High growth in retail demand is expectedin emerging markets

(polyestertime) -- Retail demand in several emerging markets will grow at double digit annual average rates in the in the five years to 2016 according to a new report by Textiles Intelligence.

The fastest growth will be in China and India, where demand is set rise by an average of 16.9% per annum in
each country. Double digit growth is also forecast for Indonesia (13.3% per annum), Russia (12.0% per annum),
Saudi Arabia (11.7% per annum), Turkey (11.4% per annum), Peru (10.3% per annum) and South Africa (10.1%
per annum), while growth in the high single digits is expected in Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Thailand.

By contrast, demand in a number of major Western European countries is set to grow only modestly between
2011 and 2016.

MRC

(polyestertime) -- Nestle Waters North America Inc. has committed to incorporating 50 percent recycled content in previously virgin-material bottles for its Arrowhead brand of spring water, using food-grade PET from CarbonLite Industries LLC's new recycling plant in Riverside.

Nestle will buy one-third of the USD58 million plant's output. Separately, bottler PepsiCo Inc. has agreed to purchase 40 percent.

Nestle chose the Arrowhead brand for the recycled content because it is bottled primarily at the Nestle Waters bottling plant in Cabazon, CA, 40 miles east of Riverside, where the plant is located, Verespej writes.

PepsiCo did not specify how much recycled content might include in any of its beverage containers, according to Plastics News. Paul Boykas, vice president of global public policy for PepsiCo, noted, "We believe in investing in sustainable growth for people and for the planet."

MRC

(lukoil) -- LUKOIL Mid-East Ltd (West Qurna-2 project operator) has signed several major contracts for the West Qurna-2 field infrastructure development in Iraq based on the tender results.

The contract with Samsung Engineering (Korea) sets out 29 months to construct 5 well pads with 67 development wells, 5 gathering lines, a central processing facility (CPF), a water intake on the Euphrates River and a water pipeline to the CPF, a power supply system and a field camp. The contract also covers utilities for water treatment, distribution and disposal (including formation water), fuel gas extraction, instruments, drainage systems, commercial oil storage tanks and pumping facilities, administration buildings, workshops, warehouses, chemical analytical laboratory, fire station, central control room and other facilities.

ENKA Insaat (Turkey) has been contracted for construction of a gas turbine power plant. This facility includes three bi-fuel industrial gas turbines by General Electric (USA) 42 MW each, a gas treatment unit with gas compressors, a diesel fuel loading, storage and distribution system with two tanks 2,500 cubic meters each, a power distribution system with step-up, step-down and auxiliary transformers and switch gears, a diesel generator, a control room, utility and infrastructure installations. The works are planned to be completed within 27 months.

Entrepose Projets/Rosco (France/Jordan) has been contracted for extension of the existing tank farm at the Tuba oil export terminal, namely construction of three oil storage tanks 66 thousand cubic meters each as well as state-of-the-art automation, remote control, power supply and fire fighting systems. The works are planned to be completed within 22 months.

These are turnkey contracts that cover engineering, construction and supply of required materials and equipment by the contractors.

MRC

(blackseagrain) -- Swiss grain trader Ameropa is close to wrap up the takeover of Romanian fertilizers producer Azomures after Romania's antitrust body has cleared the deal.

Thus, Ameropa would also indirectly take control over Constanta-based port operator Chimpex Constanta - a valuable asset for any grain trader. Ameropa is to acquire 75.8% of Azomures after taking full control over its Turkish shareholders Eurofert Investments and Azomures Holdings for an unspecified sum. The terms of the deals were not disclosed.

The new majority owner will be obliged by the law to launch a buyout bid for the remaining shares in Romania's Azomures. The book value of the company's own funds stands at EUR 251mn, 16% above the latest market value of the company, the daily notes. Assuming the buyout bid takes place at this price implied by the company's book value, Ameropa would have to pay EUR 60mn, out of which EUR 26.7mn to Property Fund that holds 10.7% in Azomures.

MRC

(plasteurope) -- Even though the site's styrene and polystyrene plants are due to be closed by the end of the year. Ineos (Rolle / Switzerland) plans to continue operating the remaining lines in Marl / Germany.

A company spokeswoman told Plasteurope.com that the Rolle-based group would hold on to its 260,000 t/y cumene plant as well as its 110,000 t/y EPS line at the site. To date, the latter had been fed with styrene produced in Marl, a job which in future will probably be assumed by joint venture partner BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany) or Shell Chemicals (London / UK).

It also remains unclear whether Ineos Styrenics four European EPS plants will be consolidated. Ineos did not comment on a relevant Plasteurope.com query. However, sources close to the company said the Marl EPS line will likely continue operations ⌠for now. Aside from Marl, Ineos also runs EPS production facilities in Breda / The Netherlands as well as Ribecourt and Wingles - both in France.
MRC