He was most recently senior vice
president and general manager of the Torayfan Division.
Matt Brown, general manager of the Lumirror Division,
has taken on the additional role of vice president of that
division.
Chris Nothnagle has been appointed senior director of
sales and marketing of the Lumirror Division. He has
been senior director of corporate marketing since 2017.
Sibur—Pavel Lyakhovich, previously head of the Plastics,
Elastomers and Organic Synthesis Division, has been
name head of the Basic Polymers Division. He will be succeeded
by Alexander Petrov, who was the former managing
director for economics and finance.

 

JJC, SVAP, Shenzhen Qianhai Gatsway End Jiangsu Jurong Petrochem Deal

Beijing—SunVic
Chemical Holdings’ Jiangsu Jurong Chemical (JJC) subsidiary,
SunVic Asia Pacific Investments Holdings (SVAP)
and Shenzhen Qianhai Gatsway Petrochemical have terminated
a framework agreement, in which Shenzhen Qianhai
would acquire a 100% equity interest in Jiangsu Jurong
Petrochemicals (JJP) from JJC and SVAP (PCN, 5
Sept 2016, p 3).
The agreement was terminated due to financial constraints
of Shenzhen Qianhai, and because of an explosion
last year in the chemical zone where JJP’s plants are located
in Yancheng City, China, which led to a government
shutdown of the chemical zone.
The transaction, which had an aggregate cash consideration
value of RMB 388-million, was to include a methyl
tertiary butyl ether facility and a jetty at JJC’s site in
Xiangshui, China.
JJC holds a 69% interest in JJP, while SVAP, an associated
company of SunVic Chemical Holdings, holds a 31%
stake.
With the continued shutdown of the chemical zone, the
management team of JJC doesn’t expect to be able to dispose
of JJP in the foreseeable future.

 

ABB Awarded Contract by MOL to Improve Asset Integrity Across Downstream Assets

London—
ABB said it has won a contract from MOL to transform
Asset Integrity Management (AIM) across four of MOL’s
key chemical and refinery sites in Hungary, Slovakia and
Croatia, in a move to drive production efficiency, improve
safety and reduce risk.
As part of the three-year project, ABB and Metegrity
Visions will integrate a common digital platform at the
Danube, Slovnaft, MOL petrochemicals plants and INA
chemical unit. The new solution will provide advanced risk
analysis of assets with a key aim of reducing unplanned
outages and lowering maintenance costs, ABB noted.
With the new AIM procedures, processes and systems,
ABB estimates that MOL will increase availability and
reduce turnaround duration leading to savings and production
improvements of around €10-million a year across
MOL’s downstream assets.
“The adoption of AIM will increase efficiency and transparency,
identifying the critical assets and focusing inspection
and remediation of risk with respect to safety and production,”
said Zied Ouertani, global technology manager
for Chemicals & Refining at ABB Energy Industries.
“This will enable MOL to base asset integrity investment
decisions on the equipment’s current condition, and
to make the switch from reactive to proactive maintenance.”

 

BASF Concludes Divestment to Lone Star Of Its Construction Chemicals Business

Berlin—
BASF has finalized the sale of its Construction Chemicals
business to an affiliate of global private equity firm Lone
Star for €3.17-billion (PCN, 3 Aug 2020, p 2).
The business, which has approximately 7,500 employees
and operates production sites and sales offices in more
than 60 countries, now forms the newly founded MBCC
Group, headquartered in Mannheim, Germany.

 

LyondellBasell Reports ‘Ambitious’ Targets, Focuses on Three Transformational Areas

Houston—
LyondellBasell has released its annual Sustainability Report,
in which it sets “ambitious” goals for the next decade
and focuses on three transformational areas, including
plastic waste, climate change, and thriving societies.
Specifically, the company aims to produce and market
2-million t/y of recycled and renewable-based polymers;
increase its investment in the recovery and recycling of
plastic; accelerate solutions to end plastic waste, and reduce
carbon dioxide emissions by 15% per ton of product
produced relative to 2015 levels by 2030.
It also plans to join the American Chemistry Council
and Plastics Europe industry peers to ensure 100% of plastic
packaging is reused, recycled or recovered by 2040.
In addition, LyondellBasell plans to advance diversity,
inclusion and equity in the workplace.
“LyondellBasell has been on a multi-year journey to advance
the circular economy and we have made strides in
mechanical and advanced recycling, as well as producing
renewable-based products,” said Jim Seward, senior vice
president, research and development, technology and sustainability.
“Our goals underscore what we see possible in the next
decade, and our sustainability ambitions require us to
adapt our business models. When viewed through the lens
of technology and innovation, our track record demonstrates
our capacity to advance new collaborations and
partnerships for the benefit of society.”

 

Mitsubishi Chemical America Completes Gelest Intermediate Holdings Purchase

New York—
Mitsubishi Chemical America, the U.S. subsidiary of Mitsubishi
Chemical Corp. (MCC), has concluded the acquisition
of all issued and outstanding shares of Gelest Inc.
from New Mountain Capital (PCN, 4 May 2020, p 4).
Headquartered in Morrisville, Penn., Gelest is a manufacturer
and supplier of specialty monomers, silicones, organosilanes
and metal-organics. Value of the transaction
was not disclosed.
“New Mountain Capital has been a terrific partner and
helped us to significantly grow the company over the past
three years,” said Gelest Chief Executive Ken Gayer. “We
now look forward to joining MCC where their capabilities
and breadth will allow Gelest to create even more value for
customers and opportunities for employees.”

 

Topsoe Changes Organization to Accelerate Development of Carbon-Neutral Processes

Lyngby—
Haldor Topsoe is establishing a new organization to support
its vision to be recognized as a global leader in carbon
emission reduction technologies by 2024.
“We have designed an organization with a clear focus
on accelerating the development of carbon-neutral technologies,
and it will be funded by continued delivery of
Topsoe’s globally leading solutions for energy-efficient production
of conventional fuels and chemicals,” said Topsoe
Chief Executive Roeland Baan.
The new organization, which will be effective 1 Nov.
2020, will result in approximately 200 job cuts. Many employees
will have new responsibilities as departments and
business areas are refocused.

 

Itochu, Borealis and Borouge to Jointly Study Uptake of Renewable PP in Japanese Market

Tokyo–
Itochu, Borealis and Borouge announced their intent to
jointly evaluate how to enable uptake of renewable polypropylene
(PP) in Japan.
“The developments of climate change are attracting attention
in Japan and overseas, and countermeasures are
urgently required,” the partners noted. “Under these circumstances,
Japan has formulated a basic plan to introduce
approximately 2-million tons of renewable plastic
products by 2030.”
This past March, Borealis began producing certified renewable
PP at its facilities in Kallo and Beringen, Belgium,
using Neste’s renewable propane as feedstock (PCN,
16 Mar 2020, p 1).
Itochu will move ahead with an expansion of the global
renewable plastics business, particularly in Japan and in
Asia. It plans to commercially launch Japan’s “first” food
containers, packaging materials and other products made
of renewable PP by the end of 2020.
“Itochu will actively use its group networks in Japan
and overseas to create a new business model in the domain
of renewable plastics and to accelerate actions towards
achieving a society for sustainable global development,”
the parties noted.

 

Toyota Tsusho Forms New Recycling Company To Turn Used PET Bottles into Raw Material

Tokyo–
Toyota Tsusho Corp., along with Utsumi Recycle Systems,
Chuo Warehouse and other firms, have established a company
in Japan that will sort, shred and wash used polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) bottles and recycle them into
raw material for new PET bottles.
The new company, Toyotsu PET Recycling Systems, is
expected to start operations in 2022. It is owned 65% by
Toyota Tsusho, 15% by Utsumi Recycle Systems, 12.5% by
Chuo Warehouse, and 7.5% by other partners.
“PET bottles disposed in Japan amount to 650,000 t/y,
with most exported overseas or recycled in Japan,” said
Toyota Tsusho. “However, due to import restrictions imposed
recently by China and Southeast Asian countries,
retention of used PET bottle [s] in Japan is expected to increase.
“With the announcement of PET bottle recycling policies
by Japanese beverage manufacturers, the creation of a
sustainable used PET bottle recycling system in Japan has
become an important issue.”

 

DSM Reaches Deal with Covestro to Divest Resins & Functional Materials Businesses

Heerlen—
Royal DSM said it has agreed to sell its Resins & Functional
Materials and associated businesses to Covestro AG
for an equity value of €1.6-billion.
The sale involves all of DSM’s Resins & Functional Materials
businesses, including DSM Niaga, DSM Additive
Manufacturing and the coatings activities of DSM Advanced
Solar. Completion is expected in the first half of
2021, subject to customary conditions and approvals.
“This sale builds on our approach of actively managing
our businesses, as DSM continues to evolve as a purposeled,
science-based company operating in the fields of nutrition,
health and sustainable living,” said Geraldine Matchett
and Dimitri de Vreeze, co-chief executives of DSM.
“The deal delivers strong value to DSM and is strategically
attractive for all parties.”

 

Agilyx Joins AmSty, Ineos and Trinseo To Explore Recycling Options for PS

Tigard—Agilyx
has decided to partner with AmSty, Ineos Styrolution and
Trinseo as technology partner to explore and optimize advanced
recycling technologies for polystyrene (PS), such as
depolymerization (PCN, 21 Sept 2020, p 2).
The parties, which have signed a non-disclosure agreement,
will develop and identify the best design and supply
chain approach to produce new high-value recycled products
from PS waste.
“We hope to signal to the industry, in particular to
companies along the value chain in a circular economy,
that we are very serious about circularity for polystyrene,”
said Dr. Randy Pogue, president and chief executive of
AmSty.
“Since 2018, AmSty and Agilyx have already worked
together in our joint facility in Tigard, Ore., using Agilyx’s
breakthrough pyrolysis technology. We are delighted to
see Agilyx join our program and couldn’t imagine a better
person.”

 

Affiliate of SK Capital Finalizes Purchase Of Baker Hughes’ Specialty Polymers

New York—
Funds advised by SK Capital Partners has concluded the
acquisition of the specialty polymers business of Baker
Hughes for an undisclosed amount (PCN, 3 Aug 2020, p 2).
The business, which has been renamed NuCera Solutions,
produces specialty low molecular weight olefin polymers,
including a range of differentiated functional polymers
and premium, high melting point polyethylene waxes.
It has manufacturing operations in Barnsdall, Okla.
Steve McKeown, most recently president and chief executive
of Galata Chemicals, has been appointed chief executive
of NuCera.

EC Approves Ineos’ Planned Acquisition Of BP’s Chemicals Business for $5-Bn

Brussels—The
European Commission (EC) has cleared the proposed acquisition
of sole control of BP’s chemicals business by the
Ineos Group, both of the UK, for a total consideration of $5-
billion (PCN, 6 July 2020, p 1).
The sale, mainly consisting of BP’s aromatics and acetyls
businesses, includes assets, technology and licenses, as
well as related assets. The transaction is expected to be
finalized by the end of the year.
BP’s aromatics business produces paraxylene and purified
terephthalic acid (PTA). Its largest manufacturing
plants are in China, the U.S. and Belgium, and it licenses
PTA production technology worldwide.
The acetyls business produces acetic acid and derivatives.
It has a diverse base with manufacturing facilities
in the U.S., UK, China, Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia. The
sale includes related interests, such as the chemical recycling
technology, BP Infinia, and BP’s stake in acetylated
wood developer Tricoya.
The commission concluded that the transaction would
raise no competition concerns given the presence of several
other well-established competitors in all of those markets.

 

IndianOil Expanding Gujarat Refinery; Will Add Petrochemicals Production

Gujarat—Indian
Oil Corp. (IndianOil) has received board approval to implement
a project that will increase capacity of its Gujarat
refinery in India and involves building new petrochemical
units there (PCN, 9 Mar 2020, p 3).
The project, expected to cost around Rs 17,825 crore,
will boost refining capacity to 18-million t/y from 13.7-
million t/y currently.
In addition, IndianOil will build a new 500,000-t/y polypropylene
plant at the site, as well as a 235,000-t/y lube oil
base stock unit.
PCN earlier reported that the project was expected to
take two years to complete.

 

PTTGCA Secures Ethane for Proposed Olefins Cracker Project with Daelim

Belmont—PTT
Global Chemical America (PTTGCA) has signed a longterm
ethane supply agreement with Range Resources for
its proposed world-scale olefins cracker project with
Daelim Chemical USA in Belmont County, Ohio (PCN, 4
May 2020, p 2).
Under the agreement, contingent upon PTTGCA and
Daelim reaching a final investment decision, Range will
supply 15,000 b/d of ethane to the multi-billion dollar project,
which would include a 1.5-million-t/y ethane cracker
for the production of ethylene, linear low-density polyethylene
(PE) and high-density PE.
Technip and Ineos earlier agreed to supply technologies
for the new plants. A final investment decision is expected
early next year.

 

Lummus Wins Master Licensor Contract For DRPIC’s New PC Complex in Oman

Duqm—
Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Co. (DRPIC),
a joint venture of OQ SAOC and Kuwait Petroleum Europe
BV, has awarded Lummus Technology a master licensor
contract for its planned Duqm Petrochemicals Project in
Duqm, Oman (PCN, 21 Sept 2020, p 1).
Under the contract, Lummus will be responsible for
technology licensing, process design package, training and
advisory services, and proprietary catalyst and equipment
supply.
The project includes a 48-million-cu m/d natural gas-toliquids
unit licensed by Lummus to Oman Oil Facilities
Development, a wholly-owned subsidiary of OQ, a 1.6-
million-t/y ethylene plant, a 161,000-t/y butadiene extraction
unit, a CDMtbe unit with 145,000 t/y of methyl tertiary
butyl ether capacity and a 1-butene separation plant,
licensed to DRPIC, with 51,000 t/y of 1-butene capacity.
Duqm Petrochemicals Project is the second stage of
DRPIC’s integrated refinery and petrochemical complex.
Value of the contract and an expected completion date
were not available.

 

Hengli Starts Up 7 Polybed PSA Units At Its Fully Integrated Site in Dalian

Dalian—Honeywell
UOP announced that Hengli Petrochemical Co. has
begun operating seven new UOP Polybed pressure swing
adsorption (PSA) units for the supply of high-purity hydrogen
for petrochemical production at its fully integrated site
in Dalian, Liaoning, China.
Hengli will use the PSA units in downstream hydrotreating
to create feedstock for petrochemical products
(plastics and other chemicals), producing about 1.4-million
normal cu m/hr of hydrogen.
The skid-mounted, modular units use UOP’s proprietary
adsorbents to remove impurities at high pressure from
hydrogen-containing process streams, allowing hydrogen to
be recovered and upgraded to more than 99.9% purity.
In addition to recovering and purifying hydrogen from
steam reformers and refinery off-gases, the Polybed PSA
system can be used to produce hydrogen from other sources
such as ethylene off-gas, methanol off-gas and partialoxidation
synthesis gas.

 

SIIG, Petrochem Get Board Ok to Discuss Potential Merger of the Two Companies

Riyadh—
Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG) and National
Petrochemical Co. (Petrochem) have both received approval
from their board of directors to begin initial talks to study
the economic feasibility of merging the two companies.
SIIG, which own a 50% interest in Petrochem, said an
agreement has not yet been reached on the final structure
of the potential deal, and that entering into the study does
not necessarily mean a deal will take place.

 

AmSty, Ineos Styrolution Plan to Build New PS Recycling Facility in Illinois

Joliet—AmSty
and Ineos Styrolution announced plans to build a joint facility
for the advanced recycling of polystyrene (PS) in
Channahon, Ill.
The new 100-t/d plant, which will utilize Agilyx’s advanced
recycling technology, will recycle post-use PS products
back into virgin-equivalent styrene monomer. Engineering
design is already under way. Cost of the project
and an expected completion date were not given.
In 2018, AmSty and Agilyx formed their Regenyx joint
venture to advance the development of a similar facility in
Tigard, Ore., using Agilyx’s pyrolysis technology (PCN, 1-8
June 2020, p 2). The Channahon plant will be engineered
on a larger-scale.
Agilyx has agreed to source and supply plastic waste
feedstock for the new facility through its recently formed
Cyclyx International subsidiary (PCN, 6 July 2020, p 4).
“In addition to the technology, we have developed a feedstock
management system, which is just as important as
the technology in developing the supply chain for this new
market,” said Cyclyx President Joe Vaillancourt.
“The overreaching goal of Cyclyx is to dramatically increase
the recyclability of post-use plastics with a priority
for fully circular pathways, as well as assisting in the development
of new supply chains that will aggregate and
preprocess larger volumes of post-use plastics than current
systems.”

 

Ineos Signs Deal to Purchase Green Energy To Power Its Production Sites in Belgium

Antwerp—
Ineos has finalized a 10-year agreement with Engie for the
purchase of renewable electricity from the Norther offshore
windfarm in the North Sea to be used at Ineos’ production
sites in Belgium.
Under the contract, Engie will supply Ineos with 84
megawatts of renewable energy from 1 Jan. 2021, which
will initially be used by existing Ineos production sites and
later by Project One, Ineos’ planned investment in two
state-of-the-art plants in Antwerp for the production of
ethylene and propylene (PCN, 8 July 2019, p 1).
Project One, estimated to cost €3-billion, will include an
ethane cracker and a propane dehydrogenation unit, based
on McDermott’s Lummus Catofin technology, with a
nameplate capacity of 750,000 t/y of propylene. Commissioning
is expected in 2023.
The deal with Engie will reduce the company’s carbon
footprint in Belgium by more than 1-million tons of carbon
dioxide, Ineos noted.

 

BASF-YPC JV Concludes NPG Expansion At Its State-of-the-Art Site in Nanjing

Nanjing—
BASF-YPC, a 50-50 joint venture of BASF and Sinopec,
has expanded production capacity for neopentyl glycol
(NPG) at its state-of-the-art Verbund site in Nanjing,
China (PCN, 30 Sept 2019, p 3).
The project increased NPG capacity at the site to 80,000
t/y from 40,000 t/y, further strengthening BASF-YPC’s
market position, BASF noted.
BASF also has NPG production sites in Ludwigshafen,
Germany; Freeport, Texas, and Jilin, China.

 

MPL Gets Board Approval to Increase Indian Propylene Glycol Capacity

Chennai—Manali
Petrochemicals Ltd. (MPL) has received board of directors’
approval to increase propylene glycol (PG) production capacity
at its existing facilities in India.
The two-phase project, estimated to cost around Rs 150
crore, would increase PG production capacity by 48,000 t/y
to a total of 70,000 t/y.
In the first phase, the company will add 24,000 t/y of
PG capacity. Subject to regulatory approvals, completion
is expected to take 18 to 21 months.
The second phase, for which a schedule was not available,
will involve increasing PG capacity by an additional
24,000 t/y.
“The demand for PG in India is about 1 lakh t/y, which
is estimated to grow by 5% annually,” MPL noted. “Since
the current shortfall is met through imports, addition of
the above new capacity is expected to increase the domestic
market share of MPL and improve its operations,” said
Ramades Kothandaraman, company secretary.

 

Vinnolit Closing Schkopau PVC Facility

Berlin—
Vinnolit GmbH & Co. has begun consultations with the
works council at its site in Schkopau, Germany, regarding
shutting down the site’s paste polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
plant.
“The decision was driven by the plant’s lack of economic
viability and long-term competitive sustainability,” the
company noted.
Vinnolit will continue to supply customers from its larger,
backward-integrated sites at Burghausen, Gendorf
and Cologne, Germany.

 

Unipetrol Completes PE3 Unit in Litvinov

Prague—
Unipetrol announced the completion of its new highdensity
polyethylene (PE3) project at the Litvinov site in
the Czech Republic (PCN, 6-13 Apr 2020, p 3).
The first part of the 270,000-t/y facility, the line producing
natural PE, began operation in April 2020. The second
part of the plant, which produces black polyethylene, has
now been completed.
PE3 replaces the existing 120,000-t/y PE1 unit at the
site. Operations of the 200,000-t/y PE2 plant will continue.

 

People on the Move

Yara International—Lair Hanzen, currently executive
vice president of Yara Americas, has been appointed
special advisor to the president and chief executive.
Chrystel Monthean has been named executive vice
president of Yara Americas. She is presently executive
vice president, Yara Africa & Asia.
Fernanda Lopes Larsen, currently senior vice president
of indirect procurement, has been appointed executive vice
president, Yara Africa & Asia. All three appointments are
effective 1 Oct. 2020.
Venture Global LNG—Michael Sabel, a founder, cochairman
and co-chief executive of the company, has been
named chief executive.
Robert Pender, also a founder, co-chairman and co-chief
executive, will assume the new role of executive cochairman.
The new positions are effective 1 Oct. 2020.

