Strong regional demand contributes to steady growth of Asia's petrochemicals segment

(ICIS) -- Asia's petrochemicals segment is expected to grow steadily this year and the next because of strong regional demand, although environmental issues will pose a challenge, an industry leader said late on Monday.


⌠In view of the economic fundamentals, steady growth [of the petrochemical industry] is expected for 2011 and 2012, owing to strong demand from the emerging economies, chairman of Japan Petrochemical Industry Association (JPCA), Kyohei Takahashi, told ICIS via email.


China, the world's second biggest economy, together with India - a fast-emerging market where, industry sources say, even basic polymers are growing at double-digit percentage rates - are both considered to be the main engines of growth in Asia with high demand for petrochemicals.


Takahashi, who is also the representative director and chairman of the board at Japanese chemical company, Showa Denko K.K., was speaking ahead of the region's biggest industry event - the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2011, which will be held at Fukuoka in Japan on 26-27 May.


MRC

6th Global Chlor-vinyl Markets conference to be held in Istanbul

(MRC) -- CMT (Singapore) is hosting the 6th Global Chlor-vinyl Markets conference in Istanbul, Turkey on 09-10 June 2011 to discuss opportunities and challenges that lay ahead for the global Chlor-Vinyl industry across Asia-Pacific, Middle East/Africa, Russia/Central Asia and Latin America.


The 6th Global Chlor-vinyl conference will showcase leading PVC producers and traders including Vinnolit GmbH, Bayegan Group, Petrokemya, CHemplast Sanmar, Tangshan Sanyou International Industry Co., plus China General Plastics Corporation to zoom in on country and region-specific papers on India, China, Africa, Latin America and Russia/Central Asia.


The 6th Global Chlor Vinyl Markets is envisaged to attract a gathering of middle to top level managers and decision makers from the Chlor Vinyl industry including producers, traders, EPC and logistics companies, plasticizers , stabilizers, additives producers, pipes, profiles, film & sheets, windows, flooring converters/ manufacturers, researchers and innovators.


MRC

An explosion hit the Abadan Refinery near the coast of the Arabian Gulf

(Arabian Oil and Gas) -- Iranian Fars News Agency reported that an explosion hit the Abadan Refinery, located near the coast of the Arabian Gulf. The news agency said that the explosion was due to a technical problem. Subsequent reports state the explosion was the result of a gas leak.


According to the Fars agency, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - who was visiting the refinery at the time - was not hurt. However, the explosion caused one death and left 22 wounded.


The refinery was completed in 1912 and was one of world's largest oil refineries when it was destroyed in 1980 by Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war.


The refinery had a capacity of 635.000 b/d in 1980 and formed a refinery complex with important petrochemical plants. Its capacity has been increased steadily since the war ended in 1988. Its capacity is now listed as 400.000 bbl/d crude oil.


MRC

Dow demonstrated the use of recycled plastic to generate energy

(Dow) -- The Dow Chemical Company has successfully demonstrated the use of recycled plastic to generate energy. The successful pilot test measured how plastic that has been reused and recycled to the full extent possible can be used as fuel for an ultimate end-of-life option instead of going to a landfill for disposal.


The pilot test found that 96 percent of available energy was recovered after incinerating 578 pounds of used plastic in a kiln at one of Dow's waste treatment facilities. The energy recovered was equivalent to 11.1 million Btu's of natural gas and was used as fuel for Dow's incinerator during the test. The trial was completed in compliance with regulatory permits.


Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) scrap film generated in one of Dow's extrusion laboratories was used in the test. The film was the same type commonly used for packaging food and consumer products. The test took place at Dow's second-largest U.S. manufacturing location in Midland, Mich.


MRC

Mitsubishi Chemical to expand PVC compound production facility in Thailand

(JCN Network) -- Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation will expand a PVC compound production facility in Thailand, responding to growing demand, mainly for automobiles. Mitsubishi Chemical supplies PVC compounds for automobile interior and exterior parts and for electric cable & wire to Thailand and neighboring countries, through its subsidiary, Sunprene (Thailand) Co., Ltd.


Demand for automobiles in Thailand and neighboring countries has continued to increase in recent years, and is expected to increase further in the future. In response to this growing demand, Mitsubishi Chemical will expand the PVC compound production facility at the Amata Nakorn Plant of Sunprene (Thailand).


The performance polymers business, including PVC compounds, is positioned as a "growth business" in the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group medium-term management plan, APTSIS 15, and Mitsubishi Chemical will continue to promote global business expansion in this field.


MRC