Nabucco presents new gas pipeline concept

(naturalgaseurope) -- The Nabucco pipline project today submitted a revised proposal to the Shah Deniz II Consortium for the construction of the ?Nabucco West? pipeline.

The modified concept of the original "base case" for the Nabucco project, foresees the construction of a 1,300 km pipeline running from the Bulgarian-Turkish border to the Central European Gas Hub in Baumgarten, Austria.

The shorter ?West? pipeline option reduced the length and cost of the originally submitted design by starting at Turkey's western border, leaving gas transport through Turkey to existing infrastructure or a new pipeline such as TANAP.

The Nabucco corsortium said that Nabucco West is designed to transport gas initially from Azerbaijan, but is fully scalable to meet future gas transport demand from the Caspian Region and Middle-East to the European markets.

The consortium stated that Nabucco West will benefit from the existing legal framework, namely the Intergovernmental Agreement, Project Support Agreements and third party access exemptions as the Nabucco base case and will follow exactly the same route on European Union territory.
MRC

Acron Group announces tender offer for shares in Azoty Tarnow

(acron) -- Through subsidiary Norica Holding, Acron Group has announced a tender offer for purchase shares in WSE-listed Zaklady Azotowe totaling up to 66% of total votes on general shareholders meeting.

The offered price is PLN 36 per share, representing a premium of 18.3% over Azoty Tarnow 6-month average market price and 12.1% over the closing price on 15 May 2012. Investors may tender their shares between 6 June and 22 June 2012.

Acron Group is one of Europe?s ten largest mineral fertiliser manufacturers, with assets in Russia, China, Estonia and Canada. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Moscow?s MICEX-RTS.

Acron Group is a leading global mineral fertiliser producer with a diversified product portfolio including 40 chemical products sold in 60 markets around the world. Acron Group owns substantial potash and phosphate reserves and has a significant ammonia production capacity (1.7 million tonnes annually), a key component in mineral fertiliser manufacture.
MRC

Import of EPS to Ukraine decreased by 5%

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In April, imports of EPS decreased and reached 1,650 tonnes, according to MRC analysts.

From the beginning of 2012 the import volumes of EPS increased significantly having reached 3,800 tonnes, which was up 27% than in Q1 of 2011. Such high volumes were provided by the Asian EPS, contracted in late 2011. The level of material consumption in Ukraine in Q1 of 2012 was low.

In this April, the imports decreased by 5% compared to the previous month to 1,650 tonnes. Thus, from the beginning of the year the total supplies of EPS made 5,530 tonnes, which was up 8.5% than in January-April 2011.

The major share in the supplies still fell on EPS from company Loyal, which makes one third of the deliveries in 2012. Russia's Sibur-Khimprom expectedly increased the supply of EPS. The share of Alfapor makes 26% from the total imports of material in the current year, which equals 1,500 tonnes.

MRC

Siemens made green substitute for ABS

(plasteurope) -- A new polymer made from exhaust gas containing CO2 holds promise as a "green" substitute for ABS, says German E&E giant Siemens.

In an ongoing project funded by the German federal research ministry, BMBF, to find industrial applications for CO2, Siemens is cooperating with academic and industrial partners such as universities in Hamburg and Munich as well as chemical and plastics giant BASF.

The new composite material is being touted as a competitive ecological alternative to ABS, for example in household appliances. The polymer mixture contains polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) made from renewable raw materials such as palm oil and starch.

As PHB is brittle, polypropylene carbonate (PCC) manufactured by BASF is used in the process to make the mixture softer. The PPC input, consisting of 43% of CO2 by weight, is being obtained from power plant emissions. Along with being transparent, biodegradable and resistant to light, the polymer is easily processed, the researchers say.

MRC

Celanese announces emulsions price increase

(celanese) -- Celanese Corporation , a global technology and specialty materials company and a global leader in emulsion polymers, announced it will raise the price of all emulsions sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa by up to EUR 80/MT effective June 1, 2012, or as contracts allow.

This price increase includes all vinyl acetate and acrylic based emulsions and affects applications including, but not limited to, adhesives, paint and coatings, building and construction, nonwovens, glass fiber, carpet, paper and textiles.

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of specialty materials and chemical products which are used in most major industries and consumer applications.

MRC