 

Air Liquide Building New ASU in Tianjin For Growing Chemical, Steel Industries

Tianjin—Air
Liquide China said it will build, own and operate a new air
separation unit (ASU) in Tianjin, China, to supply oxygen,
nitrogen and argon to the growing chemical and steel industries.
The approximately €60-million project will have a production
capacity of over 2,000 t/d of oxygen utilizing stateof-
the-art technology, and is secured by a new long-term
supply agreement with a “major” customer, the company
noted. Operations are planned to begin in 2022.
Air Liquide already operates seven ASUs in Tianjin, as
well as a network of multi-sourced pipelines that supply
oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen to nearby customers.

 

BASF Investing in Pyrum Innovations For Pyrolysis Oil from Waste Tires

Berlin—BASF SE
said it will invest €16-million into Pyrum Innovations, a
German technology company specialized in the production
of pyrolysis oil from waste tires.
The investment will support the expansion of Pyrum’s
pyrolysis plant in Dillingen, Germany, and the further roll
out of Pyrum’s technology.
Pyrum plans to add two production lines to its 10,000-
t/y pyrolysis facility by the end of 2022. BASF will uptake
most of the pyrolysis oil and process it into new chemical
products by using a mass balance approach, as part of its
ChemCycling project.
Furthermore, Pyrum intends to build additional tire
pyrolysis plants, together with interested partners, with
production capacities of up to 100,000 t/y.

 

Inter Pipeline Inks Deal with CLH to Sell Most of Its European Storage Business

Calgary—
Inter Pipeline has entered into a definitive agreement to
divest a majority of its European bulk liquid storage business
to CLH Group, a European bulk liquid product logistics
company, for approximately $715-million.
The sale includes all of Inter Pipeline’s bulk liquid storage
and handling assets in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands
and Germany, which includes 15 storage terminals
and about 18-million bbls of storage capacity.
Subject to satisfaction of closing conditions and customary
regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to be
concluded in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Inter Pipeline will retain its eight terminals in Sweden
and Denmark, comprising around 19-million bbls of aggregate
storage capacity.
“This is a very positive transaction for Inter Pipeline,”
said Christian Bayle, president and chief executive of Inter
Pipeline. “Monetizing a significant portion of our European
asset base enables us to focus resources on developing
our higher growth Canadian businesses.
“As such, proceeds from the sale will be used to reduce
debt, strengthen our balance sheet and assist with financing
our large capital expenditure program, including the
Heartland Petrochemical Complex.”
The estimated $4-billion complex, currently under construction
in Strathcona County, Canada, will convert
22,000 b/d of propane into about 525,000 t/y of polypropylene
(PCN, 11 May 2020, p 1). Start-up is expected by early
2022.

 

Borealis to Receive €250-Mn EIB Loan To Boost Plastics Circularity Efforts

Vienna—The
European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a €250-
million loan to Borealis to support Borealis’ multi-year investment
program in the area of plastics circularity.
The loan will allow Borealis to intensify the development
of novel, polyolefins-based circular solutions at its
Innovation Centres in Austria, Sweden and Finland.
“Borealis has been at the forefront of industry efforts to
accelerate the transformation to a circular economy of plastics,”
the company noted.
“Its proprietary Borstar, Borlink and Borceed technologies
have recently been enriched by Borcycle, an evolving
technology that enables the production of high-quality recycled
polyolefins (rPOs), and the Bornewables, a portfolio
of circular polyolefins produced with renewable feedstock
derived entirely from waste and residue streams.”
“The promotion of circular solutions in the polyolefins
industry is aligned with our goals to accelerate the transition
to a circular economy, including for plastics, and to
support cutting-edge innovation,” said EIB Vice President
Ambroise Fayolle.
“We are happy to continue and intensify our collaboration
with Borealis AG by signing our largest transaction
together so far. As the EU’s climate bank, we are eager to
support private sector partners that are committed to environmental
sustainability.”

 

Solvay to Curtail H202 in Western Europe Under Peroxides for the Future Program

Brussels—
Solvay has launched its new Peroxides for the Future
(P4F) program, a multi-year plan to adapt its industrial
footprint to meet customers’ needs, and said it plans to
curb hydrogen peroxide (H202) production capacity in
Western Europe.
Under the P4F program, H2O2 production capacity in
Western Europe will be curtailed by 70,000 t/y, as of 1 Jan.
2021. The company will make H202 capacity available in
new areas using Solvay’s proprietary technologies, in particular
its My H202, which involves mini satellite plants on
customers’ sites.
“The EMEA [Europe, Middle East and Africa] hydrogen
peroxide market has been developing at an accelerated
pace during the COVID-19 crisis,” Solvay noted. “While
the overall market remains strong, market segments and
sub-regions reacted differently to the crisis.
“Our traditional segments . . . are accelerating their decline,
whereas other applications’ growth has been boosted.
As a result, the H2O2 demand footprint is changing rapidly,
with significant additional volume of H2O2 needed in
new geographical areas and encouraging signs of a healthy
global peroxides demand for the years ahead.”

 

Evonik Considering Sale of SAP Business

Berlin—
Evonik is planning a possible sale of its superabsorbents
(SAP) business in about six to nine months, reported
Reuters citing the company.
“After an organizational carve-out, Evonik would put
the business up for sale, seek a partner or restructure it
further,” said the report citing a spokesman.
The SAP business is part of Evonik’s Nutrition & Care
Division.

 

Total Converting Grandpuits Refinery Into Platform for Biofuels, Bioplastics

Paris—Total
announced it is investing over €500-million to turn its
Grandpuits refinery in Seine-et-Marne, France, into a zerocrude
platform for biofuels and bioplastics.
Specifically, the new platform will focus on four new industrial
activities: the production of renewable diesel, the
production of bioplastics, plastics recycling, and the operation
of two photovoltaic solar power plants, which will contribute
to Total’s ambition to provide green electricity to all
of its industrial sites in Europe.
Total will build a new renewable diesel unit, primarily
for the aviation industry, which will be able to process
400,000 t/y, with potential production of 170,000 t/y of
aviation fuel, 120,000 t/y of renewable diesel and 50,000 t/y
of naphtha for use in bioplastics.
Total Corbion PLA, a 50-50 joint venture of Total and
Corbion, will construct Europe’s “first” polylactic acid
manufacturing plant with 100,000 t/y of production capacity.
Operations are expected to begin in 2024.
The new plastics recycling facility, which will be built
by Total (60%) and Plastic Energy (40%), will convert plastic
waste into Tacoil through a pyrolysis melting process.
The Tacoil will then be used for the production of polymers
with identical properties to virgin polymers. The unit will
help Total meet its goal of producing 30% of its polymers
from recycled materials by 2030.
The decision to end oil refining at Grandpuits follows a
audit conducted on the Ile-de-France pipeline (PLIF),
which carries crude oil from the Port of La Havre to the
refinery.
Last year, a leak on the PLIF forced the refinery to shut
down for over five months, following an earlier leak in
2014. The PLIF’s maximum working pressure was reduced
to guarantee safe operation. As a result, the refinery could
only operate at 70% capacity, threatening its long-term
financial viability, the company explained.
In order to restore normal operations at the refinery the
company would have to spend nearly €600-million, therefore,
Total has decided to end oil refining at Grandpuits in
the first quarter of 2021 and transform the site. Storage of
petroleum products will be discontinued in late 2023.
“With the industrial repurposing of the Grandpuits refinery
into a zero-crude platform focused on energies of the
future connected with biomass and the circular economy,
Total is demonstrating its commitment to the energy transition
and reaffirming its ambition to achieve carbon neutrality
in Europe by 2050,” said Bernard Pinatel, president
of Total Refining & Chemicals.

 

Stepan Finalizes Purchase of Clariant’s Mexican Surfactant Business, Assets

Santa Clara—
Stepan Co., through subsidiaries in Mexico, has completed
the acquisition of Clariant (Mexico) SA de CV’s anionic
surfactant business and associated sulfation equipment in
Santa Clara, Mexico, for an undisclosed amount (PCN, 20
July 2020, p 4).
“This acquisition supports Stepan’s growth strategy in
Latin America and enhances our ability to support our customers’
growth in the Mexican consumer and functional
markets for surfactants,” noted F. Quinn Stepan Jr.,
chairman, president and chief executive of Stepan.
“We look forward to transitioning customers’ supply to
Stepan’s Ecatepec and Matamoros, Mexico, facilities over
the coming months.”

 

Messer Building New ASU in Vila-Seca To Supply Oxygen, Nitrogen & Argon

Tarragona—
Messer will invest over €35-million to construct a new air
separation unit (ASU) in Vila-seca, Spain, to supply customers
with oxygen, nitrogen and argon.
The 2,400-t/d plant, scheduled for commissioning in December
2021, will be connected to the Messer pipeline network
to meet the growing oxygen and nitrogen demand of
the chemical industry in Tarragona.
The ASU will be based on the “most advanced” technology,
noted Stefan Messer, owner and chief executive of
Messer Group GmbH.

 

PetroChemical News Briefs

Fateh Kimia Petrochemical will build a new 120,000-
t/y methanol to propylene plant in Iran, NIPNA reported.
Petrochemical Research and Technology Co. plans to sign
and agreement with Fateh for license transfer, process engineering
and basic engineering for the project. No other
details were given.
Indorama Ventures updated that its site in Port
Neches, Texas, was not damaged due to Hurricane Laura’s
landfall on 27 Aug. 2020. Utility supplies are largely reinstated
in the area from its suppliers and it has already restarted
most operating units.
ICIS and Tecnon Orbichem have scheduled a World
Chlor-alkali Virtual Conference on 21-22 Oct. 2020. For
more information, contact ICIS by phone at 44 (0) 20 8652
4659, email events.registration@icis.com or visit online at
www.icisevents.com/worldchloralkali.
Sasol has completed damage assessments from Hurricane
Laura at its Lake Charles Chemical Complex in
Louisiana. There is no apparent damage to major process
equipment, utilities or infrastructure. This will be confirmed
once power is completely restored and all systems
are tested.
Air Products announced a new sustainability goal,
“Third by ’30,” to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions intensity
by one-third by the year 2030 from a 2015 baseline.

 

 

Baltic Chemical Selects Axens’ Technology For New Russian Gas Chemical Facility

Moscow—
Baltic Chemical, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RusGaz-
Dobycha, has entered into an agreement with Axens to
utilize its technology for a new gas chemical complex near
Ust-Luga, Russia (PCN, 15 June 2020, p 3).
The gas chemical complex, part of an ethane-containing
gas processing complex, will include two ethane cracking
plants with a capacity of 1.4-million t/y of ethylene each, as
well as six polyethylene (PE) reactor lines, each designed
to have a capacity of 500,000 t/y. Completion is scheduled
for 2024.
Under the deal, Axens will provide AlphaButol technology
for the production of 120,000 t/y of high-purity 1-
butene by ethylene dimerization and it will supply Alpha-
Hexol technology for the production of 50,000 t/y of highpurity
1-hexene by ethylene trimerization. Both comonomers
are used in various types of PE.
Axen will also be responsible for the transfer of the license,
the process book, several chemicals (catalysts and
adsorbents), proprietary equipment, training for Baltic
employees and technical support.
“Conclusion of an agreement for the supply of technology
for the production of alpha-olefins is the completion of
the next significant stage in the project,” said Konstantin
Makhov, general director of Baltic Chemical.

 

Hafnia & Partner Investing in NWIW’s Methanol Export Plant in Washington

Kalama—
Hafnia, part of international shipping group BW Group,
together with a strategic joint venture partner, is investing
$10-million in Northwest Innovation Works’ (NWIW)
methanol production and export facility planned at the
Port of Kalama in Washington (PCN, 22 June 2020, p 2).
Estimated to cost more than $2-billion, the plant will
convert regionally-sourced natural gas into approximately
3.6-million t/y of methanol for export to Asia.
Hafnia will provide and operate purpose-built, nextgeneration
methanol dual-fueled ships to transport onethird
of the methanol volume produced by the facility. The
vessels will be on 19-year charters with a satisfactory
guaranteed return during the period, Hafnia noted.
Methanol produced by the facility will displace more
carbon-intensive, coal-based methanol, resulting in greenhouse
gas (GHG) reductions globally. NWIW will offset
100% of its GHG emissions from both direct and indirect
sources within Washington state.

 

Clariant Building ‘State-of-the-Art’ Site For Catalysts Production in Jiaxing

Shanghai—
Clariant announced plans to build a new “state-of-the-art”
catalyst production site at the Dushan Port Economic Development
Zone in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China.
The facility will be primarily responsible for producing
Catofin propane dehydrogenation catalysts for olefins production.
Construction is scheduled to start this quarter,
with full production capacity expected by 2022.
“The Jiaxing Catofin plant is a key component of our
China strategy and further improves our commitments to
the country’s growing PDH market,” noted Stefan Heuser,
senior vice president and general manager at Clariant
Catalysts.

 

DRPIC Chooses OQ Chemicals’ Technology For Ethylene, Propylene Derivatives Units

Duqm—
OQ Chemicals, formerly Oxea, will license its advanced
proprietary technology to Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical
Industries Co. (DRPIC) for the production of ethylene
and propylene derivatives at a planned grassroots petrochemical
complex in Duqm, Oman (PCN, 31 Aug 2020, p 1).
OQ has entered into the design phase for five worldscale
units for the production of propanol, butyraldehyde,
neopentyl glycol, 2-ethylhexanol (2EH) and 2EH acid. Capacities
of the plants were not given.
As part of the agreement, OQ will supply a process design
package and support contractors during the design
and construction phases. Once the units are commissioned,
it will provide support for operations, maintenance,
troubleshooting, training, and ongoing process optimization
at the site.
The petrochemical complex, the second phase of
DRPIC’s integrated refinery and petrochemical complex,
will include a mixed-feed steam cracker with a production
capacity of 1.6-million t/y of ethylene, production units for
hydrogen, syngas, methanol and other petrochemicals and
associated facilities. A schedule was not available.

 

Nan Ya Plastics Increasing EG Production With Construction of New Unit in Texas

Houston—
Nan Ya Plastics, a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group,
announced it is building a new plant to boost ethylene glycol
(EG) production at its site in Point Comfort, Texas.
The third-phase project, requiring an additional investment
of $160-million, will increase EG capacity to
800,000 t/y from 360,000 t/y currently, according to Taipei
Times. Construction is already underway and operations
are scheduled to begin in December 2020.
Nan Ya Plastics had expected to complete the project in
the first half of this year; however, construction was delayed
due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company has invested a total of $437-million in the
project.

 

Hengyi Petrochem Plans Second Phase Of Brunei Refinery and PC Complex

Brunei Bay—
Hengyi Petrochemical Co., in a recent stock exchange filing,
announced plans to invest $13.65-billion in the second
phase of a refinery and petrochemical complex at Palau
Muara Besar, Brunei, Reuters reported.
The project will include a 280,000-b/d crude oil refinery,
a 1.65-million-t/y ethylene facility, a 2-million-t/y paraxylene
plant and a 2.5-million-t/y purified terephthalic acid
facility. Construction is expected to last three years. A
completion date was not available.
The first phase, which began operations at the site last
year, included a 160,000-b/d crude oil refinery, a 1-milliont/
y aromatics facility and a 500,000-t/y benzene unit (PCN,
16 Sept 2019, p 3).
Hengyi Industries is a joint venture of Zhejiang Hengyi
Group (70%) and Damai Holdings, a subsidiary of the
Brunei government’s Strategic Development Capital Fund
(30%).

 

Dow Strikes Deal with Vopak JV to Divest Certain U.S. Marine and Terminal Assets

Midland—
Dow said it has entered into a definitive agreement with
Vopak Industrial Infrastructure Americas, a joint venture
of Royal Vopak and BlackRock’s Global Energy & Power
Infrastructure Fund, to sell certain marine and terminal
operations and assets on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The $620-million transaction includes the marine and
storage terminal operations and assets at Dow’s sites in
Plaquemine and St. Charles, La., and in Freeport, Texas.
In addition, Dow and Vopak Industrial Infrastructure
Americas have entered into long-term service agreements,
ensuring “reliable and cost-advantaged” services for Dow’s
existing businesses at the in-scope site, Dow noted.
Planned to close in the fourth quarter of 2020, the sale
is subject to customary regulatory approvals and other
closing conditions in the U.S. and European Union.
“The transaction will enable Dow to deploy cash towards
value-enhancing opportunities in our core businesses
consistent with our capital allocation priorities, including
ensuring safe and reliable operations and paying
down additional debt,” said Dow Chairman and Chief Executive
Jim Fitterling.

 

ALPLA Acquires Site in Mexico to Build Facility for Recycling High-Density PE

Toluca—
ALPLA Group, a family-owned firm specializing in packaging
solutions and recycling, is planning to construct a new
high-density polyethylene (HDPE) recycling facility at a
site in Toluca, Mexico.
The project, estimated to cost around €15-million, is expected
to produce 15,000 t/y of HDPE recycled material for
non-food applications. Construction will begin this autumn,
with start-up scheduled for the second half of 2021.
ALPLA’s target markets are primarily Mexico, Central
America and the U.S.
“ALPLA has been demonstrating forward-looking action
in the field of recycling for many years,” said Georg Lasser,
head of recycling. “We invest in regions where the demand
for recycled material is not yet that high. In doing this, we
give used plastics value and act as role models for the
achievement of the circular economy.”

 

Ineos Styrolution, Trinseo & AmSty Join To Advance Circularity of Polystyrene

Paris—Ineos
Styrolution, Trinseo and AmSty have signed a joint development
agreement (JDA) to explore recycling options for
polystyrene (PS).
“This JDA represents the first global combined effort to
explore advanced recycling technologies, optimize them for
commercial use and call for all contributors along the value
chain to make circularity of polystyrene a reality,” the
partners said in a joint statement.
Each company has done its own independent research
and has invested in various projects to further the commercialization
of advanced recycling capacity. The partnership
will allow all parties to share best practices and
optimize recycling technologies for large-scale commercial
use (see related story, pg. 3).
“I am thrilled to see the industry coming together globally
to work on a common goal to realize true circularity for
styrenics,” noted AmSty President and Chief Executive Dr.
Randy Pogue. “This is a true win-win for all participants
in this joint effort and finally for our customers, for consumers
and for society.”

 

Thyssenkrupp to Supply PLAneo Process For New Polylactide Facility in China

Nanjing—
Thyssenkrupp has won an order from an unnamed client to
build a new polylactide (PLA) plant in South China based
on its patented PLAneo technology.
The facility, scheduled to begin operation in fall of 2021,
will produce 30,000 t/y of PLA, a compostable bioplastic
made from 100% renewable biomass, making it an “ecofriendly,
low-carbon dioxide and economic alternative” to
conventional oil-based plastics, Thyssenkrupp noted.
Thyssenkrupp will be responsible for designing the
plant and supplying the key components. Value of the contract
was not given.

 

People on the Move

Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.—Justine Smith has
joined the company as senior vice president of petrochemicals,
replacing Ron Corn, who is retiring. She was most
recently at BASF Corp., where she served as vice president
of intermediates, amines and specialties.
Borealis—Christopher McArdle has become vice president
of Polyolefins Strategy & Business Development. He
was previously EMEAI (Europe, the Middle East, Africa
and India) commercial director of Dow Consumer Solutions.
Dow—John Sampson, executive vice president of business
operations at Olin Corp., has been named senior vice
president, Operations, Manufacturing & Engineering at
Dow, effective 1 Oct. 2020. He succeeds Peter Holicki, who
will retire next year.
Venture Global LNG—Brian Cothran has joined the
company as chief operating officer. He had been chief executive
of The Flexitallic Group.
Euro Chlor—Wouter Bleukx has been appointed chairman
of the management committee for a period of two
years. He is also business unit manager for chlor alkali at
Inovyn.

 

Balmoral Funds’ Affiliate to Buy & Operate FHR’s Expandable PS Business in Illinois

Peru—An
affiliate of Balmoral Funds LLC has entered into a definitive
agreement to purchase and operate Flint Hills Resources’
(FHR) expandable polystyrene (EPS) business in
Peru, Ill., through a management buyout led by industry
veteran Brad Crocker.
“Flint Hills Resources made meaningful and critical investments
in the Peru EPS business over the years, which
allowed us to grow and improve,” said Chris Eager, plant
manager at Flint Hills Resources Peru.
“We are excited about this transaction, which gives us
the opportunity to invest further in the business and expand
on its substantial growth potential.” The deal, for
which a value was not given, is expected to close in the fall
of 2020.
Crocker will serve as chief executive of Flint Hills Resources
Peru, which is one of North America’s “leading”
producers of EPS resin, according to FHR.

