Formosa to restart residue processing unit at Mailiao Refinery

(plastemart) -- Formosa Petrochemical Corp. plans to restart a residue processing unit that was shut Sept. 2 at its Mailiao refining complex. A suspected flaw in piping design at the 80,500 bpd No. 1 residue desulfurization unit is being corrected. Formosa halted its 80,500 bpd No. 2 residue desulfurization unit after a fire on July 25. The Mailiao refinery has three crude distillation units, each able to process 180,000 bpd. Formosa Petrochemical shut the 540,000 bps refinery for safety reasons after an oil leak triggered a blaze at the No. 2 residue desulfurization unit. The company is using about one-third of its crude refining capacity, with one crude unit still shut and the other two running at half capacity.

MRC

(plastemart) -- Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (PCGB), the soon-to-be-listed petrochemicals arm of Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), plans to grow by expansion of production capacity and selective acquisitions in the mid-to-long term.

PCGB, one of the largest petrochemicals producer in Southeast Asia, said in its draft prospectus, "In the medium to longer term, we will look to expand our product portfolio and production capacity - including through the development of new production plants using gas and alternate types of feedstock - as well as potentially synergistic and prudent acquisitions to pursue growth. Opportunities outside Malaysia could also be considered.
PCGB is currently considering expanding its operations in Sabah and Sarawak to develop a world-scale greenfield ammonia and urea plant to take advantage of the natural gas feedstock available in that region. PCGB also expects to get more closely involved with a greenfield project that Petronas is currently evaluating - to develop an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex in Peninsular Malaysia, with international partners.

MRC

(Bloomberg) -- French workers reduced output at Electricite de France SA's nuclear reactors and Total SA refineries as part of a nationwide strike over a government plan to increase the retirement age.

The walkout led to a 5,000-megawatt decrease in nuclear output from EDF reactors, according to CGT union spokeswoman Marie-Claire Cailletaud. Refinery output at Total's French plants is dropping to ⌠minimum levels, company spokesman Michael Crochet-Vourey said. Shipments have been blocked at all plants except Feyzin in the Rhone Valley, he said.

Total management and the CGT union are locked in a legal battle over the idling a year ago of the Flanders refinery near Dunkirk, which the company plans to dismantle. Closure of the refinery triggered a week-long strike in February that led to fuel shortages. Total, Europe's biggest refiner, has five other refineries in France including Gonfreville in Normandy, the largest, Donges, Feyzin, Provence and Grandpuits.

MRC

(PlastEurope) -- Aksa Akrilik Kimya, which claims to be the world's largest producer of acrylic fibres, is persistently pursuing its plan to also become one of the world's largest carbon fibre manufacturers, with a world market share of 10%. A 42 t/y pilot plant built in 2007/2008 by the subsidiary of the Akkok group was recently replaced by an industrial scale plant with a capacity of 1,500 t/y.

The company's plant at Yalova, south of Istanbul on the eastern side of the Sea of Marmara, is seen as a flagship project. It was developed and built in cooperation with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey TUBITAK. The goal is to drive the use of composites in Turkey.

MRC

(PlastEurope) -- Packaging manufacturer Alpla has informed the Austrian federal competition authority of its intention to take over 75% of PET Recycling Team. The remaining 25% will remain in the possession of the managing shareholder and previous sole owner, Erich Happenhofer.

The company founded in 2005 is specialised in the recycling of PET plastic bottles and employs around 40 people. Its portfolio includes r-PET as well as PET and PO flakes.

MRC