Brazil Petrobras reveals petchem capacities

(ICIS) -- Petroquimico do Rio de Janeiro (Comperj), reflecting the addition of a second refinery and the use of feedstock ethane, the company said on Friday. The company also revealed proposed capacity figures for several petrochemicals to be produced at the complex. Under the previous plans, Comperj would rely on one refinery to produce feedstock naphtha for its downstream chemicals. In addition, Comperj would use the resulting feedstock to produce 600 KTa of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Under the new plans, Comperj will have two refineries and a natural-gas treatment plant, which will provide the complex with feedstock ethane, Petrobras said. Petrobras made the changes so it could meet rising demand in Brazil.


MRC

(Arkema) -- After a long and thorough study on the best place to build their plants, CJ Cheil-Jedang and Arkema have selected the site of Kerteh, in the state of Terengganu in Malaysia. Thanks to the best efforts of the Government of Malaysia, the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation and the East Coast Economic Region Development Council, attractive conditions for the bio-methionine and thiochemicals plants have been obtained.


Kerteh located on the East Coast of Malaysia is an ideal place to build a thiochemical platform and bio-methionine plant where all the necessary infrastucture, utilities and raw materials can be easily obtained. The onsite bulk port and the nearby Kuantan and Kemaman container ports will facilitate the logistic of the products.


MRC

(PlastEurope) -- Multi-partner UK recycling project Fibrecycle has developed a generation of high-performance, low-cost co-mingled carbon fibre yarns and fabrics. The materials consist of carbon/PET, manufactured from virgin recovered carbon fibre that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

The new materials have almost 100% of the stiffness of virgin materials and are available at a lower cost than similar products currently available on the market, Fibrecycle says. They are also beneficial to the environment and retain the traceability of virgin materials. In common with other co-mingled and blended materials, the fabrics are simply placed in a mould tool under pressure and passed through a heating and cooling cycle.

The project, which aims to develop processes for recovering and recycling carbon fibre and reusing it in high value products, is nearing the end of its four-year programme and has made ⌠excellent progress against its objectives of developing low-cost, high-performance carbon fibre materials from waste streams.

MRC

(Arabian Oil and Gas) -- ICL, a multinational fertilizer and specialty chemicals company, announced that its joint venture operation in India, Zuari Rotem Specialty Fertilizers, will search for suitable plots for two additional soluble fertilizer manufacturing plants in northern and eastern India.

The initiative follows the success of the joint venture's first plant, the steadily growing demand throughout India for specialty fertilizers, and the Company's desire to capitalize on the economic advantages of manufacturing within its target markets.

ICL's Indian partner, Zuari Industries, is a major Indian producer and distributor of fertilizers and agricultural products.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- The new state government in West Bengal has decided to scrap the proposed petroleum, chemicals and petrochemicals investment region (PCPIR) on Nayachar island in Bengal's East Midnapore district on environmental grounds. The government has decided not to allow a chemical hub in the state because of threat of air and land pollution and a threat to livelihood of fishermen. This week, Bengal will take a call on the proposed ecotourism project, power plant and Polypark at Nayachar, to replace the ecotourism project.

MRC