 

Sumitomo Establishes New PP Compounds Production Plant at Sumika’s Wuxi Site

Beijing—
Sumitomo Chemical has established a new polypropylene
(PP) compounds production facility on the site of Sumika
Electronic Materials (Wuxi) Co. in Wuxi, China.
The new facility, named Zhuhai Sumika Polymer Compounds
Co. (Wuxi plant), along with a production facility
already set up in Chengdu City, is planned to begin operations
at the beginning of next year.
Sumitomo’s Chengdu production and sales facility,
which was established in October 2016, is currently manufacturing
trial products for evaluation by customers.
“Setting up the Wuxi plant as our fifth production facility
in China, we aim to further increase our presence
through a widespread supply chain for Chinese automobile
manufacturers and home appliance makers in the region
and by making the best of our timely response to customers,”
the company said.

 

Petronas Set to Enter Oxyalkylates Market With Purchase of 50% Stake in PCC-OM

Kertih—
Petronas Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG) has entered into
a shares sale and purchase agreement with PCC SE to acquires
50% of PCC’s shares in PCC Oxyalkylates Malaysia
(PCC-OM), marking PCG’s entry into the growing oxyalkylates
market.
With the acquisition, PCG and PCC SE plan to build a
new oxyalkylates facility within the Kertih Integrated Petrochemical
Complex in Terengganu, Malaysia, to produce
ethoxylates and polyether polyols. Construction is scheduled
to begin next year, with production anticipated in
2023.
The partners also plan to establish a joint venture research
and development center at PCC-OM to ensure a
“high-level” of innovation and fulfillment of individual customer
needs, said PCG.
“The Kertih site is ideal due to raw materials availability
and excellent infrastructure with a direct seaport access,
thus ensuring competitive production and logistics
costs,” noted Waldemar Preussner, chairman of the administrative
board of PCC SE.

 

Sinochem Quanzhou Achieves On-Spec HDPE Production at Unit in China

Beijing—Sinochem
Quanzhou Petrochemical has achieved on-spec production
of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) at its expansion project
in Quanzhou, China, Argus Media reported.
The HDPE plant, the “first” derivative unit to start operations
under the expansion project, has a nameplate capacity
of 400,000-t/y.
The project also includes a new 1-million-t/y ethylene
cracker, which is expected to start up this month, an
800,000-t/y paraxylene plant, a 350,000-t/y polypropylene
unit and an aromatics extraction unit with 300,000 t/y of
capacity (PCN, 6 Jan 2020, p 1).
In addition, Sinochem is expanding its existing refinery
capacity by 60,000 b/d to 300,000 b/d.

 

Trinseo, Ineos Styrolution Advancing Plans For ‘First-of-Its-Kind’ PS Recycling Plant

Paris—
Trinseo and Ineos Styrolution said their planning process
is progressing to build the “first-of-its-kind” commercialscale
polystyrene (PS) recycling facility in Wingles, France
(PCN, 13 Jan 2020, p 3).
The proposed plant, based on depolymerization technology,
will be capable of processing up to 50 t/d of postconsumer
PS feedstock. Full operations are expected by
mid-2023.
The technology converts PS food packaging waste directly
back into its original liquid monomer, which can
then be repolymerized into recycled PS for the same highquality
end applications, including food contact applications
much like virgin PS.
The partners will evaluate two technology concepts
from Agilyx and Recycling Technologies with regards to
quality, efficiency and adaptation to different waste
streams.
“Our collaboration between Trinseo and Ineos Styrolution
is a significant commitment of capital and resources
and a major milestone in truly closing the loop with food
grade recycled content,” said Sven Riechers, vice president,
business management, Standard Products EMEA at Ineos
Styrolution.
“It forms part of Ineos Styrolution’s and Trinseo’s commitments
to use, on average, 30% recycled content in products
destined for polystyrene packaging in Europe by
2025.”
Trinseo, Ineos Styrolution and AmSty recently agreed
to accelerate the introduction of circularity for PS (see related
story, pg. 2).

 

Polyplastics Building New Facility in Leuna To Meet Growing Demand for Topas COC

Leuna—
Polyplastics announced plans to set up a new cyclic olefin
copolymer (COC) production plant in Leuna, Germany, to
support the growing global demand for its Topas COC polymers.
The facility, which will be operated by Polyplastics’ Topas
Advanced Polymers GmbH subsidiary, will have a production
capacity of 20,000 t/y, more than double the company’s
current output. Operations will begin by mid-2023.
Polyplastics already has a COC production unit at its
site in Oberhausen, Germany.

 

Sasol Seeking Partners for Development Of New CO2 Utilization Technologies

Secunda—Sasol
is inviting interested parties to participate in a Request for
Information (RFI) process regarding the development and
demonstration of carbon dioxide (CO2) utilization technologies
at its operations in South Africa.
“We are currently exploring different initiatives and
projects with the intent of enabling technology development
deployment to achieve large-scale greenhouse gas
(GHG) reductions,” the company noted.
“Carbon dioxide utilization has been identified as a
promising lever to reduce GHG emissions globally and has
the potential to increase the implementation of carbon capture
and utilization technologies.”
Sasol is looking to partner with other companies to reduce
GHG emissions at its site in Secunda and Sasolburg.
The scale of application for potential projects can range
from demonstration level to commercial level.
Interested parties may apply for access to the RFI by
forwarding their company profile together with contact
details to CO2utilisation@sasol.com. The closing date for
submissions is 30 Sept. 2020.

 

VTT, Partners to Explore PS Recycling, Will Focus on Collection and Handling

Helsinki—VTT
Technical Research Centre of Finland and its partners,
during their new two-year MoPo project, will explore how
recycling of polystyrene (PS) could be “substantially” increased
by reshaping its collection and handling.
The goal is to convert waste into pure PS or styrene
monomers, as the bulk of collected expandable PS and
other PS waste still ends up incinerated, VTT noted.
“In the new MoPo project our target is to offer a technically
and economically feasible solution to the recycling of
polystyrene waste in Europe,” said Muhammad Saad
Qureshi, senior scientist at VTT and leader of the MoPo
project.
“We will explore the state of polystyrene production,
consumption and recycling in Finland and in selected
European countries. We will also develop a logistics model
for collecting polystyrene waste and methods for its mechanical
and chemical recycling.
Led by VTT, the project has a total budget of €964,000,
which will be covered by Business Finland, VTT and its
research and business partners: Aalto University, L&T,
HSY, Finnfoam, PS Processing, CH-Polymers, Pohjanmaan
Hyotyjatekuljetus and Suomen Uusiomuovi.

 

Brunei Fertilizer Gives Schedule Update For Ammonia, Urea Project in SE Asia

Belait—Brunei
Fertilizer Industries expects first urea production by the
second quarter of next year at its ammonia and urea complex
under construction in the Sungai Liang Industrial
Park in Brunei, according to a report on the company’s
website (PCN, 20 Aug 2018, p 1).
The state-of-the-art complex, which will be “one of the
largest” in Southeast Asia, includes a 2,200-t/d ammonia
unit, as well as a urea plant and urea granulation unit
with a combined capacity of 3,900 t/d, based on Stamicarbon
technology. Cost of the project was not given.
Thyssenkrupp is responsible for engineering, supply of
equipment, erection, supervision of construction and commissioning,
and various offsite and related utility systems
for the project.

 

Trinseo and Fernholz Develop New Grade Of Post-Consumer Recycled Polystyrene

Berwyn—
Trinseo, together with German packaging manufacturer
Fernholz, has developed a new grade of post-consumer recycled
polystyrene (r-PS) for food packaging.
Using Trinseo’s technology, the latest Form Fill Seal
(FFS) formulations incorporate 40% r-PS, depending on
final application.
Fernholz is working closely with Trinseo to incorporate
r-PS into sheet production, which can be used for food
packaging applications. To date, full-scale field tests have
shown that r-PS can be readily processed on classic FFS
machines, eliminating the need for expensive upgrades.
The new material grade is being trialed by several
European dairy companies, some of which have already
launched new products using the r-PS food packaging.
Trinseo has the capacity to supply the dairy industry and
related sectors with several thousand tons of the material.

 

PetroChemical News Briefs

Estonia’s Eesti Energia is considering construction of
a new methanol production complex in Ida-Viru County,
according to local reports. The proposed project is estimated
to cost €280-million. No other details were given.
Borealis has launched the Bornewables portfolio of
circular polyolefin products. Produced with renewable
feedstock derived entirely from waste and residue streams,
the polyolefins offer the same material performance as virgin
polyolefins, but with a reduced carbon footprint.
Rohm GmbH has announced sales control, with immediate
effect, for Meracryl methyl methacrylate in the
Europe region. The company cited increased demand and
limited availability of raw material.

Braskem Begins Commercial Production At New ‘World-Class’ PP Plant in Texas

La Porte—
Braskem announced that it has successfully launched commercial
production at its newest, “world-class” polypropylene
(PP) production line in La Porte, Texas (PCN, 24 August
2020, p 1).
The $750-million line, which has a production capacity
of over 450,000 t/y, has the capability to produce the entire
PP portfolio, including homopolymer, impact copolymer
and random copolymers.
“The start-up of our new production line comes at a
time when the North American polypropylene industry
needs it most,” said Alexandre Elias, vice president, polypropylene
North America.
“The market has adapted to the COVID pandemic and
demand in North America has recovered to pre-COVID
levels. This demand, coupled with recent operating challenges
in the industry, has created a situation where clients
in North America need our support.”

 

Jiatong Energy Picks Invista Technology For Two New PTA Lines in Nantong City

Nantong—
Invista Performance Technologies has reached an agreement
with Jiangsu Jiatong Energy Co. (Jiatong Energy), a
subsidiary of Tongkun Group, to provide its latest P8 process
technology for two new purified terephthalic acid (PTA)
lines to be installed in China.
The lines, for which capacities were not given, will be
located in Rudong, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province. They
will deploy Invista’s “largest” twin stream design using the
PTA technology, Invista noted. Start-up of the first line is
targeted for the fourth quarter of 2022.
“Building on the demonstrated performance of the P8
technology platform, the variable cost, capital productivity
and environmental performance is expected to set new
benchmarks within the industry,” said Invista.

 

IFC Providing $39-Mn Financing Package To Engee for New Nigerian PET Plant

Lagos—IFC, a
member of the World Bank Group, announced a $39-
million financing package to help Engee Manufacturing
Ltd., based in Nigeria, to build a continuous polymerization
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin facility in
Ogun State.
The new PET plant would source more than 20% of its
raw materials from local, waste plastics, strengthening
Nigeria’s recycling and manufacturing sectors, IFC noted.
Through the new facility, Engee could double the number
of plastic bottles recycled in Nigeria through a process
of collecting, cleaning and processing up to 30,000 t/y of
used plastic bottles. The plant is expected to be fully operational
within the next 24 months.
IFC will also provide Engee with advisory services support
to implement a plastics waste recycling program specifically
for bottle-grade resins.

 

Zhenhua Chooses Honeywell Technology To Boost Chinese Propylene Production

Beijing—
Zhenhua Petrochemical Co. has selected Honeywell UOP’s
C3 Oleflex technology to increase propylene production at a
proposed plant in Dongying City, China.
The project, which will be carried out in two phases,
will use the propane dehydrogenation technology to process
1-million t/y of polymer-grade propylene. Cost and a
schedule for the project were not available.
“With this project, we will have licensed capacity to
generate more than 15-million metric tons per year of
polymer-grade propylene in China,” noted Bryan Glover,
vice president and general manager, UOP Process Technologies.
Zhenhua is a joint venture of Zhenhua Import and Export
Corp. and Dongying Yatong Petrochemical Co.

 

KBR & JM Ink Alliance Pact to License NH3-Methanol Co-Production Process

Houston—KBR
and Johnson Matthey (JM) announced they have signed an
alliance agreement to license a “groundbreaking” ammonia
(NH3)-methanol co-production process that combines their
ammonia and methanol technologies.
The co-production of ammonia and methanol in a single
plant offers many advantages, including reduced capital
expenditure (CAPEX) and lower operating costs (OPEX),
the partners noted.
The co-production process utilizes KBR’s proprietary
Purifier ammonia process and JM’s methanol process. It
maximizes the savings in CAPEX and OPEX, while offering
the highest levels of safety, flexibility and reliability,
they added.
“I am excited to announce the alliance agreement combining
market leading technologies from KBR and JM into
a new offering for our clients,” said Doug Kelly, president
of technology solutions at KBR.
“KBR’s ammonia technology is known for its lowest energy
consumption resulting in reduced carbon footprint,
highest reliability and safety and outstanding financial
performance.”

 

LG Chem Raising Acrylic Acid Capacity; Chooses Sulzer’s Crystallization Process

Yeosu—
Sulzer has installed acrylic acid crystallization equipment
at LG Chem’s complex in Yeosu, South Korea, to accommodate
higher production volumes of acrylic acid and associated
superabsorbent polymers.
Sulzer’s processes can remove impurities at low process
temperatures, while avoiding the use of solvents and
eliminating the risk of acrylic acid polymerization that can
occur during distillation.
To realize the planned production increase to 160,000
t/y of high purity acrylic acid, Sulzer delivered the equipment
onsite in less than 14 months and supported the
commissioning and start-up activities.

 

Air Liquide, Sasol Ink Purchase Agreement For Oxygen Production Site in Secunda

Secunda—
Air Liquide has entered into a business purchase agreement
with Sasol, in which Air Liquide will buy and operate
the “biggest” oxygen production site in the world owned by
Sasol in Secunda, South Africa (PCN, 3 Aug 2020, p 1).
Under the terms of the agreement, Air Liquide would
operate the 16 air separation units of the site, with an installed
capacity of 42,000 t/d, in addition to the unit Air
Liquide already operates at the site. Subsequent to the
acquisition, Air Liquide will supply various gases to Sasol’s
operation under a long-term supply agreement with an
initial term of 15 years.
Air Liquide intends to initially invest around €440-
million to modernize the facilities in coordination with
Sasol, which would allow a targeted reduction of 30% to
40% in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.
The agreements are subject to customary approvals, including
the South African Competition Authority’s approval,
which is not expected to be received before December
2020.

 

CAP Commences Commercial Operations At MTBE, Butene-1 Plants in Cilegon

Cilegon—
Chandra Asri Petrochemical (CAP) has started operation of
its new methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and butene-1
production units at its existing petrochemical complex in
Cilegon, Batan, Indonesia (PCN, 4 June 2018, p 1).
The project involved a 128,000-t/y MTBE plant and a
43,000-t/y butene-1 unit, the “first of their kind” in Indonesia,
the company noted. Both facilities are based on technology
from Lummus.
Toyo Engineering was in charge of the engineering and
offshore supply services, while Inti Karya Persada Tehnik,
Toyo’s Indonesian subsidiary, was responsible for engineering,
domestic procurement and construction work and
commissioning support.
The plant operations are in line with the Indonesian
government’s target to substitute imports by 35% until
2022, noted CAP.

 

Chemetry Selects Zeton to Build Modular Demo Plant for Its New EDC Technology

Ontario—
Zeton has been chosen by Chemetry to build a modular
demonstration unit based on Chemetry’s new eShuttle ethylene
dichloride (EDC) technology to prove the commercial
viability of the process (PCN, 24 Aug 2020, p 4).
Based in Ontario, Canada, Zeton will provide detailed
engineering, procurement, fabrication and factory testing
of the new modular unit at its facility. Once complete, the
plant will be shipped to Braskem’s vinyls site in Maceio,
Alagoas State, Brazil.
After reassembly, the unit will be prepared for operation
and commissioned by Braskem and Chemetry with
assistance from Zeton. The plant will operate for about one
year to adequately demonstrate the performance and reliability
of the new process.
The eShuttle technology uses a “unique” metal halide
ion process to produce high-purity EDC without generating
chlorine gas, Chemetry earlier noted. The process uses
25% to 50% less power than current industrial processes.

 

Aker Solutions & Kvaerner to Combine; Kvaerner to be Dissolved Upon Merger

Oslo—Aker
Solutions ASA and Kvaerner recently announced plans to
merge the two companies and combine their solutions and
technologies.
Upon completion of the proposed merger, it is anticipated
that Aker Solutions will absorb all the assets, rights
and obligations of Kvaerner and Kvaerner will be dissolved.
Kvaerner is expected to hold an extraordinary general
meeting on or about 25 Sept. 2020, where approval of the
merger is on the agenda.
The combine company would have about 15,000 employees
in over 50 locations worldwide, with operations in
around 25 countries.

 

Sumitomo & Shimane to Accelerate Research On Methanol Synthesis from Carbon Dioxide

Tokyo–
Sumitomo Chemical and Shimane University announced a
decision to accelerate joint research on a “highly effective”
method of synthesizing methanol from carbon dioxide.
By combining carbon dioxide generated from the incineration
of waste with hydrogen derived from renewable
energy, the partners can create methanol that can be used
to produce useful industrial products, while also reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, they explained.
In addition, since methanol can also be produced from
syngas, it is possible to convert used plastics and biomass
resources from a region into syngas, and use that gas as
the raw material for methanol production, thereby creating
a complete carbon cycle.
“Challenges for the practical implementation of methanol
synthesis using carbon dioxide as a raw material are
the low yield of methanol and catalyst degradation due to
the presence of water vapor as a byproduct,” noted the parties.
However, a novel process technology that can increase
reaction yield, developed by professor Kohji Omata
of the Interdisciplinary Faculty of Science and Engineering
at Shimane University, has recently gathered attention as
a technology that may overcome these challenges.”
In this joint research, Shimane will continue basic research
into catalysts and reaction processes, while Sumitomo
will work on industrial applications of the catalysts
and processes developed in Shimane’s basic research.

 

People on the Move

EuroChem Group—Vladimir Rashevskiy, most recently
chief executive of SUEK, has been appointed chief
executive of EuroChem to succeed Petter Ostbo.
SK Capital Partners—Christopher Fraser has joined
the private investment firm as senior director. He was
previously chairman and chief executive of KMG Chemicals.
SNC-Lavalin—William L. Young has become chairman
of the board to succeed Kevin G. Lynch. He is also
chairman of Magna International, and a corporate director
on the board of Intact Financial.
Techmer PM—Michael McHenry, most recently president,
chief executive and board director of Master Fluid
Solutions, has joined Techmer as chief operating officer.

 

Axens, IFPEN and Jeplan Agree to Partner In New PET Monomer Recycling Process

Tokyo—
Axens, IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) and Jeplan announced
they have signed a joint development and commercialization
agreement to develop, demonstrate and
commercialize an “innovative” polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) monomer recycling process for all types of waste
PET-based materials.
The new process, Rewind PET, involves an optimized
glycolysis-based PET depolymerization combined with specific
purification steps aimed at removing all organic and
inorganic compounds present in waste PET. The resulting
product is a purified BHET (bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate)
monomer, which is ready to be manufactured into any
type of PET product, from fibers to food-grade resins.
The partners will utilize Jeplan’s 2,000-t/y demonstration
plant in Japan to accelerate the development and
demonstration of Rewind PET. Worldwide licensing by
Axens of the new process is expected at the end of 2022.
“This flexible, high-performance process will answer the
PET packaging and textile industries’ needs to reach their
ambitious recycling targets at the 2025-2030 horizon,”
noted Axens Chief Executive Jean Sentenac.
“Beyond licensing, Axens will propose to Rewind PET
customers a global offer, from the delivery of turn-key
modular units to a full support for the operation of this
new process.”

 

Eni and Pequiven Restart Production At JV Methanol Plant in Venezeula

Caracas—Eni and
Pequiven have restarted methanol production at their 50-
50 Supermetanol joint venture in the Jose industrial complex
in Venezuela, reported Argus Media citing industry
sources.
The 800,000-t/y methanol facility had been shut down
in the second quarter of last year to repair leaks to a natural
gas line and a steam valve.
PdV Gas supplies natural gas feedstock to the Supermetanol
complex, as well as to Mitsubishi’s 1.6-million-t/y
Meteor methanol complex, also located at Jose.

 

LyondellBasell Starts Up Small-Scale Pilot Molecular Recycling Facility

Ferrara—
LyondellBasell said it has successfully started up its new
small-scale MoReTec molecular recycling plant at its site in
Ferrara, Italy (PCN, 21 Oct 2019, p 4).
The company’s proprietary technology aims to convert
typically difficult to recycle plastic waste, such as multilayer
films, returning them to their molecular state to be
used as feedstock to produce new plastic for all applications.
While the process is based on chemical recycling, it
also includes a proprietary catalyst-based approach.
The pilot plant has the capacity to process between 5
kg/hr and 10 kg/hr of household plastic waste. The goal is
to understand the interaction of various waste types in the
molecular recycling process, test the various catalysts, and
confirm the process temperature and time needed to decompose
the waste into molecules.
Completion is anticipated in the “next couple of years,”
the company noted, at which time LyondellBasell will plan
for an industrial scale unit.
New plastic materials produced by the MoReTec technology
can be used in food packaging and healthcare items.

