More aggression by PTT to expand businesses in ASEAN countries

(Plastemart) -- In a bid to capitalise on the single-market Asean Economic Community in 2015, Thailand's PTT plans to move more aggressively in expanding its existing businesses in ASEAN countries.

The AEC, with a population of 580 million, promises huge investment and trade potential.

PTT aims to boost the non-oil business in the domestic retail market from 10% of total profit to 50% within 5 years. Exports have commenced to test the market in countries such as Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as southern China.

MRC

(European Plastics News) -- Chemical giant BASF is terminating its Envirocare oxodegradable additive business, which it acquired through its purchase of Ciba last year, to focus on products which comply with European standard EN 13432.

Envirocare was part of the Ciba range and was used to manufacture degradable polyethylene mulch films for agricultural applications.

⌠BASF has opted for biodegradable plastics that are fully biodegradable and compostable in accordance with standards such as European norm EN 13432, spokesperson Jurgen Keck said in a statement.

BASF will instead focus on its Ecoflex and Ecovio biodegradable plastics and is expanding capacity at an Ecoflex plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, by 60,000 tonnes.

MRC

(European Plastics News) -- Composite materials maker Gurit is investing CHF5m (┬3.7m) in doubling manufacturing capacity for its PVCell G-Foam materials in China. PVCell is a range of PVC-based materials, manufactured at China Tech Foam in Qingdao.

Rudolf Gerber, general manager of wind energy at Gurit, says the increase in manufacturing capacity will allow Gurit to meet local demand from wind turbine blade manufacturers in the country.

PVCell G-Foam is specifically designed for the wind turbine rotor blade market in China, a very important market for Switzerland-based Gurit.

MRC

LONDON (ICIS) -- Rosneft has chosen INEOS Technologies' Innovene S slurry process technology for the production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) at its JSC Angarsk Polymer Plant, INEOS said on Monday.

The 345,000 tonne/year plant, currently in the engineering phase of construction in Angarsk, Russia, will produce a full range of commodity and specialty, monomodal and bimodal products, the Switzerland-headquartered INEOS Technologies said.

Due to its location in central Asia, Rosneft's JSC Angarsk Polymer Plant is expected to sell products into the Russian and Chinese markets, INEOS said.

This is the first time INEOS has licensed its Innovene S process technology in Russia.

MRC

(European Plastics News) -- BOPP manufacturer Treofan is selling the Treofan Benelux operation, including a production site in Liege, Belgium, to Crystal Amaranth. No financial details were disclosed.

Crystal Amaranth is based in Luxembourg and controlled by Gabriel Catania and Rens Korevaar, former executives at ExxonMobil Chemical Films Europe.

⌠The sale helps us focus our business more sharply on specialty BOPP film, and is thus a logical step in our overall long-term strategy, Carlo Ranucci, CEO of the Treofan Group, said in a statement.

The two firms have set up a tolling agreement, meaning the Liege site will produce up to 20,000 tonnes of BOPP film for Treofan ever year. Treofan will also cede some distribution rights for Treofan's products to the new Belgian entity.

MRC