F&N Beverages Marketing to install a PET production line

(plastemart) -- F&N Beverages Marketing (F&N Malaysia) has invested RM18 million to install a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production line and supporting infrastructure at its Kota Kinabalu facility to meet the growing demand for PET packaged sparkling beverages in the state.

The line provides F&N production scalability in anticipation of future growth, without the need for plant expansion. It also reduces logistics costs of transporting the products from F&N?s main Shah Alam plant or from Kuching while facilitating speedier delivery to market.

"Sabah continues to be a significant market for F&N and our investment in this line will enable us to cater to the potential growth for PET sparkling beverages in Sabah, one of our significant markets in Malaysia. We can scale up production seamlessly to thrice the current capacity with no additional investment required,?" said Khalid Alvi, managing director of F&N in a press statement.

"We can drive consumption of our PET range of soft drinks in Sabah with minimal logistic costs while ensuring our consumers in Sabah can get their share of F&N products when they want it," Alvi added.
MRC

In April import of PP to Russia increased

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The total volume of imports volume of polypropylene (PP) to the Russian market increased to 22,500 tonnes on the back of domestic deficit in April. Over the fortnight in May, this figure exceeded 10,000 tonnes, according to MRC analysts.

The deficit resulted from a number of reasons: the accident at Stavrolen in the middle of December 2011, the suspension of the supply of Ukrainian PP, traffic jams in the Caspian Sea in the beginning of the year, which led to the disruption of delivery terms of PP from Turkmenistan.


Due to the limited supply of PP from Russian producers and seasonal hike in demand, local companies in April began actively contracting the feedstock in external markets, including Asia and the Middle East, as per MRC analyst, Sergei Karaychentsev. In April, imports of PP to Russia grew by 16% compared with March volumes and reached 22,500 tonnes.

Imports of PP homo expectedly increased by 27% and made about 12,700 tonnes last month. About 9,000 tonnes from the total imports made PP-homo from Turkmenbashi oil refinery. Imports of block copolymers of propylene increased only by 5%, the export supply of stat- copolymer of propylene, on the contrary, decreased by 17%.

Over the first fortnight of May, the imports of polypropylene to the Russian market exceeded 10,000 tonnes. The geography of supply substantially widened: PP-homo from Egypt, Iran and UAE entered the market. The supply of PP from South Korea increased substantially.


MRC

In April Ukraine cut production of large volume polymers


MOSCOW (MRC) - In April, the total production of large volume polymers in Ukraine fell to 31,000 tonnes. Production of polypropylene was suspended. Karpatneftekhim reduced the production of PVC, according to MRC analysts.

In April, the total production of large volume polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene) in Ukraine decreased to 30,900 tonnes, down 17% compared with the March volumes. The main reason of the production decrease resulted from the suspension of PP output by Linik (TNK-BP).


Last month Karpatneftekhim (Lukoil Group) reduced the capacity utilization of PVC. Its output of resin made about 17,000 tonnes. In March, this figure exceeded 20,000 tonnes. In general, over the four months, the company produced 61,000 tonnes of suspension PVC.

Karpatneftehim slightly decreased the production of HDPE in April. The decline in production was due to the calendar factor. The total output of PE last month made slightly more than 9,000 tonnes.

In mid-April, Ukrainian producer Linik suspended the production of PP. Over the fortnight the company produced about 2,800 tonnes of polymers of propylene. The date of the resumption of PP production at Linik will be known this week.

Stirol Group continues to increase production volumes on the back of a seasonal increase in demand. Last month, the production of general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and expandable polystyrene (EPS) made about 2,100 tonnes. In March, this figure was about 1,450 tonnes.
In general, in January-April 2012, the total production of large volume polymers in Ukraine rose by 60% compared to the same period a year ago and made about 126,000 tonnes.


MRC

LDPE finally to be delivered to China in May 2012

(chemmonitor) -- About 100,000 metric tons of low density polyethylene (LDPE) will be delivered on the Chinese market from Iran, this month. The delivery was planned to be implemented earlier, but it was postponed for around three months.

The exact reason for the delay is unclear, but it may be connected with the sanctions imposed on Iran by USA and the UN.

China imported almost 60,000 metric tons of LDPE from Iran in Jan-Mar 2012.

MRC

Azerkimya to increase rubber and plastic production in the country

(chemmonitor) -- The activity of the Sumgait-based (Azerbaijan) company Azerkimya increased production of chemicals in the country.

From April 2010, the company is a part of the Baku-headquartered Azerbaijani state oil and gas company State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), according to the order of the head of the country.

The authorities of the country reached the decision to start the Azerkimya?s plant under SOCAR.

According to an order signed by the president of SOCAR Rovnag Abdullayev, the plants on surface-active Substances, organic synthesis, mechanical repair and the Institute Kimyaelmitedgigatlahiya were subordinated to Azerkimya as facilities without the rights of legal entities.

According to the order, ethylene-polyethylene was established on the basis of the material technical base of the plant producing synthetic rubber and that of ethylene-polythene. It is also as an organisation that does not have legal rights and will function under Azerkimya.
MRC