 

EPCA Details 54th Annual Meeting Being Held Virtually This October

Brussels—The
European Petrochemical Assn.’s (EPCA) 54th annual meeting,
originally planned to be held in Budapest, Hungary,
will be held virtually this year on 5-7 Oct. 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic (PCN, 4 May 2020, p 2).
Based on the theme “Building a Smarter, Circular and
More Inclusive Post-Pandemic World,” this year’s conference
will ask the question: how can we contribute to an
economic re-emergence? and how should we proactively
face the new political and social winds, accelerated by the
pandemic?
The three-day program overview involves: Navigating
Towards Future; C-Suite Leadership Forum; Standing
Strong, Moving Fast; Logistics & Supply Chain Panel;
Sharing New Perspectives, and Keynote Address & Conversation.
Some of the speakers include EPCA Chief Executive
Caroline Ciuciu; Marc Schuller, chief operating officer of
Arkema and president of the EPCA; Dow Chairman and
Chief Executive Jim Fitterling; Martin Brudermüller,
chairman of the board of directors and chief technology
officer of BASF SE; Shell Chemicals Executive Vice President
Thomas Casparie; Bernard Pinatel, president of Refining
& Chemicals and member of the executive committee
of Total SA, and Integra Petrochemicals Chief Executive
Gina Fyffe.
For further details, contact EPCA by phone at 32 (0) 2
741 86 60 or email meetings@epca.eu. You can also register
online at my.epca.eu.

 

Wood Forms Partnership with AspenTech To Offer Performance Solutions to Clients

Bedford—
Wood and Aspen Technology (AspenTech) formed a new
partnership that will offer Wood’s clients Aspen Mtell asset
performance management technology for predictive and
prescriptive maintenance.
Aspen Mtell analyzes historical and real-time operational
and maintenance data to discover the precise failure
signatures that precede asset degradation and breakdowns,
predict future failures, and prescribe detailed actions
to mitigate problems.
“Aspen Mtell is part of our connected operations and
maintenance programs that will allow our clients to detect
patterns in operating data, allowing them to take prescriptive
action and avoid unplanned downtime,” said Wood
Chief Technology Officer Darren Martin.
“Together, our vision is to drive value through digital
twins across the full asset lifecycle, working to optimize
asset performance, monitoring, and control across any environment.”

 

Lordegan Starts Up New Urea Unit

Tehran—Iran’s
Lordegan Petrochemical Co., a subsidiary of Iranian Investment
Petrochemical Group, has begun operation of a
new urea unit at its complex in Lordegan City, Chaharmahal
and Bakhtiari Province, Iran, reported Shana.
The 3,250-t/d urea plant is the third and final phase of
a project that included utility and ancillary units in the
first phase, and a recently launched 677,000-t/y ammonia
facility in the second phase (PCN, 22 June 2020, p 3).
Lordegan’s latest urea unit brings the company’s total
urea production capacity to over 1-million t/y.

 

Loop & Suez Form Strategic Partnership To Build Infinite Loop Recycling Plant

Montreal—
Loop Industries and Suez said they plan to build the “first”
Infinite Loop recycling facility in Europe for the production
of virgin quality, food grade, 100% recycled and infinitely
recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic (PCN,
7 Sept 2020, p 3).
The new facility, which will be dedicated to PET plastic,
will be the “largest in the world,” the companies noted.
Final site selection and engineering are targeted to be
completed by mid-2021. Commissioning is anticipated in
2023.
By leveraging Loop’s patented and proprietary lowenergy
technology and Suez’s expertise, the new facility
will be able to save 180,000 t/y of carbon dioxide, compared
with virgin PET produced from traditional processes.
According to the partners, Europe consumes about 5.5-
million t/y of PET plastic, less than 7% of which makes its
way back into bottles. European governments are imposing
new regulation on single use plastics and have set
minimum recycled content laws for packaging. The new
plant will directly increase recycling rates in the country.

 

MOL & Meraxis Sign MoU to Cooperate In Recycled Polyolefin Plastic Blends

Budapest—
MOL said it has signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with Meraxis Commercial Group to cooperate in the
development, manufacturing and distribution of “highquality,”
recycled polyolefin compounds.
Swiss distributor Meraxis will supply MOL with “highquality”
recycled plastic from municipal waste, which will
be mixed with MOL’s primary polyolefin products.
Utilizing the combined expertise of both companies, the
partners will develop a new product portfolio at Aurora
Kunststoffe in Germany, a member of the MOL Group.
Both parties will be responsible for distribution.
“MOL Group is a key strategic partner for us,” said
Meraxis Chief Executive Dr. Stefan Girschik. “As one of
Europe’s leading polymer producers, MOL has been committed
to the closed-loop circular economy for many years.
“Our goal is to use the combined expertise of the two
companies to meet the growing demand for high-quality
recycled plastics in the automotive, construction and packaging
industries. There are still many untapped opportunities
in the production of quality recycled materials.
However, strategic collaborations like this allow us to take
a key step towards optimizing recycling.”

 

Daelim Gets Approval to Split Company; Will Spin Off Petchems into New Firm

Seoul—Daelim
Industrial Co. has received board approval to split the company
into three firms in order to concentrate on each separate
specialty area, according to several local reports.
The new organization will include a holding company,
tentatively named DL Co., a construction firm named DL
E&C, and DL Chemical, which will be formed from the
spin-off of Daelim’s petrochemical business. DL Chemical
will be wholly-owned by DL Co.
Daelim’s plan to split the company is subject to shareholder
approval, which is expected 4 Dec. 2020. The three
new companies are planned to be launched on 1 Jan. 2021.

 

Ineos Expands Recycl-IN Product Range To Include Flexible Packaging Solutions

London—
Ineos Olefins & Polymers has expanded its Recycl-IN
range of products to include flexible packaging solutions
with over 60% recycled content (PCN, 17 Feb 2020, p 4).
The company has entered into a partnership with waste
management firm Saica Natur for the supply of recycled
low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear LDPE, which
will help Ineos serve the growing demand for increased
levels of recycled product in sustainable, virgin quality
flexible packaging, Ineos noted.
Ineos first launched the Recycl-IN range of polymers in
2019 to address consumer needs for high recycled content
resins, which match the performance of virgin resins in
terms of quality and processability.
“Through this partnership, Ineos Olefins & Polymers
has been able to develop high-performance polyethylene
Recycl-IN resins to meet the needs of converters, brand
owners and retailers, to use more than 60% recycled plastics
in very demanding applications, such as stretch and
lamination films typically used in flexible pouches for detergent
and personal care products,” said Ineos.

 

Orlen Aims for Carbon Neutrality by ’50

Plock—PKN
Orlen has set a goal of becoming emission neutral by 2050
at its petrochemical, refining and power generation operations
in Central Europe.
In order to reach this goal, by 2030 the company plans
to invest more than PLN 25-billion in over 60 new projects
to increase the energy efficiency of its existing assets.
It will reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its
current refining and petrochemical assets by 20%, and
emissions from power generation by 33% CO2/mwh.
The carbon neutrality strategy is based on four pillars:
energy efficiency in production, zero- and low-emission
power generation, alternative fuels and green financing.

LyondellBasell & Bora Announce Start-Up Of New JV Polyolefin Complex in China

Panjin—
LyondellBasell and Liaoning Bora Enterprise Group (Bora)
have started up their new 50-50 joint venture polyolefin
complex in Panjin, Liaoning Province, China (PCN, 9 Mar
2020, p 1).
The facility, which will operate under the name Bora
LyondellBasell Petrochemical Co., includes a 1.1-milliont/
y flexible naphtha/liquefied petroleum gas cracker, the
production of 800,000 t/y of polyethylene (PE) and 600,000
t/y of polypropylene (PP).
The new facility will use LyondellBasell’s Hostalen ACP
PE technologies and its Spheripol and Spherizone PP technologies.
Materials produced at the complex will be sold
within China.
“Demand for polyolefins has returned in China after the
pandemic-related economic slowdown earlier in the year
and the long-term growth trends are very favorable for this
project,” noted LyondellBasell Chief Executive Bob Patel.
The parties are planning medium-to-long term collaboration
on additional petrochemical projects that could be
deployed in multiple phases over the next decade.

 

Huayi Picks Honeywell Oleflex Technology For Production of Propylene in Qinzhou

Beijing—
Guangxi Huayi New Material Co., a subsidiary of Shanghai
Huayi, has chosen Honeywell UOP’s C3 Oleflex technology
to produce propylene at its facility in Qinzhou,
Guangxi, China.
The propane dehydrogenation technology will be used
for the production of 750,000 t/y of polymer-grade propylene,
which will be used in its acrylic acid plant, as well as
its cumene and phenol units.
UOP will provide services, catalysts and adsorbents for
the facility. Value of the contract and a schedule for the
project were not given.
The project marks the 38th award for C3 Oleflex technology
in China, which continues to see increased growth
and demand for propylene, Honeywell noted.

 

Ascend Finalizes Purchase from D’Ottavio Of Italian Firms Poliblend & Esseti Plast

Como—
Ascend Performance Materials has completed the acquisition
of Poliblend and Esseti Plast, both of Italy, from D’Ottavio
Group (PCN, 17 Feb 2020, p 3).
“Our experience as a large-scale, fully integrated polyamide
[PA] 66 manufacturer coupled with Poliblend’s portfolio
of recycled and virgin PA66, PA6 and POM [polyoxymethylene],
and Esseti Plast’s extensive masterbatch operations
will offer our customers more choices for quality,
high performance materials on a global scale,” said John
Saunders, vice president of Europe at Ascend.
As part of the purchase, Ascend establishes a second
production facility in Europe. The acquisition also includes
Poliblend Deutschland, a German distribution facility.

 

Lummus Novolen Wins Lukoil Contract For New Polypropylene Unit in Kstovo

Moscow—
Lukoil NNOS has awarded a technology contract to Lummus
Novolen Technology for a new polypropylene (PP) facility
to be built in Kstovo, Russia (PCN, 29 July 2019, p 1).
The PP plant will have a provisional capacity of 500,000
t/y, which will be intended for exports, PCN earlier reported.
Cost of the project and an expected completion
date were not given.
Lummus’ scope of works includes the technology license
for the PP unit, as well as basic design engineering, training
and services, and catalyst supply.
This is the “largest” Novolen PP unit licensed in Russia
to date, Lummus noted.
Lukoil currently produces PP at its Stavrolen refinery
in Budennovsk, Russia, and its Netrokhim Burgas refinery
in Burgas, Bulgaria.

 

Bua Group Selects Axens Technology For Nigerian Refinery & PC Project

Lagos—Bua
Group has chosen Axens as the technology provider for a
new 200,000-b/d integrated refinery and petrochemical
plant in Lagos, Nigeria.
The multibillion-dollar greenfield project plans to produce
Euro-V fuels and polypropylene for the domestic and
regional market.
Axens will provide its advanced technology licenses, basic
engineering, catalysts and adsorbents, proprietary
equipment, training and technical services.
“Once completed, this RFCC [residue fluid catalytic
cracking]-based complex will produce high-quality gasoline,
diesel, jet fuel meeting Euro-V specifications for the
Nigerian market and the larger region,” said Bua Group
Chairman and Chief Executive Abdul Samad Rabiu. The
plant will also produce propylene.
“This large complex will help in reducing Nigeria’s dependence
on imported fuels and petrochemicals.”

 

CCI Gives OK to SABIC’s Acquisition Of Additional Stake in Clariant AG

New Delhi—The
Competition Commission of India (CCI) has cleared SABIC
BV’s incremental acquisition of a 6.51% shareholding in
Clariant AG (PCN, 9 Mar 2020, p 2).
The transaction, which will raise SABIC’s stake in
Clariant to 31.5%, is part of SABIC’s growth strategy in
specialties.
In September 2018, the companies signed a memorandum
of understanding to merge their specialty chemicals
businesses into a new high-performance materials specialty
chemicals business, following SABIC’s purchase of a
24.99% interest in Clariant, which was completed the same
month.
Last July, the parties agreed to temporarily postpone
discussions of merging the businesses, attributing the delay
to unfavorable market conditions.

 

GSFC Restarts Vadodara Methanol Unit After Being Shut Down for Six Years

Gujarat—
Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals (GSFC) said it resumed
methanol production on 31 Aug. 2020 at its facility
in Vadodara, India, which had been closed for six years.
The 525-t/d methanol facility is expected to help substitute
imports from Middle East countries. Currently, Gujarat
Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals and Rashtriya
Chemicals and Fertilizers are the only other companies
producing methanol in India.
“The restart of GSFC’s methanol plant will increase
[the] company’s turnover by Rs 150 crore in the current
financial year,” noted GSFC Managing Director Arvind
Agrawal.
GSFC’s methanol unit was first commissioned in 2013
and, after operating for less than a year, it was considered
non-viable and shut down in April 2014.
The plant is expected to reach 470 t/d of methanol production
by 10 Sept. 2020.

 

Braskem Returns to Normal Capacity At Its Brazilian Petchem Facilities

São Paulo—
Braskem announced that its petrochemical plants in Brazil
have returned to normal capacity utilization rate to meet
the high demand for thermoplastic resins (PCN, 1-8 June
2020, p 1).
In May 2020, Braskem announced it was reducing ethylene
production in Brazil to about 65% of its total capacity,
citing the coronavirus outbreak’s impact on the company’s
operations.
At the same time, it said it was cutting U.S. polypropylene
production to around 85% of its total capacity, and
lowering the company’s planned investments for 2020 to
$600-million from $721-million.
“Our facilities in Brazil have prioritized supplies to the
domestic market, which has already been stabilizing,”
noted Edison Terra, vice president of olefins and polyolefins
for South America. “Never, we continue to serve strategic
export markets.”
“In recent weeks, the entire chemical and plastic chain
has clearly recovered, which is very positive news, as it
signals a strong rebound by industry in the midst of a pandemic
and its developments,” said Isabel Figueiredo, vice
president of vinyls and specialties.

 

Energy Transfer Completes Project To Expand Lone Star Express PL

Dallas—Energy
Transfer (ET) said it has concluded its Lone Star Express
Pipeline (PL) expansion project ahead of schedule and on
budget (PCN, 17 Aug 2020, p 3).
The new 352-mile, 24-inch pipeline adds over 400,000
b/d of natural gas liquids (NGL) capacity from the Permian
Basin to ET’s existing Lone Star NGL pipeline system
south of Fort Worth, Texas.
The Lone Star pipeline system ultimately connects into
ET’s Mont Belvieu, Texas, facility, an integrated liquids
storage and fractionation facility along the U.S. Gulf Coast
with strategic connectivity to over 25 petrochemical plants,
refineries, fractionators and third-party pipelines.
Lone Star Express was a “major” part of ET’s 2020 capital
program, the company noted.

 

Air Liquide to Build New ASU & POX To Supply Eastman’s Longview Site

Longview—Air
Liquide will invest over $160-million to modernize existing
assets and build an air separation unit (ASU) and partial
oxidation unit (POX) to supply Eastman Chemical’s Longview,
Texas, site.
Under a long-term supply agreement, Air Liquide will
supply Eastman with gaseous oxygen, nitrogen and syngas
from the new units, which will be integrated into the existing
facilities. Production is expected to begin late 2021.
The new POX will use Air Liquide’s patented Lurgi
technology and will capture and recycle carbon dioxide,
reducing the carbon intensity of operations, in line with
the group’s 2025 Climate Objectives.
“Air Liquide is pleased to further its longstanding relationship
with Eastman with another significant investment
at its Longview site in east Texas, the world’s single
largest production facility of its type, and to further demonstrate
Air Liquide’s ongoing commitment to deliver innovative
technologies and safe, reliable and sustainable
solutions for the industry,” said Michael J. Graff, executive
vice president and executive committee member at Air
Liquide.

 

Japan Polyethylene Shutting Down LDPE Production Line at Kashima

Tokyo—Japan
Polyethylene, a joint venture of Japan Polychem and Japan
Polyolefine, has decided to stop production of low-density
polyethylene (LDPE) at its Kashima site in Japan, according
to Argus.
The 62,000-t/y LDPE line, which was built in 1971, has
caused increased financial “burden” on Japan Polyethylene,
said the report. The unit will be shut down in May
2021.
The company also expects to end production and sales
of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers at its Kawasaki, Japan,
facility.
Japan Polyethylene also owns a 95,000-t/y LDPE plant
in Kawasaki, a 65,000-t/y LDPE facility in Mizushima, Japan,
and a 125,000-t/y unit at its Oita, Japan, site.
In addition, Japan Polypropylene, a group company of
Japan Polyethylene, plans to end polypropylene production
next January at its Goi facility in Japan, due to raising
global competition.

 

People on the Move

Nexeo Plastics—Paul Tayler has become chief executive,
succeeding Michael Modak, who had been serving as
interim chief executive and will remain a member of the
company’s board of directors. Tayler was most recently
vice president, Europe Division.
EuropaBio—Andrew Topen has been appointed
chairman of the association to replace Tjerk de Ruiter. Topen
leads the overall public affairs strategy and strategic
relationships within Region Europe at Novartis.
Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (BPCL)—Padmakar
Kappagantula, director of human resources, has assumed
the additional responsibility of chairman and managing
director of BPCL. He had been a director on the board
since 2018.

 

U.S. Dept. of Treasury Sanctions 6 Firms For Enabling the Sale of Iranian PCs

Washington—
The U.S. Dept. of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control
has sanctioned six entities for their support to Trilliance
Petrochemical Co.’s continued involvement in the sale
of Iranian petrochemical products.
The entities, based in Iran, the United Arab Emirates
and China, helped efforts by Hong-Kong based Trilliance to
hide or otherwise obscure its involvement in sales contracts.
Trilliance was designated by the Treasury this past
January.
“Iranian petrochemical sales remain a key revenue
source for the Iranian regime, helping to finance its destabilizing
support to corrupt regimes and terrorist groups
throughout the Middle East and, more recently, Venezuela,”
said the Treasury.
Additionally, the U.S. Dept. of State has imposed sanctions
on five entities for knowingly engaging in a “significant”
transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport,
or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products
from Iran, the Treasury added. It also sanctioned three
individuals who are principal executive officers of the sanctioned
entities.

 

Eurotecnica Awarded Contract to Supply Melamine Technology for Chinese Unit

Shaanxi—
ShaanXi Qing Shui Yin Quan Coal Industry Development
Co. has selected Eurotecnica’s melamine technology for a
new melamine plant in China.
The 60,000-t/y single-train facility will use Eurotecnica’s
4th generation Euromel technology, which features
the traditional total-zero-pollution concept. No other details
were available.

 

PolyQuest Plans to Build Additional Line For Recycled PET Resins in S. Carolina

Wilmington—
PolyQuest, a polymer resin distributor and recycler, said it
will construct at least one additional recycled polyethylene
terephthalate (rPET) manufacturing line at its PET recycling
operation in Darlington, S.C., to meet the growing
demand for post-consumer recycled content.
Since 2006, PolyQuest has been producing recycled PET
resins at the Darlington facility. Using either postindustrial
or post-consumer recycled PET feedstocks,
PolyQuest can manufacture amorphous, crystallized and
solid state rPET resins that are either non-FDA or FDA
approved for food contact.
The new line, scheduled to be operational by the third
quarter of 2021, will be used to produce “high-quality”
resin that is suitable for use in the vast majority of PET
applications, the company noted.
“Our total corporate thermoplastics recycling capacity is
approximately 150-million pounds per year, which includes
post-consumer washed bottle flake plus post-consumer pelletizing
and solid stating plus post-industrial pelletizing,”
said PolyQuest Chief Executive John Marinelli.
“Even though the amount of post-consumer PP [polypropylene]
recycled pales in comparison with PET at present,
the rapid growth of PolyQuest’s virgin PP distribution
business requires that we intensively study and consider
investing in post-consumer recycled PP in the near
future.”

 

Loop and Chemtex Enter into Agreement To Accelerate Infinite Loop Technology

Montreal—
Loop Industries announced a deal with Chemtex Global, in
which it will leverage Chemtex and Invista Performance
Technologies polymerization know-how, in support of its
plan to accelerate the commercialization of its Infinite Loop
depolymerization process (PCN, 30 Mar 2020, p 1).
Infinite Loop enhanced recycling technology breaks
down waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and
polyester fiber into its base petrochemical building blocks,
or monomers: dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and monoethylene
glycol (MEG).
After depolymerization, the monomers are purified back
into their original form. Invista’s polymerization knowhow
is then used to rebuild the DMT and MEG into brand
new PET resin or polyester fiber, Loop explained. Chemtex
will provide its engineering and design support for Invista’s
know-how.
Infinite Loop also shows a 60% reduction in global
warming potential when compared to virgin PET produced
from fossil fuels.
“Infinite Loop manufacturing facilities will transform
the way PET plastic and polyester fiber is made in the future,
as the world continues its transition away from fossil
fuel-based plastics and into the circular economy,” said
Loop Founder and Chief Executive Daniel Solomita.
“All of the waste plastic processed through our manufacturing
technology is now infinitely recyclable, without
compromising quality, which our customers demand. The
ability to transform a worn-out polyester sweater into a
pristine water bottle or a brand-new pair of jeans is a great
example of the endless possibilities of Infinite Loop manufacturing.”

 

PCG, PT AKR Subsidiaries to Form JV To Distribute Chemicals in Indonesia

Jakarta—
Petronas Chemicals Marketing and PT AKR Niaga Indonesia,
subsidiaries of Petronas Chemicals Group (PCG) and
PT AKR Corporindo (PT AKR), respectively, have agreed to
form a joint venture to distribute methanol and other
chemicals across Indonesia.
PCG and logistics and supply chain firm PT AKR will
work together to deliver innovative customer solutions to
customers’ diverse needs, noted Petronas. Methanol will
be the first product delivered to Indonesian customers.
“Southeast Asia is an important market for us,” said
PCG Chief Executive and Managing Director Datuk Sazali
Hamzah. “Having an established local partner in Indonesia
with a strong logistical infrastructure and market presence
would enable us to grow our network and serve our
customers more effectively.
“PT AKR’s experience in serving the methanol market
is synergistic to PCG’s business. Beyond distributing
methanol, we also aspire to extend the chemical range to
include other chemical products in the future.”

 

Stolt Tankers Enters Accord with CTG To Purchase Five Chemical Tankers

London—Stolt
Tankers BV, a subsidiary of Stolt-Nielsen Ltd., has agreed
to purchase five chemical tankers from Chemical Transportation
Group (CTG) for trading in the Stolt Tankers Joint
Service.
The 26,000-dwt carriers, built in China in 2016 and
2017, have stainless steel cargo sections. The acquisition
of the ships is expected to be finalized between December
2020 and February 2021. Value of the transaction was not
given.
“This acquisition is an excellent opportunity for Stolt
Tankers to replace ships being retired in the next few
years, lowering our fleet age profile with competitively
priced ships that can trade in any of our deep-sea lanes,”
said Stolt Tankers President Lucas Vos.
“Newer, fuel-efficient ships help us reduce our carbon
footprint, while buying existing tonnage means capacity is
not added to a market that doesn’t need it.”

 

Nova Partnering with Merlin to Increase Supply of PCR for Consumer Packaging

Calgary—
Nova Chemicals has entered into a long-term agreement
with Merlin Plastics Supply to boost the supply of highquality,
post-consumer recyclate (PCR) for consumer packaging,
marking Nova’s entry into the PCR market.
The partners will turn high-density polyethylene
(HDPE) plastic recyclate into resin for use in everyday
products and packaging, including food applications.
As part of the agreement, Nova will provide financing
for a multimillion-dollar project to accelerate Merlin’s expansion
into PCR for food contact applications and, in turn,
will secure a reliable supply to offer its customers.
“We expect demand for PCR to increase tenfold in the
next five years based on brand owner sustainability commitments,”
noted Greg DeKunder, vice president of marketing
at Nova.
This is one of several collaborations Nova is pursuing to
build its PCR offerings with commercial quantities beginning
in 2021. Ultimately, Nova plans to offer 100% PCR
PE and PCR blended with its virgin grades, including linear
low-density PE, low-density PE, and HDPE.
“Plastic has great value and is essential to modern life,”
said Nova President and Chief Executive Luis Sierra.
“Nova Chemicals is committed to finding new ways to capture
its value beyond its first use to drive a plastics circular
economy.”

 

SDK Licensed to Process Industrial Waste Into Raw Materials for Chem Production

Tokyo—
Showa Denko (SDK), which has been operating a plastic
chemical recycling business in Kawasaki, Japan, since
2003, recently obtained a license to process industrial
waste into raw materials for chemicals and has begun accepting
used plastics, which have been crushed or molded.
“We gasify used plastics under high temperature and
decompose them to the level of molecules,” SDK noted.
“The gasified plastics are converted into hydrogen (lowcarbon
hydrogen) and carbon dioxide (CO2). We use lowcarbon
hydrogen as raw material to produce ammonia, and
CO2 as raw material to produce dry ice and carbonated
drinks,” it explained.
“These days, social needs for high-technology based recycling
of used plastics as a countermeasure against plastic
debris problems, including [the] marine plastic problem,
have been increasing.”

 

Huntsman Enters into Agreement to Sell Remaining Shares in Venator Materials

Houston—
Huntsman Corp. has signed a definitive agreement with
funds advised by SK Capital Partners to divest 42.5-
million shares in its pigments and additives business, Venator
Materials, for approximately $100-million.
The agreement includes a 30-month option for the sale
of the remaining approximate 9.5-million shares its holds
at $2.15 per share. Subject to regulatory approvals, the
transaction is expected to close near year-end.

 

PetroChemical News Briefs

Shell will install eight new ethylene steam cracker
furnaces at its Moerdijk petrochemicals complex in the
Netherlands in place of 16 older units, without reducing
capacity. The furnaces will be shipped in modules, allowing
the cracker to continue operating throughout the upgrade.
Completion is expected in 2025.
Chandra Asri Petrochemical signed a head of agreement
with Kilang Pertamina Internasional, a subsidiary of
Pertamina (Persero), to cooperate in developing the Indonesian
petrochemical business. Indonesia’s president, Joko
Widodo, has encouraged the development of petrochemical
plants to reduce imports.
Borealis has successfully completed the purchase of a
controlling interest in South Korean compounder DYM
Solution Co., for an undisclosed amount.
Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) has declared
force majeure on its polyethylene (PE) products after assessing
the impact of Hurricane Laura, which made landfall
on 27 Aug. 2020, said S&P Global Platts citing a letter
from the company. CPChem plans to return to full PE deliveries
“as soon as possible.”
Phillips 66 has resumed operations at its Beaumont
terminal in Nederland, Texas, which was impacted by
Hurricane Laura. Operations remain limited by electric
power curtailments. Timelines for other operational restarts
mainly depend on resources, including access to electricity
and other utilities.

Majority of Gulf Coast Producers Report Minimal Impact from Hurricane Laura

Houston—As
of PCN’s press deadline, most U.S. Gulf Coast producers
reported no major impacts from Hurricane Laura, which
made landfall on 27 Aug. 2020.
While most petrochemical plants and refineries are still
being assessed for damage, the following companies provided
brief updates:
ExxonMobil said its Beaumont, Texas, refinery,
chemical plant and polyethylene plant remain safely shutdown.
The company is conducing a preliminary assessment
to determine the impact of the storm on its facilities.
The Baytown, Texas, and Baton Rouge, La., units continue
to operate safely and reliably.
Shell tweeted that its Deer Park, Texas, plant is running
normally. Hurricane Laura had only a minimal operational
impact as of 27 Aug. 2020. No additional update
will be issued by the company.
BASF is maintaining normal operations at its Geismar,
La., facility “with no impact from Hurricane Laura to
date,” reported Argus Media citing the company.
LyondellBasell said there is widespread power outages
in the Lake Charles, La., area. It is assessing limited
damage to the site, but the extent is unknown at this time.
Westlake Chemical, following initial facility assessments,
believes it has incurred limited physical damage.
Restart of the units will primarily depend upon the availability
of electricity, industrial gases and other feedstocks.
Covestro said that its Baytown and Channelview,
Texas, plants were not significantly impacted, and the
Baytown site is returning to normal operations.
AmSty is operating its styrenics plant in St. James,
La., according to Argus.
Motiva Enterprises reported a leak at its Port Arthur,
Texas, refinery that resulted in an emission release of hundreds
of pounds of chemicals, reported Beaumont Enterprise.
The leak occurred on a process line during the shutdown
process. An initial assessment has been conducted
and the company is working toward a complete restart of
its refinery and chemical plant.
Energy Transfer, based on an initial assessment, determined
there was no major damage to its operations in
the Houston, Texas, area and along the Gulf Coast.
Venture Global LNG reported that its Calcasieu Pass
liquefied natural gas facility under construction in Cameron,
La., has sustained minimal impacts.
Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture of Qatar Petroleum
and Exxon Mobil, announced that an initial assessment
revealed no significant storm-related impacts.
Additionally, The Port of Houston began reopening to
commercial shipping on 27 Aug. 2020, Reuters reported.
The Port of Galveston, Texas, also reopened to tug and
barge traffic, and the Ports of Freeport, and Texas City,
Texas, reopened on 27 Aug. 2020 with draft restrictions.
The Port of Beaumont, Orange, Port Arthur and Sabine,
Texas, remained closed on 27 Aug. 2020, as did ports
in Lake Charles and Cameron, according to a notice from
the U.S. Coast Guard.

 

Baofeng Energy Awards Contracts to KBR For Chinese Methanol-to-Olefins Project

Beijing—
Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group Co. (Baofeng Energy) has
selected KBR’s proprietary cracker technology for its new
methanol-to-olefins (MTO) project to be built in Ningxia,
China (PCN, 10 Aug 2020, p 1).
Under the contracts, KBR will provide process technology
licensing and process design packages for Baofeng Energy’s
500,000-t/y coal-to-olefins facility and its 500,000-t/y
C2-C5 comprehensive utilization project.
Once complete, the complex will be the “largest” singletrain
MTO plant in the world, KBR noted. Value of the
contracts and a project schedule were not given.
“KBR will use a combination of its best-in-class SCORE
steam cracking and MTO recovery technologies to achieve
Baofeng Energy’s project objectives of highest yields and
lowest capital investment,” said KBR.
“The SCORE steam cracking unit will convert the ethane
and propane feedstock into ethylene and propylene,
which are later separated and further purified in the MTO
recovery section to ensure the quality needed to produce
polymer-grade ethylene and propylene.”
Johnson Matthey was recently chosen to be the licensor
and supplier of associated engineering, technical review,
commissioning assistance, catalyst and equipment supply
for a new methanol synthesis unit for the project.

 

DRPIC Picks LyondellBasell Technologies For New PP and HDPE Plants in Oman

Duqm—
LyondellBasell announced that Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical
Industries Co. (DRPIC) has chosen its polypropylene
(PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) technologies
for a new facility to be built in Al Duqm, Oman.
LyondellBasell will supply its Spheripol process technology
for the 280,000-t/y PP plant and its Hostalen ACP
process technology for the 480,000-t/y HDPE unit. No
other details were given.
“The Spheripol and Hostalen technology licenses forms
part of 12 technology license packages awarded by DRPIC
to international technology providers, advancing the frontend
engineering and design [FEED] progress toward
achieving shareholders’ final investment decision in 2021,”
said DRPIC Chief Executive Dr. Salim Al Huthaili.
In June 2019, DRPIC said it awarded a FEED contract
to Wood for a planned petrochemical facility in the Special
Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (PCN, 17 June 2019, p
1).
The facility, the second phase of DRPIC’s integrated refinery
and petrochemical complex, will include a mixedfeed
steam cracker with a production capacity of 1.6-
million t/y of ethylene, production units for hydrogen, syngas,
methanol, and other petrochemicals and associated
facilities. Completion was expected in the third quarter of
2020. An update was not available.
DRPIC is a 50-50 joint venture of Oman Oil Co. and
Kuwait Petroleum International.

 

Kazakhstan Petrochemical to Commission Its ‘First’ PP Facility in 2nd Half of ’21

Atyrau—
Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries (KPI) expects to
commission the country’s “first” polypropylene (PP) plant
in August 2021, according to the company’s website.
The new 500,000-t/y PP facility is being built within the
“first” Integrated Gas-Chemical Complex Construction Project
in the Atyrau region (PCN, 21 Oct 2019, p 4).
Estimated to cost $2.6-billion, the majority of the
plant’s PP output will be exported to Western and Central
Europe, Turkey, China and a few post-Soviet countries,
reported Caspian News. Tengizchevroil, operator of the
Tengiz oil field, will supply raw material to the facility.
KPI is owned 99% by state-owned United Chemical Co.
and 1% by Kazakhstan investment group ALMEX.

 

Turkmengaz Reaches Full Production Of PE and PP at Its Kiyanly Complex

Kiyanly—
Turkmenistan’s Turkmengaz has achieved full production
rates of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) at its
Kiyanly gas chemical complex in the Gyanly settlement in
the Turkmenbashi district of Turkmenistan (PCN, 22 Oct
2018, p 1).
The $3.4-billion facility, which was commissioned in October
2018, has a production capacity of 381,000 t/y of PE
and 81,000 t/y of PP.
A consortium of Hyundai Engineering, Toyo Engineering
and LG International was responsible for the engineering,
procurement and construction for the project.
Along with the plant reaching full capacity, Turkmengaz
increased exports of polymer products during January
through July 2020.

 

Mitsubishi Forms Alliance with Refinverse In Efforts to Pursue a Circular Economy

Tokyo—
Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. (MCC), as part of its efforts to
pursue a circular economy, has entered into a capital and
business alliance with Refinverse, operator of an industrial
waste collection, treatment and recycling business.
Refinverse, which started out collecting and transporting
construction-related waste for treatment, has built an
integrated system extending from waste treatment to production
of resin, thereby supplying a diverse range of recycled
resources.
The alliance will enable MCC to combine Refinverse’s
know-how regarding all aspects of industrial waste with its
own technologies and knowledge to promote appropriate
recycling and effective use of waste.
It will also allow MCC to further its understanding of
final disposal methods for its products and leverage that
understanding to design materials that are more environmentally
friendly, MCC explained.
Refinverse has granted stock to MCC through thirdparty
allotment to raise capital, and the two companies
have signed an outsourcing agreement.
Accordingly, on 1 Apr. 2020, MCC established a Circular
Economy Dept. to promote the proposal and commercialization
of solutions relating to the circular economy and
proactively pursuing tie-ups with external parties including
customers, academic institutions and start-ups to contribute
to the creation of a sustainable society.

 

Repsol to Convert Tarragona Facility To Produce Specialized Polymers

Tarragona—Repsol
said it will invest €32-million in a project that involves
adapting one of its existing polypropylene units at its industrial
complex in Tarragona, Spain, to manufacture
polymers with high resistance to impact.
The plant, which will be converted by installing a second
reactor, will be the “first” of its kind in the Iberian
Peninsula, Repsol noted.
It will produce highly specialized polymers with “great”
added value for the automotive sector due to their “extraordinary”
resistance to impacts, “positively” affecting
safety. Operations are scheduled to begin in 2021.
“This new range of polymers has a lower density than
other alternative materials, contributing to decreasing the
total weight of the vehicles and, thus, reducing emissions
and extending their autonomy,” said the company.

 

Industries Qatar Gets Board Approval To Acquire 25% Interest in QAFCO

Doha—The board
of directors of Industries Qatar (IQ) has approved IQ’s proposed
purchase of the remaining 25% stake in Qatar Fertiliser
Co. (QAFCO) from Qatar Petroleum (QP) for $1-
billion, making IQ the sole owner.
QAFCO, registered in Mesaieed, Qatar, produces approximately
3.8-million t/y of ammonia and around 5.7-
million to 5.8-million t/y of urea.
The transaction is subject to shareholders’ approval, as
well as other regulatory and customary approvals. An expected
completion date was not given.
IQ has scheduled a virtual Extra Ordinary General Assembly
meeting on 13 Sept. 2020 to get approval from its
shareholders for the transaction.
“The purchase of QP’s stake in QAFCO is consistent
with IQ’s strategy to build its presence and create value
across the downstream sector,” IQ noted.
“This transaction specifically enhances the shareholder
value by transforming IQ into a 100% owner of the world’s
largest single site urea producer and expanding its footprints
in a well-established fertilizer business, with a
proven track record of operational excellence and market
positioning, along with resilient cash flow generation capabilities
spurred by synergistic opportunities.”
Also, as part of the same transaction, the board of directors
approved QAFCO’s purchase of QP’s 40% stake in
Qatar Melamine Co. (QMC), effective 1 July 2020. QMC
has a design capacity of 60,000 t/y of melamine.
QP, which owns 51% of IQ, recently acquired the 25%
interest in QAFCO from Yara for $1-billion (PCN, 16 Mar
2020, p 1).

 

People on the Move

Reliance Industries Ltd.—Sanjiv Singh, previously
chairman of Indian Oil Corp., has joined Reliance Industries
as group president of the company’s oil-to-chemicals
business (PCN, 6 July 2020, p 2).
Ingevity Corp.—John C. Fortson has been named
president and chief executive, effective 1 Sept. 2020, and
will join the board of directors. He succeeds Richard Kelson,
who has been serving as interim president and chief
executive since earlier this year (PCN, 24 Feb 2020, p 2).

 

Sasa, Invista Finalize License Agreement For Sasa’s Planned Turkish PTA Plant

Adana—Sasa
Polyester said it has signed a license and technical service
agreement with Invista, an affiliate of Koch Industries, for
a new purified terephthalic acid (PTA) facility to be built in
Adana, Turkey (PCN, 18 May 2020, p 2).
The $935-million project includes a new 1.5-million t/y
PTA plant based on Invista Performance Technologies’ P8
process technology. A schedule for the project was not
given; however, according to a local news report, completion
is expected in 2022.
In addition, Sasa said negotiations regarding the Yumurtalik
terrain are also continuing.
Earlier this year, Sasa announced that its Environmental
Impact Assessment application requesting land
allocation for new petrochemical facilities in the Yumurtalik
district had been approved.
The projects, which include the PTA plant, also involve
the production of monoethylene glycol, polyethylene, polypropylene,
polyvinyl chloride, superabsorbent polymers
and polyester chips, as well as construction of a port.

 

Topsoe Joins Sustainable Fuels Project; Will Contribute Technology Know-How

Copenhagen—
Haldor Topsoe said it recently became a partner in an
“ambitious” sustainable fuels project to develop a “groundbreaking”
hydrogen and sustainable fuel facility based on
electrolysis in Copenhagen, Sweden.
The project is expected to be executed in three stages,
with completion planned by 2030.
The first stage, which could be operational by 2023, will
comprise a 10-megawatt electrolysis plant producing renewable
hydrogen.
By 2027, the stage two facility, equipped with a 250-
megawatt electrolysis plant, will combine the production of
renewable hydrogen with capture of carbon dioxide (CO2)
from combustion of municipal waste or biomass to produce
renewable methanol.
Stage three will upgrade the electrolysis plant’s capacity
to 1.3 gigawatt and capture additional CO2.
“For sustainable fuels to become competitive with fossil
fuels, technologies must be matured and ultimately become
available and proven on an industrial scale,” said Topsoe
Chief Executive Roeland Baan.
“Partnerships like this are the way to achieve that.
Topsoe contributes to this transition with the necessary
carbon emission reduction technologies, particularly within
efficient hydrogen production from solid oxide cell electrolysis
(SOEC) and proven technologies to produce sustainable
fuels like jet fuel, ammonia and methanol, which
are in focus in this project.”
The partners, which cover the whole value chain for renewable
hydrogen and sustainable fuels, include A.P.
Moller – Maersk, Orsted, Copenhagen Airports, DSV Panalpina,
DFDS, SAS, Nel and Everfuel.

 

Evonik to Grow Catalysts Business With Acquisition of Porocel Group

Houston—Evonik
announced it is buying the Porocel Group for $210-million
in order to accelerate the growth of its catalysts business.
Based in Houston, Texas, Porocel will give Evonik access
to “highly-efficient” rejuvenation of desulfurization
catalysts, Evonik noted. In addition, Porocel has available
production capacity technology, enabling Evonik to speed
up expansion of its existing business with fixed-bed catalysts.
Rejuvenation reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more
than 50% compared with the production of new desulfurization
catalysts and facilitates a circular economy. The
transaction is expected to close by the end of this year, subject
to approval by the relevant authorities.
“This acquisition is the next logical step in the strategic
development of our portfolio,” said Christian Kullmann,
chairman of the executive board of Evonik.
“Our focus is on stable and high-margin specialty
chemicals. We are systemically expanding the share of our
specialty businesses – and that at an attractive valuation.”

 

Tringen and NewGen Sign MoU to Study Feasibility of Green Hydrogen for NH3

Point Lisas—
Trinidad Nitrogen Co. (Tringen) and NewGen Energy Ltd.
have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to
conduct a feasibility study for the use of carbon-neutral
and green hydrogen in Tringen’s ammonia production facilities,
reported the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian citing a
joint release from the two companies.
Currently, all hydrogen used in ammonia production in
Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) is generated solely from the
steam methane reforming of natural gas.
The NewGen project would generate hydrogen from a
non-hydrocarbon source—via the process of the electrolysis
of a comparable amount of water that an existing ammonia
or methanol plant is currently using on the Point Lisas
Estate.
Waste heat from the country’s power plants would also
be used to produce the hydrogen and is expected to improve
the energy efficiency of T&T’s existing power generation
sector. The proposed project, currently estimated to
cost approximately $300-million, is expected to start up in
2023.
NewGen is in the process of identifying and exploring
commercially available electrolysis technologies to choose
the optimum technology for its hydrogen production unit.

 

Zhejiang Satellite Orders Four VLECs To Be Built in Korea by HHI & SHI

Seoul—Zhejiang
Satellite Petrochemical, through several subsidiaries in
Hong Kong, has ordered four very large ethane carriers
(VLECs) from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Samsung
Heavy Industries (SHI), both of South Korea, according
to several industry sources.
Pangtian (Hong Kong) Co. and Pangxin (Hong Kong)
Co. each ordered one ship from HHI, while Xinren (Hong
Kong) Co. and Xinxiu (Hong Kong) Co. each ordered one
ship from SHI. The total value of the four vessels is $441-
million.
The ships from HHI and SHI are scheduled for delivery
starting from the second quarter of 2022.

 

Evonik Plans Debottlenecking Efforts To Grow Its C4 Production Network

Marl—Evonik
said it is investing around €15-million in its C4 production
network in Marl, Germany, to increase local production
capacity for isobutene derivatives by over 50%.
The project, which will be achieved through targeted
debottlenecking measures, will increase capacity of tertbutanol,
di-isobutene and 3,5,5-trimethylhexanal with 96%
purity.
Logistics will also be further expanded to offer more
flexibility of supply to its customers in terms of quantities
requested and delivery times. Completion of the project is
expected by December 2021.
“The background to the investment in the performance
intermediates business line is the ongoing development of
so-called petrochemical specialties,” Evonik noted.
“These supplement the well-known classics, such as
MTBE [methyl tertiary butyl ether], 1,3-butadiene or
DINP [diisononyl phthalate] and make a significant contribution
to meeting the requirement of 100% material use
of all raw material flows and thus to our sustainability
strategy.”

 

Aramco Establishes New Organization To Optimize the Company’s Portfolio

Dhahran—
Saudi Aramco has established an integrated Corporate
Development organization to support rapid and effective
decision-making on the company’s portfolio and corporate
development activities.
The organization, which will become operational starting
13 Sept. 2020, is mandated to create value, assess existing
assets and secure greater access to growth markets
and technologies through portfolio optimization and strategic
alignment.
It is expected to strengthen Aramco’s resilience, agility
and ability to respond to changing market dynamics, the
company noted.
“We continue to leverage our capabilities in assessing
our existing portfolio, identifying new opportunities and
adapting to a rapidly evolving global landscape,” said
Aramco President and Chief Executive Amin H. Nasser.
“The Corporate Development organization will focus on
growth opportunities as we further sharpen and
strengthen our strategic focus to optimize our portfolio,
and, in doing so, maximize value for our shareholders.”
The new organization will be led by Aramco Senior Vice
President Abdulaziz M. Al-Gudaimi.

 

Meghmani Begins Commercial Production Of Hydrogen Peroxide at Dahej Complex

Dahej—
Meghmani Finechem Ltd. (MFL) has started commercial
production of its new integrated hydrogen peroxide plant
at its existing chlor-alkali and derivatives complex in Dahej,
Gujarat, India, reported a local news source.
The 60,000-t/y hydrogen peroxide facility required a total
investment of Rs 180 crore.
Late last year, TechnipFMC announced it had signed
its “first” Epicerol technology license agreement with MFL
for the production of epichlorohydrin (ECH) from glycerin
at the Dahej complex (PCN, 4 Nov 2019, p 4).
TechnipFMC earlier said the 50,000-t/y ECH plant was
expected to start up in 2021. According to the local source,
the project is now expected to be commissioned by the
fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022.
MFL is a subsidiary of Meghmani Organics Ltd.

 

Commission Chooses Linde as Member Of European Clean Hydrogen Alliance

Brussels—
Linde announced that it has been selected by the European
Commission (EC) as a new member of the European Clean
Hydrogen Alliance.
The EC founded the alliance this past March, as part of
the new industrial strategy for Europe. It aims to support
the scaling up of production and demand for renewable and
low-carbon hydrogen, coordinate action, and provide a
broad forum to engage civil society. It brings together top
European industrial companies, representatives from politics,
and civil society.
Linde will contribute its long-standing expertise in hydrogen
mobility, production, processing and distribution,
as well as its “leading” position in the clean hydrogen industry,
Linde noted.

 

Petronas Chemicals & LG Chem Ink Deal To Construct New NBL Facility at PIC

Johor—
Petronas Chemicals Group (PCG) and LG Chem have
signed an agreement to build a nitrile butadiene latex
(NBL) manufacturing plant at the Pengerang Integrated
Complex (PIC) in Johor, Malaysia.
The new plant will have a production capacity of
200,000 t/y of NBL. Construction is scheduled to begin
next year, with production expected to start in 2023. Cost
of the project was not disclosed.
“This collaboration further strengthens the pursuit of
our growth agenda, having acquired a silicone player last
year,” said Datuk Sazali, chief executive and managing
director of PCG. “With more specialty chemicals in our
portfolio, we are moving into segments with higher growth
potential.”

Sibur Announces Start of Construction On New Amur Gas Chemical Complex

Svobodny—
Sibur said it held an official ceremony to mark the start of
construction of its Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC) in
Svobodny, Russia (PCN, 10 Aug 2020, p 4).
The project would process ethane fraction from Gazprom’s
Amur Gas Processing Plant (AGPP) for the production
of 1.5-million t/y of ethylene, and the further production
of 2.3-million t/y of polyethylene and 400,000 t/y of
polypropylene. Construction is expected to be completed in
2024, with commissioning expected in 2025.
The AGCC will be launched in sync with the gradual
ramp up of the AGPP to its full capacity.
Tecnimont SpA, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont, was
selected as leader of a consortium for the development of
the AGCC.
Under the contract, valued at approximately €1.2-
billion, Tecnimont, MT Russia LLC, Sinopec Engineering
Inc. and Sinopec Engineering Group Co. will provide engineering,
procurement and site services.
AGCC, once in operation, will give a “major boost” to
the growth of non-commodity exports, as AGCC’s polymer
production capacity is 1.35 times higher than total polymer
exports in 2019, Sibur noted.

 

LTHE Enters MoU with NTPC to Build CO2-to-Methanol Demo Plant in India

Mumbai—L&T
Hydrocarbon Engineering (LTHE), a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) with NTPC Ltd. to build a carbon
dioxide (CO2)-to-methanol facility in NTPC Power Station
in India.
Under the MoU, LTHE will be responsible for the engineering,
procurement and construction management of the
demonstration plant. Value of the contract and a completion
date were not given.
The facility will comprise of three sub-units—CO2 capture
from flue gas, hydrogen production by electrolysis of
water and catalytic conversion of CO2 and hydrogen to
methanol.
The partners will also further collaborate to accelerate
the development and subsequently commercialize CO2-tomethanol
plants.
“This development towards establishing CO2-tomethanol
plants in an important step towards India’s
commitment to combat climate change,” said Subramanian
Sarma, whole time director and senior executive vice
president of energy at L&T.

 

Braskem America Launches New PP Designed as Replacement for PET

Philadelphia—
Braskem America has introduced its new Inspire polypropylene
(PP) grade designed to replace polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) in consumer packaging.
The new grade has optical properties that come close to
PET, with “improved” thermal properties over PET and
traditional random copolymer PP, the company explained.
Inspire PP is also suitable for thermoformed applications,
which demand a great balance of clarity and heat
resistance, such as store and restaurant pre-prepared and
ready-to-heat meals.
This past June, Braskem completed construction on its
new 450,000-t/y Delta PP production facility in La Porte,
Texas (PCN, 29 June 2020, p 1).
The plant has the capability to produce the entire PP
portfolio, including homopolymer, impact copolymer and
random copolymers. Initial production test runs began last
month with the first full-scale commercial production activity
expected in the third quarter of this year.

 

Idemitsu Kosan Ending JV with BASF For the Production and Sale of BDO

Tokyo—Idemitsu
Kosan has decided to terminate its joint venture agreement
with BASF regarding the production and sales of 1,4-
butanediol (BDO) by BASF Idemitsu Co., and withdraw
from the BDO business.
BASF Idemitsu, located at Idemitsu’s Chiba complex in
Japan, has a production capacity of 25,000 t/y of BDO.
Operations will end in December 2020. The joint venture
is owned 67% by BASF and 33% by Idemitsu.
BASF will take over BASF Idemitsu’s BDO business
and continue supplying customers in Japan going forward.
“The business environment has deteriorated in recent
years due to a decline in domestic demand and an oversupply
caused by the expansion of facilities in Asia,” Idemitsu
Kosan noted. “After considering our future strategy, we
concluded that it would be difficult to continue the business
going forward.”

 

PTT Global Chem Completes Purchase Of 41.5% Interest in Dynachisso Thai

Bangkok—PTT
Global Chemical (GC) said it recently concluded the acquisition
of a 41.5% stake in Dynachisso Thai Co. from Dynachem
(Hong Kong) Ltd. (PCN, 13 July 2020, p 3).
Located in the Amata Industrial Estate in Chonburi
Province, Dynachisso Thai has an installed capacity of
30,000 t/y of polypropylene (PP) compounds. Value of the
transaction was not disclosed.
GC earlier said the acquisition of Dynachisso Thai
would advance its PP compound engineering plastic business,
and help it meet the needs of customers in both regional
and global markets, especially Thailand, China and
Southeast Asia.

 

Repsol and Acteco Plan Project to Boost Recycled Polyolefins Capacity in Spain

Alicante—
Repsol and waste management firm Acteco will develop a
project to increase the production capacity of high-quality
recycled polyolefins at Acteco’s plant in Ibi, Alicante,
Spain.
The recycled products from the facility will be included
in the polyolefins of the Repsol Reciclex range, designed for
high-value applications and those with high technical requirements,
Repsol noted. Cost and a schedule for the project
were not given.
The partnership with Acteco is one of more than 200
circular economy initiatives that Repsol has launched to
contribute to its carbon intensity reduction objectives. It
will benefit from Acteco’s experience in the collection, processing
and mechanical recycling of plastics.
“This is a strategic alliance that allows us to collaborate
in boosting the circular economy and solutions for decarbonization,
to reach our commitments regarding recycled
plastics and offer our customers a complete range of highquality
circular polyolefins that will allow them to increase
the amount of recycled materials in their products,” said
Repsol Chemicals Executive Director Jose Luis Bernal.

 

ADNOC Makes ‘Significant’ Progress On $3.5-Bn Crude Flexibility Project

Ruwais—Abu
Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) announced it has made
“significant” progress on its $3.5-billion Crude Flexibility
Project (CFP), its ongoing upgrade of refining capabilities
in Ruwais, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The CFP will allow ADNOC to process up to 420,000
bbl/sd of heavier and sourer grades of crude oil, as part of
the 840,000-bbl/sd refinery in Ruwais. Completion is expected
in mid-2022.
The project, announced in 2018, is a core driver of ADNOC
Downstream’s 2030 smart growth strategy, ADNOC
noted. The CFP upgrade initiative will increase the value
ADNOC derives from every barrel of oil, both by boosting
refining margins and by leaving more high-value Murban
crude available for export.
“ADNOC continues to deliver on the expansion of its
downstream business in the UAE, which will see the Ruwais
industrial hub transformed into a globally competitive
chemicals cluster, leveraging the UAE’s close geographic
proximity to global growth markets, access to competitive
feedstocks, streamlined utilities and services offer, as well
as Abu Dhabi’s attractive fiscal and regulatory environment,”
the company said.

 

Bahri Subsidiary Orders Chemical Tankers From Hyundai MIPO Dockyard in Japan

Riyadh—
National Chemical Carriers Co., a subsidiary of the National
Shipping Co. of Saudi Arabia (Bahri), has signed a
contract with Hyundai MIPO Dockyard Co. for new chemical
tankers.
The order, valued at $410-million, involves the construction
of 10 chemical tankers, each with a capacity of
49,999 dwt. The ships are expected to be delivered in
groups, beginning the first quarter of 2022 until the first
quarter of 2023.
Hyundai MIPO Dockyard is a subsidiary of Korea Shipbuilding
& Offshore Engineering Co.

 

Aramco to Drop Out of Partnership For Chinese Refinery, PC Complex

Beijing—Saudi
Aramco has suspended plans to invest in building a refining
and petrochemical complex in China with Norinco
Group and Panjin Sincen, due to the uncertain market outlook,
reported Bloomberg citing people familiar with the
matter.
The estimated $10-billion project, to be built in Panjin,
will include a 300,000-b/d refinery, a 1.5-million-t/y ethylene
cracker and a 1.3-million-t/y paraxylene unit (PCN, 25
Feb 2019, p 1). Operations are expected to begin in 2024.
In February 2019, Aramco signed an agreement with
Norinco and Panjin Sincen to form a new joint venture
company to develop the project.
The company, Huajin Aramco Petrochemical Co., was to
be owned 35% by Aramco, 36% by Norinco and 29% by
Panjin Sincen. The Chinese partners are expected to proceed
with the project.
Aramco earlier agreed to supply up to 70% of the crude
feedstock for the complex.

 

Ameropa and OQT Enter Off-take Deal For Some of OMIFCO’s Urea Output

Brasília—OQ
Trading (OQT) and Ameropa have entered into a threeyear
off-take agreement for a portion of granular urea from
Oman India Fertiliser Co.’s (OMIFCO) fertilizer facility in
Oman.
“This ground-breaking deal with OQT . . . further solidifies
our role as the leading urea trading company in the
world and helps us gain additional market share in strategic
regions,” Ameropa noted, adding that its first vessel
completed loading on 2 Aug. 2020 with 49,500 tons of
granular urea and is on its way to Brazil.
The world-scale, two-train ammonia/urea plant of
OMIFCO is located at the Sur Industrial Estate in the Sultanate
of Oman. It has the capacity to produce a total of
3,500 t/d of ammonia and a total of 5,060 t/d of urea.
OMIFCO is owned 50% by Oman Oil (OQ), 25% by Indian
Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. and 25% by
Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd. OQT is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of OQ.

 

People on the Move

American Chemistry Council—Joshua Baca has
been named vice president of plastics, succeeding Steve
Russell, who retired earlier this year. Baca is presently
senior vice president of public affairs at the American Beverage
Assn.
Bechtel—Justin Siberell has been appointed president
of the Europe and Middle East regions. He was most recently
in the U.S. Foreign Service as the U.S. ambassador
to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Aker Solutions—Kjetel Digre has become chief executive
officer.
Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund—Scott Rook,
currently chief operating officer, has been appointed president
and chief executive to replace Mark Davis, who is retiring
in 2021.
Odfjell SE—Oistein Jensen has been appointed as the
company’s first chief sustainability officer. He is currently
chief of staff, a position that will be eliminated.

 

GC Adjusting Its Business Strategies To Turn ‘Crisis into Opportunities’

Bangkok—PTT
Global Chemical (GC) said it is adjusting its business
strategies to turn “crisis into opportunities” by implementing
strategic steps into its business operations in response
to the COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuating oil prices and the
“trade war.”
GC will increase competitiveness through operational
excellence, increasing feedstock flexibility, and the development
of the High Value Product business.
It will grow externally through its mergers and acquisitions
strategy for new businesses to support high value
businesses, such as High Performance Polymers & Composites
and Coating & Adhesives by turning the COVID-19
pandemic into an opportunity to negotiate purchases and
secure more attractive prices.
Also, the company plans to elevate sustainability in its
business by implementing a climate strategy and clear targets
to cut gas emissions as follows: a reduction in greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions by 20% by 2030, and a reduction
in GHG emissions intensity by 52% by 2050.
Presently, GC is focusing on extending operating results
and reducing GHG emissions through the supply
chain, for example, reducing traffic by promoting a workfrom-
home policy among employees.
GC is also integrating the principles of the circular
economy into its business by exploring new ways of doing
business by using technology to develop and improve
manufacturing processes that reduce the use of natural
resources and maximize circular usage.
The company plans to develop eco-friendly products
that promote sustainability and reduce the use of resources
ensuring that products are long-lasting. It has set a firm
target to increase the proportion of performance products
and green chemicals to 30% from 10% currently by 2030.
Finally, GC is partnering with all associates in the
value chain to continue implementing socially responsible
projects that use resources efficiently and reduce the
amount of waste by transforming them into value-added
products.

 

Lanxess Launches Adiprene Green MDI Polyether Prepolymers Line

Cologne—Lanxess
announced the launch of Adiprene Green, a new range of
diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) polyether prepolymers
containing renewable, bio-based raw materials.
Adiprene Green products are suitable as a replacement
for existing fossil-based polyether prepolymers to manufacture
“durable” polyurethane elastomers, Lanxess noted.
Depending on the system, a reduction of carbon dioxide
between 20% to 30% is possible compared to traditional
prepolymers due to the use of polyether polyols based on
starch, the company noted. The percentage of bio-based
raw materials varies between 30% to 90% depending on
the targeted system hardness.
“At Lanxess, we have a clear sustainability strategy,”
said Dr. Markus Eckert, head of the Lanxess Urethane
Systems Business Unit.
“With the goal to be climate neutral until 2040, we are
building on our established and successful commitment to
climate protection. The first major projects have already
been launched. By using our new Adiprene Green products,
customers can benefit from our journey to climate
neutrality.”

 

NEDO Selects Ube & Nagoya University For Advanced Separation Technology

Tokyo—Ube
Industries and Nagoya University have been commissioned
by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development
Organization (NEDO) to develop advanced separation
technology for composite waste plastics.
The commissioned technology will enable the separation
of composite plastics, such as multilayer films for
packaging, into their constituent components, Ube noted.
It will potentially enable a low-energy and low-cost separation
process and will “substantially” conserve resources
and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The partners submitted a proposal to NEDO, after
NEDO issued a public call for projects to develop chemical
recycling technology that allows waste plastics to be efficiently
used as chemical raw materials. The project is to
be completed by 19 Mar. 2021.
Researchers will examine the types of waste that the
technology can be used for and conduct life cycle assessments
for application of the treatment process.
“The Ube Group is aiming to achieve an 80% reduction
of GHG emissions by 2050, as part of its mandate to engage
in corporate activities that are in harmony with nature,
as outlined in the Ube Group Environmental Vision
2050,” Ube noted.

 

Mitsui O.S.K. Completes ‘LNG Phecda,’ Third of Four Vessels for Yamal LNG

Tokyo—Mitsui
O.S.K. Lines (MOL) said construction has been completed
on “LNG Phecda,” the third out of four liquefied natural
gas (LNG) carriers jointly ordered by MOL and China Cosco
Shipping Corp. (PCN, 3 July 2017, p 2).
The 174,000-cu m LNG vessels will serve the Yamal
LNG project in Russia, which was completed in 2018 (PCN,
3 Dec 2018, p 3).
Yamal LNG, owned 50.1% by Novatek, 20% by China
National Petroleum Corp., 20% by Total and 9.9% by
China’s Silk Road Fund, has three liquefaction trains with
a total nameplate capacity of 16.5-million t/y.
The first two vessels, “LNG Dubhe” and “LNG Merak,”
were delivered in November 2019 and January 2020, respectively.
The last tanker is scheduled to be delivered
this year.

 

DuPont Clean Technologies Wins Contract To Supply Hengyi with Alkylation Unit

Muara—
Hengyi Industries has awarded a contract to DuPont Clean
Technologies for the licensing and engineering of a Stratco
alkylation unit at Hengyi’s refinery and petrochemical
complex in Pulau Muara Besar, Brunei.
The 800,000-t/y alkylation unit will enable Hengyi to
generate low-sulfur, high-octane, low-Rvp alkylate with
zero olefins that meets the criteria of the China VI standard.
Start-up is planned in 2023. Value of the contract
was not given.
The Stratco technology is a sulfuric acid, catalyzed
process that converts low-value, straight-chain olefins
(propylene, butylene and amylene) into alkylate.
Hengyi’s Pulau Muara Besar refinery and petrochemical
plant has the capacity to refine 8-million t/y of crude
oil, DuPont noted.

 

Braskem & Chemetry Sign Agreement To Build Brazilian EDC Demo Plant

São Paulo—
Braskem and Chemetry, a company focused on developing
lower energy technologies for the chemical industry, have
entered into an agreement to build and operate an ethylene
dichloride (EDC) demonstration unit in Brazil.
The plant, to be built at Braskem’s Maceio chlor-alkali
facility in Alagoas State, Brazil, will use Chemetry’s
eShuttle EDC technology.
The eShuttle process uses a “unique” metal halide ion
process to produce high-purity EDC without generating
chlorine gas, Chemetry noted. The process “significantly”
reduces electrical power consumption and production costs
compared to the latest generation chlor-alkali processes.
Chemetry’s technology uses the same feedstocks as conventional
processes and produces the same products. It
also offers EDC producers the ability to increase production
within the same cellroom footprint and power requirements.
“Through this collaboration with Braskem, along with
our engineering scale-up partnership with TechnipFMC,
we will validate the commercial viability of the . . . technology,”
said Chemetry Chief Executive Dr. Ryan Gilliam.
“This will well position the company and technology to
meet the growing need for new EDC capacity.”
In 2016, TechnipFMC (formerly Technip), signed an exclusive
cooperation agreement with Chemetry for the licensing
and engineering of Chemetry’s eShuttle technology
for EDC production (PCN, 19-26 Dec 2016, p 3).
Last year, TechnipFMC and Chemetry entered into a
similar agreement for Chemetry’s eShuttle technology for
the production of propylene oxide (PCN, 25 Nov-2 Dec
2019, p 1).

 

Odfjell’s Bow Explorer Begins Sea Trial; Fleet Renewal Program in Final Stages

Bergen—Bow
Explorer, expected to enter the Odfjell fleet later this year,
has set sail for sea trials, marking the final chapter of the
company’s fleet renewal program (PCN, 18 Nov 2019, p 4).
Built by Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai,
China, Bow Explorer is one of two final 38,000-dwt
stainless steel tankers “soon” ready to enter Odfjell’s fleet,
Odfjell noted.
The fleet renewal program was initiated in 2016. Since
then, Odfjell has added 30 new chemical tankers. The
ships have the most recent design and technology, but the
individual sizes, tanks and features vary.

 

Fluor JV Completes and Hands Over MAB2 Facilities to KNPC in Kuwait

Kuwait City—
Fluor announced that its joint venture with Daewoo Engineering
& Construction and Hyundai Heavy Industries has
achieved final provisional turnover of the facilities for Kuwait
National Petroleum Co.’s (KNPC) Mina Abdullah
Package 2 (MAB2) Clean Fuels Project in Kuwait (PCN, 10
Apr 2017, p 4).
The Clean Fuels Project is being executed on the three
KNPC-owned and operated refineries in Kuwait. As part
of the program, KNPC plans to retire existing processing
facilities at the Shuaiba Refinery and perform a major upgrade
and expansion of the MAB and Mina Al-Ahmadi refineries
to integrate the refining system into one complex
with full conversion operations.
Following commissioning, the two refineries will have a
total refining capacity of 800,000 b/d.
MAB2 is comprised of a world-scale hydrogen plant
(steam reformers), sulfur block (sour water stripper, amine
regeneration unit and sulfur recovery unit) and utilities,
off-sites and non-process buildings. It also covers extensive
modifications to the existing MAB refinery units.
The Clean Fuels Project was originally expected to be
complete in 2017.

 

IRSG’s Latest Rubber Report Available

Singapore—
The International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) announced
that its April-June 2020 edition of the Rubber Industry
Report has been published.
The Secretariat of the IRSG publishes data on production,
consumption, trade and prices—covering both natural
rubber and synthetic rubber—on a quarterly basis in its
flagship documents, the Rubber Statistical Bulletin and
the Rubber Industry Report.
Annual subscriptions and single copies can be purchased
by non-members at www.rubberstudy.com.

EC Approves OMV’s Planned Acquisition Of Additional 39% Interest in Borealis

Brussels—The
European Commission (EC) has approved, under the European
Union Merger Regulation, OMV’s planned purchase
of an additional 39% stake in Borealis from Mubadala Investment
Co. (PCN, 3 Aug 2020, p 3).
OMV currently holds a 36% interest in Borealis, with
Mubadala holding the remaining 64%. Once the acquisition
is complete, OMV will own a 75% stake and Mubadala
will hold a 25% stake in Borealis. The transaction is expected
to close by the end of this year.
OMV has agreed to pay Mubadala $2.34-billion at closing
of the transaction and $2.34-billion no later than 31
Dec. 2021, at a market interest rate from closing.
The commission concluded that the proposed transaction
would raise no competition concerns given that Borealis
is already jointly controlled by OMV and because of the
limited horizontal and vertical overlaps between the activities
of the two companies.

 

Bolder Industries Holds Groundbreaking For Maryville BolderBlack Expansion

Maryville—
Bolder Industries, a manufacturer of recovered carbon
black and other petrochemicals from end-of-life tires, has
broken ground on a second train to produce BolderBlack, a
carbon black alternative, in Maryville, Missouri (PCN, 1-8
June 2020, p 2).
BolderBlack, produced from 100% post-consumer or
post-industrial tires and rubber scrap, replaces petroleumderived
carbon black. The production process uses about
90% less water and emits around 90% fewer greenhouse
gases than traditional carbon black.
The second BolderBlack train, expected to cost $14-
million, will increase production to 60 t/d from 24 t/d currently.
A scheduled completion date was not given.
Thomas Swan & Co. was recently appointed as the key
North American distributor partner for BolderBlack.

 

ZPC to Begin Trial Runs in 4th Quarter At Second Phase of Zhoushan Complex

Shanghai—
Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical Co. (ZPC), a subsidiary of
Rongsheng Petrochemical, is expected to commence trial
runs in the fourth quarter of this year at the second phase
of its refining complex in China, according to Argus Media.
PCN earlier reported that the project, located in Zhoushan,
would include a production capacity of 2.8-million t/y
of ethylene, 6.6-million t/y of aromatics and 20-million t/y
of crude oil in the second phase (PCN, 29 June 2020, p 1).
The first phase of the project, which started up late last
year, included a production capacity of 1.4-million-t/y ethylene,
5.2-million t/y of aromatics and 20-million t/y of
crude oil.
ZPC is owned by Rongsheng (51%), Juhua Investment
(20%), Tongkun Investment (20%), and Zhoushan Marine
Comprehensive Development and Investment Co. (9%).

 

Odebrecht Initiates Private Sale to Divest Up to Its Full Equity Share in Braskem

São Paulo—
Braskem said it has received notification from Odebrecht
SA, its controlling shareholder, that Odebrecht is preparing
to structure a process for the private sale of up to its
total equity ownership in Braskem.
Odebrecht, which owns a 38.3% stake in Braskem, including
50.1% of the voting shares, is selling its stake in
order to fulfill commitments assumed before Odebrecht
Group’s bankruptcy and non-bankruptcy creditors (PCN,
24 June 2019, p 3).
In June 2019, Odebrecht SA announced that it, together
with its parent companies and certain subsidiaries, filed
for court-supervised reorganization with the Judicial District
of the Capital of São Paulo State in Brazil.
The reorganization filing involved R$51-billion in
claims, excluding loans between the group’s companies and
first priority claims.

 

Phillips 66 to Commission New Fracs At Its Sweeny Hub in Old Ocean

Houston—Phillips 66,
in a conference call discussing its second quarter 2020 financial
results, said it will begin commissioning fracs 2
and 3 at its Sweeny Hub in Old Ocean, Texas (PCN, 18 Jun
2018, p 3).
The Sweeny Hub currently has 100,000 b/d of fractionation
capacity. Fracs 2 and 3, which will add a total of
300,000 t/y of fractionation capacity, will start being commissioning
in the third quarter of 2020 and begin operations
in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Also at the Sweeny Hub, Phillips 66 Partners recently
completed a storage expansion at Clemens Caverns. The
project increased natural gas liquids storage capacity to
16.5-million bbls from 9-million bbls currently.
Phillips 66 Partners is currently constructing the C2G
Pipeline, a 16-inch ethane pipeline that will connect Clemens
Caverns to petrochemical facilities in Gregory, Texas,
near Corpus Christi. Completion is scheduled for mid-
2021.

 

Sinopec Combines Guangdong Refineries; Creates Zhongke Refining and Chemical

Zhanjiang—
Sinopec last month merged two subsidiary refineries in
Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China, and named the
combined entity Zhongke Refining and Chemical Co.,
Reuters reported.
The merged companies include the newly launched
Zhongke refinery complex and the neighboring Dongxing
Petrochemical (PCN, 22 June 2020, p 4).
Zhongke Refining and Chemical has 300,000 b/d of
crude oil capacity and is expected to start up a new
800,000-t/y ethylene complex next month, the report said.
The Dongxing Petrochemical plant operates a 100,000-
b/d crude oil unit.

 

Shell Rumored to Be Eyeing 50% Interest In Nayara’s Planned Vadinar PC Project

Mumbai—
Royal Dutch Shell is expected to acquire a 50% stake in
Nayara Energy’s new petrochemical project planned in
Vadinar, Gujarat, India, reported Reuters citing sources
familiar with the matter.
The petrochemical complex, which will be located at the
site of Nayara’s 20-million-t/y Vadinar refinery, will include
a 1.8-million-t/y ethylene cracker and downstream
petrochemical units.
It will also include an expansion of the refinery by
520,000 b/d. The project is expected to take five years to
complete and cost a total of around $17.39-billion, according
to the report.
Shell and Nayara recently signed a memorandum of
understanding, and late last year discussed creating an
equally owned joint venture for building the project, one of
the sources said.
Last year, PCN reported that the project, which will
mark Nayara’s entry into the petrochemical sector, would
include a 450,000-t/y propylene recovery unit, a 450,000-t/y
Unipol polypropylene plant, a 200,000-t/y methyl tertiary
butyl ether unit and associated off-sites and utility facilities
(PCN, 21 Oct 2019, p 1).
Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions was awarded a contract
to provide project management consultancy services
for the complex.

 

Sealed Air Invests in Plastic Energy Global; Signs Deal to Collaborate on Technology

Charlotte—
Packaging solutions company Sealed Air said it has made
an equity investment in Plastic Energy Global, parent
company of Plastic Energy, a developer of advanced recycling
technology.
In addition, Sealed Air has signed a collaboration
agreement with Plastic Energy to spearhead technology
advancements to enhance circularity of plastics.
Plastic Energy has a technology platform that enables
the diversion of waste plastic away from landfills, with the
goal of processing 300,000 tons of plastic by 2025.
The technology transforms post-consumer plastic waste
into new recycled oil that can be used in the manufacturing
of packaging, including protective packaging for food.
“We’re excited to join forces with Plastic Energy to innovate
faster and accelerate the development of new technology
that eliminates waste and ensures a circular economy
for plastics,” said Sealed Air President and Chief Executive
Ted Doheny.
“This collaboration will help us meet our 2025 sustainability
pledge and lead the way in transforming our industry.”
Established in 2012, Plastic Energy Global has two operations
in Spain and projects under development in Western
Europe and Asia, with a vision for 50 new facilities
over the next 10 years.

 

BPCL Delays PDPP, Polyols Projects Due to India’s Travel Restrictions

Kochi—Bharat Petroleum
Corp. Ltd. (BPCL) has indefinitely postponed commissioning
of its new propylene derivatives project, and construction
of a planned polyols facility in Kochi, India, due to the
country’s bar on international travel, Argus Media reported.
The Propylene Derivatives Petrochemical Project, which
was due to start up between April and September of this
year, includes the production of acrylic acid acrylates and
oxo alcohols (PCN, 8 Oct 2018, p 1).
The project is mechanically complete, but cannot be
commissioned until the European technology licensors can
be physically present during commissioning. It is expected
to take three months from the start of foreign travel to
commission the plant, said the report quoting BPCL.
BPCL’s polyols project, which is still in the design
stage, will include units for propylene oxide, propylene glycol,
polyols, ethylene oxide/monoethylene glycol, ethylene
recovery and cumene (PCN, 3 Feb 2020, p 1).
Early this year, BPCL awarded Fluor a project management
consultancy services contract for the polyols project.
Value of the contract was not disclosed.

 

ABB Launches Analytics and AI Software To Help Producers Optimize Operations

Zurich—
ABB said it has launched its new ABB Ability Genix Industrial
Analytics and AI Suite, a scalable advanced analytics
platform with pre-built, “easy-to-use” applications
and services, to help producers optimize operations in demanding
market conditions.
ABB Ability Genix collects, contextualizes and converts
operational, engineering and information technology data
into actionable insights that help industries improve operations,
optimize asset management and streamline business
processes safely and sustainably, the company noted.
The new solution is composed of a data analytics platform
and applications, supplemented by ABB services, that
help customers decide which assets, processes and risk profiles
can be improved, and assists customers in designing
and applying those analytics.
Featuring a library of applications, customers can subscribe
to a variety of analytics on demand, as business
needs dictate, speeding up the traditional process of requesting
and scheduling support from suppliers.
“We have designed this modular and flexible suite so
that customers at different stages in their digitalization
journey can adopt ABB Ability Genix to accelerate business
outcomes while protecting existing investments,” said Rajesh
Ramachandran, chief digital officer for ABB Industrial
Automation.

 

People on the Move

Motiva Enterprises—Georganne Hodges was recently
appointed executive vice president of supply, trading and
logistics to succeed Todd Fredin, who has retired. Hodges
was previously chief financial officer and executive vice
president of finance, supply chain management and information
technology.
The Plaza Group—Jose Flores has been named executive
vice president of the petrochemical marketing company.
He was most recently vice president of basic chemicals.

 

IVL’s Recently Struck Ethylene Cracker Could Take a ‘Few’ Months to Recover

Westlake—
Indorama Ventures Ltd. (IVL) said that its Lake Charles
ethylene cracker, which was hit by lightning on 1 Aug.
2020, might take a “few” months to recover (PCN, 10 Aug
2020, p 1).
The incident, which happened at IVL’s Indorama Ventures
Olefins LLC facility, resulted in the plant going offline.
Damage assessment is being done and the company
said it doesn’t see any impact on downstream production,
as spot ethylene is covered to ensure uninterrupted feedstock
supply.
The ethylene cracker began commercial operations earlier
this year after being completely refurbished with additional
debottlenecking, increasing ethylene capacity to
440,000 t/y.
Integrated with the U.S. Gulf Coast ethylene pipeline
infrastructure, the cracker is “strategically” positioned for
long-term captive supply to the Indorama Ventures Oxide
and Glycols facility in Clear Lake, Texas, and the integrated
ethylene oxide and propylene oxide assets acquired
from Huntsman in Port Neches, Texas, IVL earlier said.

 

India Considers Anti-Dumping Duty On PET Resin Imports from China

New Delhi—India’s
commerce and industry ministry has suggested a provisional
anti-dumping duty on polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) from China, the Economic Times reported.
Reliance Industries and IVL Dhunseri Petrochem Industries
earlier filed an application claiming injury resulting
from the alleged dumping.
“Having initiated and conducted the investigation into
dumping, injury and casual link in terms of the provisions
laid down under the anti-dumping rules, the authority is of
the view that imposition of provisional duty is required to
offset dumping and injury, pending completion of the investigation,”
said the report quoting the Directorate General
of Trade Remedies.
The investigation began on 1 Oct. 2019. The finance
ministry makes the final decision on imposing duties.

 

Vinmar Selects Agilis Chemicals to Help Implement Its Digitalization Strategy

Houston—
Vinmar International, a global marketing and distribution
company for petrochemicals, announced it is partnering
with technology firm Agilis Chemicals to implement key
pillars of Vinmar’s digitalization strategy.
Agilis has agreed to design, develop and deploy digital
solutions to meet Vinmar’s business needs. No other details
were given.
“With a modern commerce solution like Agilis, Vinmar
will streamline operations further, increase efficiency and
improve engagement among internal and external stakeholders,
while maintaining the highest data privacy and
security standards,” Vinmar noted.
“The chemical distribution market is only at the beginning
stages of a digital transformation journey, and we are
happy to be joining Vinmar to help them execute on their
digital roadmap,” said Agilis Chief Executive and Founder
Jay Bhatia.

 

ET Places Frac VII into Service in 1st Q; Lone Star Expansion Near Completion

Houston—
Energy Transfer (ET) said it placed its seventh natural gas
liquids (NGL) fractionation facility (Frac VII) into service
in the first quarter of this year at its Lone Star NGL subsidiary
in Mont Belvieu, Texas (PCN, 12-19 Aug 2019, p 4).
Frac VII has 150,000 b/d of capacity and is fully subscribed
by multiple long-term contracts. All seven of the
company’s NGL fractionators are now running at full capacity.
ET is currently building an eighth NGL fractionator
with a capacity of 150,000 b/d, which will bring the company’s
total fractionation capacity at Mont Belvieu to over
1-billion b/d. Operations are expected to begin in the second
quarter of 2021.
The Mont Belvieu facility has connectivity to over 35
petrochemical plants, refineries, fractionators and thirdparty
pipelines.
In addition, ET announced it is in the final stages of
construction on its 24-inch, 352-mile Lone Star Express
expansion. It will add over 400,000 b/d of NGL pipeline
capacity from the Permian Basin to the Lone Star Express
30-inch pipeline south of Fort Worth, Texas. It is expected
to be in service in the fourth quarter of this year.

 

LG to Commercialize Upcycling Process To Turn Used ABS into White Plastic

Seoul—LG
Chem plans to commercialize an upcycling technology that
converts waste acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) into
white plastic for value-added application, according to
Pulse News.
“The company confirmed possibility for commercial production
of the recycled ABS after completing development
in June, and is now focusing on marketing,” said the report
citing Kim Chang-sul, head of the product planning team
at LG.

 

Cameron LNG Starts Commercial Operation Of Third Train at Liquefaction Facility

Houston—
McDermott International announced that Train 3 of the
Cameron LNG liquefaction project in Hackberry, La., has
begun commercial operations (PCN, 25 May 2020, p 3).
McDermott and its joint venture partner, Chiyoda International,
provided the engineering, procurement and
construction for the project, which includes three liquefaction
trains with a projected export capacity of more than
12-million t/y of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Cameron LNG is owned by Sempra LNG, Total SE,
Mitsui & Co. and Japan LNG Investment, a company
jointly owned by Mitsubishi Corp. and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki
Kaisha.

 

SRF Commissions New BOPET Line

Budapest—SRF
Ltd. announced that its SRF Europe Kft subsidiary has
begun operations at a new biaxially oriented polyethylene
terephthalate (BOPET) film line in Jaszfenyszaru, Hungary.
The approximately €80-million facility, approved in
2018, is capable of producing 40,000 t/y of BOPET film.
According to SRF’s website, this is the company’s “first”
packaging films plant in Europe.

 

Topsoe & BASF Enter Partnership to Offer Optimization Solutions to NH3 Producers

Lyngby—
Haldor Topsoe and BASF have agreed to collaborate to offer
ammonia (NH3) producers new optimization possibilities
with ClearView connected services (PCN, 20 May
2019, p 4).
The partners will combine Topsoe’s ClearView Ammonia
connected service with BASF’s simulation tool, OASE
connect, which processes near real-time data from BASF
carbon dioxide removal sections. This will enable Clear-
View Ammonia to give customers complete insight into the
status and optimization potential of their ammonia plant
operations.
“This agreement is a great step forward for ClearView,
enabling us to offer a complete connected services solution
that adds even more value for ammonia producers,” said
Topsoe Connected Services Director Michael Fjording.
Launched last year, ClearView is a complete connected
service that offers plant owners “improved asset utilization,
energy savings and less unplanned downtime,” Topsoe
noted. Based on a stream of comprehensive data from
the plant, modelling and analytical software continually
suggest optimization opportunities and proactively alerts
plant personnel of operational issues.

 

BASF Strengthens R&D in Asia-Pacific With Purchase of Solvay’s PA Business

Singapore—
BASF said it has enhanced its research and development
(R&D) capabilities in Asia-Pacific with the recent acquisition
of Solvay’s polyamide (PA) business (PCN, 10 Feb
2020, p 1).
BASF’s existing portfolio was broadened with new technologies,
technical expertise, and capabilities for advanced
materials and part testing.
The company is planning to integrate the R&D centers
from Solvay into its existing R&D facilities in Shanghai,
China, and Seoul, South Korea.
“Pursuing innovation in new products and applications
is our goal,” noted Andy Postlethwaite, senior vice president
of performance materials, Asia-Pacific. “We will leverage
the extensive know-how of the combined business to
develop advanced customer-oriented material solutions, as
well as to drive more projects with our customers.
“Our offering will be further supported by additional
production capacity and a more extensive product portfolio,
which includes high-temperature grades.”
BASF acquired Solvay’s PA business this past February
for €1.3-billion on a cash and debt-free basis.

 

Clariant Develops New Dark Colorants That Eliminate Need for Carbon Black

Milan—
Clariant has developed a range of deep, dark colors using
its CESA-IR technology, that eliminate the need for carbon
black typically used to make black and other dark colors,
making dark plastic materials more recyclable.
The typical use of carbon black pigments in dark colors
makes them undetectable by the near-infrared (NIR) sensors
used in automated polymer sorting systems at recycling
centers.
“In most automatic sortation systems, infrared light is
beamed onto plastic materials and, because different polymers
reflect that light differently, the system can sort the
different materials,” Clariant explained.
“Unfortunately, the carbon black pigments . . . absorb
all or most of the NIR light shone at them and, as a result,
the sensors cannot even see the black packaging, much less
sort one polymer from another.”
Late last year, the company introduced CESA-IR, a
masterbatch range that makes black plastics visible to NIR
radiation, but designers wanted more choices than pure
black.
To address this need, Clariant undertook a project to
develop dark colors without the use of carbon black. It has
initially created “a dark umber, a deep velvety green, and a
regal dark blue,” the company noted. All three are very
saturated so they are almost black, but the colors come
through.
Development is progressing in polyethylene terephthalate,
high-density polyethylene and polypropylene in both
virgin and post-consumer recycled forms.

 

Ningxia Baofeng Picks JM Technology For Single-Train Methanol Facility

Beijing—Johnson
Matthey (JM) said that its technology has again been selected
by Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group for a third methanol
synthesis plant at their coal-to-olefins complex in
Ningxia Province, China, which, once complete, will be the
“largest” single-train methanol facility in the world.
The project, with a planned capacity of 7,200 t/d of
methanol, follows the recent commissioning of a 6,600-t/d
methanol unit at the complex (PCN, 29 June 2020, p 1).
Value of the contract and an expected completion date
were not disclosed.
Under the agreement, JM will be the licensor and supplier
of associated engineering, technical review, commissioning
assistance, catalyst and equipment supply.
The methanol plant will be fed with synthesis gas and
will utilize JM’s radial steam raising converters in a patented
Series Loop, together with JM catalysts, to produce
stabilized methanol for use in the production of olefins.
“The plant will provide enhanced energy efficiency,
along with low OPEX [operating expense], CAPEX [capital
expenditures] and emissions,” JM noted.

 

IndianOil Gets Board Nod to Implement Integrated PX/PTA Complex in Paradip

New Delhi—
The board of Indian Oil Corp. (IndianOil) has given its approval
for the company to set up a paraxylene (PX)/purified
terephthalic acid (PTA) project to be integrated with IndianOil’s
Paradip refinery in Odisha, India.
The complex, expected to cost around Rs 13,805 crore,
will include the production of 800,000 t/y of PX and 1.2-
million t/y of PTA. Completion is planned by early 2024.
IndianOil is currently building an estimated Rs 4,221
crore ethylene glycol (EG) plant at Paradip, based on technology
from Scientific Design, which will have 357,000 t/y
of capacity (PCN, 4 Feb 2019, p 1). Operations will begin
towards the end of 2021.
PTA from the new complex will be used as feedstock in
the EG plant.

 

Iran Opens 2 New Methanol Facilities, Including Catalysts Production Plant

Tehran—
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani recently inaugurated
three new petrochemical projects in the country, including
two methanol plants and a facility for catalysts production,
according to several local media reports.
The projects, which required an investment of $1.57-
billion, involve the 7,000-t/d Kaveh methanol plant and the
5,000-t/d Kimia Pars methanol unit in Bushehr, and a
catalyst facility in Lorestan.
In a video conference held during the inauguration,
Rouhani said his administration has come up with plans to
reduce exports of crude oil and natural gas, and plans to
produce more petrochemical products instead, reported
Tasnim News Agency.

 

CPChem and QP Postpone Making FID On U.S. Gulf Coast Petrochem Project

Houston—
Phillips 66 announced that Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.
(CPChem), in which Phillips 66 has an equity investment,
and Qatar Petroleum (QP) have deferred final investment
decision on a project to develop a new petrochemical facility
on the U.S. Gulf Coast (PCN, 15 July 2019, p 1).
The estimated $8-billion U.S. Gulf Coast II petrochemical
project (USGCII) would include a 2-million-t/y ethylene
cracker and two 1-million-t/y high-density polyethylene
units. A specific location has not been chosen.
The partners originally expected a FID on the facility
no later than 2021, with start-up targeted for 2024. A new
schedule was not available.
CPChem, which would hold a 51% share in the project,
would provide project management and oversight and be
responsible for the operation and management of the plant.
QP would hold the remaining 49% stake.
“CPChem is closely monitoring economic developments,”
said Phillips 66 in its second quarter 2020 financial
results.

 

Hengli Petrochem Starts Up Fifth Line For PTA Production at Its Dalian Site

Dalian—Hengli
Petrochemical announced the start-up of its fifth purified
terephthalic acid (PTA) line at its site on Changxing Island,
Dalian, China (PCN, 16 Mar 2020, p 2).
The 2.5-million-t/y PTA line, which utilizes Invista’s
advantaged PTA technology, increases PTA capacity at the
site to a total of 11.6-million t/y, making Hengli the “largest”
PTA producing site in the world, Hengli noted.
The company operates four other PTA lines at the site
that are based on Invista’s technology. The fourth line was
started up this past January.
“The successful start-up of Hengli’s fifth PTA line yet
again highlights the quick ramp-up capability of PTA
plants utilizing our technology,” noted Adam Sackett, vice
president for PTA at Invista Performance Technologies.
“Fast project execution, trouble-free and stable operation
at low variable cost, enables our licensees to achieve a
good return on their PTA investment.”

 

IVL’s Westlake Ethylene Cracker Offline After Lightning Strike Trips Facility

Westlake—
Indorama Ventures Ltd. (IVL), in a notification to the
Stock Exchange of Thailand, said that its ethylene cracker
in Westlake, La., was hit by lightning on 1 Aug. 2020 and
the plant is currently offline.
The incident happened at the company’s Indorama Ventures
Olefins LLC facility, which has a production capacity
of 440,000 t/y of ethylene.
The lightning strike caused a plant trip and subsequent
flaring. The plant is currently being assessed.
“There is no danger to the site, employees or surrounding
community,” the company noted.

 

Air Products to Provide AP-X Technology For QP’s North Field East LNG Project

Doha—Air
Products has been chosen to provide its proprietary AP-X
natural gas liquefaction process technology and equipment
to Qatargas for the first phase of Qatar Petroleum’s (QP)
North Field East liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion
project in Ras Laffan, Qatar (PCN, 1 Oct 2018, p 3).
The project, scheduled to begin operations in 2025, includes
four “mega” LNG trains, each with a production capacity
of 7.8-million t/y of LNG, Air Products noted.
“The proven AP-X process is an elegant solution that
enables significantly higher LNG production, without requiring
individual equipment items to be significantly larger,
and provides an efficient and flexible operation over a
wide range of production capacities,” it added.
QP earlier said the project would also include 4,000 t/d
of ethane, 260,000 b/d of condensate, 11,000 t/d of liquefied
petroleum gas and about 20 t/d of pure helium.
Ethane from the North Field LNG project, as well as existing
gas projects, will feed a new world-scale petrochemical
complex QP is planning at Ras Laffan with Chevron
Phillips Chemical Co. (PCN, 1 July 2019, p 1).
Last year, QP and Chevron Phillips Chemical signed an
agreement to pursue the development, construction and
operation of the petrochemicals facility.
The project would include a 1.9-million-t/y ethane
cracker, as well as two high-density polyethylene units
with a combined capacity of 1.68-million t/y. Start-up is
planned in late 2025.

 

Nouryon Raising MCA Capacity at Delfzijl; Plans to Free up Capacity for Chlorine

Delfzijl—
Nouryon said it has been investing in technology and efficiency
improvements to increase monochloroacetic acid
(MCA) production capacity at its site in Delfzijl, the Netherlands.
The expansion, scheduled for completion by the end of
this year, will help satisfy market growth, as well as the
company’s own increased consumption of MCA since its
recent acquisition of J.M. Huber’s carboxymethyl cellulose
business (PCN, 6 July 2020, p 3).
In addition, Nouryon has initiated a study to free up
more capacity for chlorine, the key raw material for MCA.

 

NextChem & GranBio Partner to License GranBio’s Cellulosic Ethanol Technology

Brasília—
NextChem, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont, and Brazilian
industrial biotechnology firm GranBio, have signed a strategic
partnership agreement for licensing GranBio’s patented
2G Ethanol technology for the production of cellulosic
ethanol.
The technology converts lignocellulosic, non-food biomass
to renewable, low carbon intensity biofuels. It has
already been implemented at GranBio’s plant in Sao Miguel
dos Campos, Alagoas, Brazil.
The partnership combines GranBio’s technology and
knowledge in second generation biomass and biofuels with
NextChem’s engineering expertise, EPC (engineering, procurement
and construction) capabilities and global presence,
to offer integrated services, feasibility studies, integration
projects, engineering and construction of manufacturing
facilities around the world.

 

BASF Acquires Assets, Land from Sinopec To Boost Chinese Alkoxylates Capacity

Shanghai—
BASF said it purchased Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical
Co.’s assets, land and buildings related to alkoxylates production
in Jinshan, China, to support growing demand in
Asia Pacific.
The newly acquired assets, adjoined with BASF’s site,
will help double BASF’s local alkoxylates capacity from the
end of 2020.
“We are seeing a rising demand for high-quality alkoxylates
in the Asia Pacific market, especially in China,” noted
Dr. Jianwen Mao, vice president, Business Management
Greater China, Home Care, Industrial & Institutional, and
Industrial Formulators, Care Chemicals at BASF Asia Pacific.
“This strategic expansion will double our alkoxylates
capacities in Jinshan and increase our overall capacity in
Asia Pacific. We will focus on maximizing synergies between
the existing and new operations and supporting the
growth of our customers and the market.”

 

Omega Partners III Completes Purchase Of Oiltanking Joliet Terminal in Illinois

Chicago—
Omega Partners III, through its Omega Partners Illinois
subsidiary, has finalized the acquisition of Oiltanking
North America’s Oiltanking Joliet terminal in Channahon,
Ill. (PCN, 15 June 2020, p 4).
The Joliet terminal, which is mainly dedicated to the
storage of specialty chemicals, has a capacity of approximately
281,000 bbls. It includes connections for rail, tank
truck and barge transport.
Omega Partners III owns and operates U.S.-based bulk
liquid petroleum terminals in Illinois, Florida, Georgia,
South Carolina, Nevada and Kentucky.

 

People on the Move

AmSty—Dr. Randy Pogue, who has been serving as interim
chief executive since this past April, has been named
president and chief executive to succeed Brad Crocker
(PCN, 16 Mar 2020, p 2). Pogue was previously senior vice
president of feedstocks, styrene and corporate services.
Bechtel—Paul Marsden has been appointed president
of the company’s Oil, Gas & Chemicals business, effective 8
Sept. 2020, to succeed Alasdair Cathcart, who is stepping
down after 31 years at Bechtel. Since 2018, Marsden has
been senior project manager for the company’s Pennsylvania
Chemicals Project.
Univar Solutions—Jennifer McIntyre will assume the
position of senior vice president, chief streamline officer
and head of North American operations.
Brian Herington has been named senior vice president,
chief commercial officer and head of North American
chemical distribution.
Nick Powell will take on the role of senior vice president,
president of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)/
APAC (Asia Pacific) and global head of consumer and
industrial solutions.
With these new appointments, Mark Fisher has stepped
down as the company’s president of U.S. and Canada to
pursue other opportunities.

 

Ineos Styrolution, Recycling Technologies Sign JDA for Recycling of PS in Europe

London—
Ineos Styrolution and Recycling Technologies, a specialist
plastic recycling technology provider, have signed a joint
development agreement (JDA) to further advance the development
of recycling of polystyrene (PS) in Europe.
Recycling Technologies has already completed a detailed
research and trial process with Ineos, which included
scientific research and processing of PS on Recycling
Technologies’ Mark II test reactor producing “excellent”
results, the companies noted.
The partners will now further advance this depolymerization
solution based on Recycling Technologies’ fluidized
bed technology, currently used for mixed plastics, to adapt
it for the commercial recycling of PS.
“This partnership creates the basis for a more circular
economy in polystyrene, allowing its users to achieve their
challenging recycling targets set by all their stakeholders,”
said Adrian Griffiths, chief executive and founder of Recycling
Technologies.

 

ADNOC L&S, Wanhua Chemical Form JV For Shipping LPG and Other Products

Abu Dhabi—
Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) announced that its
ADNOC L&S shipping and maritime subsidiary has
formed a joint venture with Wanhua Chemical Group to
transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cargoes and other
petroleum products.
The new company, AW Shipping Ltd., is based in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) and will own and operate a
fleet of very large gas carriers and modern product tankers.
It will be responsible for shipping the LPG and other
petroleum products, sourced from the ADNOC Group and
global suppliers, to Wanhua Group’s manufacturing sites
in China and worldwide.
The joint venture follows a 10-year LPG supply contract
signed between ADNOC and Wanhua in November 2018
(PCN, 19-26 Nov. 2018, p 2).
“This creative win-win partnership strengthens our
growing relationship and will deliver greater value and
efficiency for both our organizations,” said UAE Minister of
Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Group
Chief Executive Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.
“Importantly, the joint venture further solidifies ADNOC
L&S’ position as the largest, fully integrated logistics
and shipping company in the UAE and paves the way for
the transportation of greater LPG volumes in China, in
line with market demand.”

 

Metafrax to Invest in Production Plants For Paraformaldehyde, Formaldehyde

Moscow—
Metafrax announced plans to invest RUB 5-billion in new
plants for the production of paraformaldehyde and formaldehyde
in Gubakha, Russia, and has signed a memorandum
of understanding with Altex-Stroy for construction of
the units.
The project will include a 30,000-t/y paraformaldehyde
plant, based on technology from GEA Process Engineering,
and a 180,000-t/y formaldehyde facility that will utilize
Dynea’s technology. Operations are scheduled to begin at
the end of 2021.

 

DOE Lets Grant to Univ. of Louisiana To Develop CO2-to-Ethylene Process

Lafayette—The
U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) has awarded a $1-million
grant to an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the
Univ. of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette) to develop a
process to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into ethylene.
The technology under development at the university
produces ethylene by breaking down CO2 with low pulses
of electricity, UL Lafayette noted.
“If we can produce ethylene by using electricity coming
from renewable resources, then we could, theoretically,
reduce carbon dioxide production by 200% because we are
not producing it. We are consuming it,” explained Dr. Xiao-
Dong Zhou, executive director of UL Lafayette’s Institute
for Materials Research and Innovation and the Stuller endowed
chair of chemical engineering.

 

IVL Enters into Definitive Agreement To Buy Polish PET Recycling Facility

Warsaw—
Indorama Ventures Ltd. (IVL) has signed a definitive
agreement to purchase Industrie Maurizio Peruzzo Polowat
spolka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia (IMP Polowat),
a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling plant in
Poland.
The acquisition includes two production sites located in
Bielsko-Biala and Leczyca, close to Krakow and Warsaw,
respectively. The sites have a combined capacity of 23,000
tons of recycled PET (rPET) flakes and 4,000 tons of rPET
pellets.
Subject to regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected
to close in the third quarter of this year. Value of
the deal was not given.
“This acquisition is consistent with IVL’s ambitious target
in scaling its recycling capacity to reach 750,000 tons
by 2025,” IVL noted.
“It also adds an attractive recycling platform for IVL in
Eastern Europe, and will open up new opportunities to
meet the increasing rPET demand for more sustainable
packaging solutions.”
IVL, which has an integrated PET plant in Wloclawek,
said that IMP Polowat will bring synergies and a circular
business model to its Polish operations.

 

Versalis and Forever Plast Ink Agreement To Produce PS from Recycled Packaging

Rome—
Eni’s Versalis and Forever Plast SpA, an Italian company
in the recovery and recycling of post-consumer plastic in
Europe, have signed an agreement to develop and market a
new range of solid polystyrene (PS) products made from
recycled packaging.
The new Versalis Revive PS – Series Forever products,
PS-based compounds that contain up to 75% recycled solid
PS, are able to meet the requirements of multiple applications
such as thermal insulation, non-food packaging and
household items.
Versalis is already producing and marketing Versalis
Revive EPS (expandable PS) and Versalis Revive PE (polyethylene).
The recycled PS comes from separate household waste
collection, including yogurt cups and disposable dishes that
will be supplied by the COREPLA network, the National
Consortium for the Collection, Recycling and Recovery of
Plastic Packaging.

 

Sibur and Sinopec Sign Shareholder Deal For Amur Gas Chem Complex in Russia

Moscow—
Sibur Holding and Sinopec recently signed a shareholder
agreement with respect to Sibur’s planned Amur Gas
Chemical Complex (AGCC) in Svobodny, Russia (PCN, 11
May 2020, p 1).
AGCC, the downstream expansion of Gazprom’s Amur
Gas Processing Plant (AGPP) being built in Svobodny,
would process ethane fraction from AGPP for the production
of 1.5-million t/y of ethylene, which would be further
transformed into polyethylene grades. The project, currently
under review by regulatory authorities, is planned
to be completed within 2024.
If the project is implemented, Sinopec is expected to
have a 40% share in the AGCC.
Tecnimont SpA, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont, has
been selected as leader of a consortium for the development
of AGCC.
Under the contract, valued at around €1.2-billion, Tecnimont,
MT Russia LLC, Sinopec Engineering Inc. and
Sinopec Engineering Group Co. will provide engineering,
procurement and site services.

 

Vinmar Forms Partnership with Agilis To Realize Its Digitalization Strategy

Houston—
Vinmar International, a global marketing and distribution
firm for petrochemical products, is partnering with Agilis
Chemicals, a technology company, to help implement its
digitalization strategy.
“We work closely with our petrochemical suppliers to
develop tailored business solutions and marketing programs
that work for them,” said Vishal Goradia, senior vice
president at Vinmar.
Agilis has agreed to design, develop and deploy digital
solutions to meet Vinmar’s business needs, allowing Vinmar
to streamline operations further, increase efficiency
and improve engagement among internal and external
stakeholders, while maintaining the highest data privacy
and security standards, Vinmar noted.
“Vinmar has a set of complex business challenges, and
we are excited about working with them on implementing
an elegant, technologically-advanced commerce solution,”
said Agilis Founder and Chief Executive Jay Bhatia.
“The chemical distribution market is only at the beginning
stages of a digital transformation journey, and we are
happy to be joining Vinmar to help them execute on their
digital roadmap,” Bhatia added.

 

BP Announces New 10-Year Strategy To Become Integrated Energy Firm

London—BP has
announced a new strategy for the next decade that will
help it achieve its net zero ambition and pivot it from an
international oil company to an integrated energy company
(PCN, 17 Feb 2020, p 4).
Within 10 years, the company aims to have increased
its low carbon investment 10-fold to around $5-billion a
year, building out an integrated portfolio of low carbon
technologies, including renewables, bioenergy and early
positions in hydrogen and carbon capture and storage.
By 2030, it aims to have developed around 50 gigawatts
of net renewable generating capacity – a 20-fold increase
from 2019 – and to have doubled its consumer interactions
to 20-million a day.
Over the same period, BP expects emissions from its
operations and those associated with the carbon in its upstream
oil and gas production to be lower by 30-35% and
35-40%, respectively.
“Energy markets are fundamentally changing, shifting
towards low carbon, driven by societal expectations, technology
and changes in consumer preferences,” said BP
Chairman Helge Lung. “And in these transforming markets,
BP can compete and create value, based on our skills,
experience and relationships.
“We are confident that the decisions we have taken and
the strategy we are setting out . . . are right for BP, for our
shareholders, and for wider society.”
BP’s board has also introduced a new distribution policy,
part of its new financial frame, that comprises two elements:
• a “resilient” dividend of 5.25 cents per share per
quarter, with an intention that this level will remain
fixed, subject to the board’s decision each
quarter; and
• a commitment to return at least 60% of surplus
cash flow to shareholders via share buybacks once
net debt is reduced to $35-billion and subject to
maintaining a “strong” investment grade credit rating.
“I want to acknowledge the impact the reset dividend
will have on many – whether individual retail investors or
large holders,” said BP Chief Executive Bernard Looney.
“However, it is a decision that we wholeheartedly believe is
in the long-term interest of our stakeholders.”