Russian producers managed to increase PVC production in 2013

MOSCOW (MRC) - Russian producers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) managed to increase production volumes in 2013, despite a complete shutdown of SIBUR-Neftekhim and scheduled maintenance works at Khimprom (Volgograd), according to MRC ScanPlast.

Russian producers of unmixed PVC (suspension and emulsion) managed to increase the output to 617,200 tonnes in 2013, compared to 615,500 tonnes a year earlier. Production growth from the three largest companies - SayanskKhimPlast, Bashkir Soda Company and Kaustik, Volgograd compensated complete shut down of SIBUR-Neftekhim's production as well as long unscheduled shutdown at Khimprom, Volgograd.
Structure of PVC production in Russia last year was as follows.

Total production suspension PVC (SPVC) in 2013 exceeded 600,000 tonnes, compared to slightly less than 595,000 tonnes in 2012.
Significant increase in production occurred for SayanskKhimPlast and Bashkir Soda Company (formerly Kaustik, Sterlitamak), with total production in 2013 of 287,100 tonnes and 213,000 tonnes respectively, up 5% and 7% year on year.

Kaustik, Volgograd (former PLASTKARD) increased PVC production in 2013 to 89,600 tonnes, from 87,200 tonnes in 2012. SIBUR-Neftekhim (SIBUR group) completely shut all its chlorine production in early April 2013 intending to launch a new SPVC production at RusVinyl, JV of SIBUR and the Belgian company Solvin. The company's SPVC production over the incomplete 4 months was slightly more than 10,000 tonnes.

Annual capacity production at RusVinyl, based in Nizhny Novgorod region, will be 330,000/tonnes and will produce suspension and emulsion PVC. According to unofficial information, the plant is likely to be launched in July 2014.

Last year was unsuccessful for a single Russian producer of emulsion PVC - Khimprom, Volgograd. There was roof collapse in workshop of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) production in July, resulting in the plant's shutdown until September. Currently, Khimprom plans to close several lines at the site. Total production of EPVC at Khimprom, Volgograd decreased to 17,200 tonnes in In July, compared with 20,800 tonnes 2012.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Latin America’s largest petrochemical maker, agreed to help Siluria Technologies Inc. bring to market a novel process for making ethylene from methane, the largest component of natural gas. said Bloomberg.

Siluria is building a demonstration plant at Braskem’s site in La Porte, Texas, to show how oxidative coupling of methane, or OCM, can produce ethylene, the most used petrochemical and a key ingredient in plastics, the companies said today in a statement. The USD15 million factory should open in the fourth quarter, Siluria Chief Executive Officer Ed Dineen said.

"This technology is on the leading edge of developments in our industry and is well designed to meet our needs for plentiful, affordable feedstock," Fernando Musa, CEO of Sao Paulo-based Braskem’s U.S. unit, said in the statement.

Siluria’s OCM process costs USD1 billion a year less than average costs at naphtha crackers that produce ethylene and USD250 million cheaper than ethane cracking, based on feedstock costs since 2010, Dineen said in a phone interview. At the heart of the OCM technology are proprietary catalysts that turn methane and oxygen directly into ethylene and water without the high heat used in crackers.

"The use of natural gas as a direct feedstock has been a goal of the chemical-fuel industry for a long time," Dineen said.

The technology works in existing ethylene plants and also can be added to gas processing plants, which separate methane from natural gas liquids, to turn unprocessed gas into gasoline, Dineen said. The technology would help gas processors and pipeline companies produce a higher value product, particularly when ethane or methane prices are low, he said.

As MRC wrote before, Siluria has successfully raised USD 30 million in a round led by Russia-based Bright Capital and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's Vulcan Capital. Besides, existing venture capital investors like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, also contributed.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik Industries has led a USD12million Series C financing round in FRX Polymers Inc., Chelmsford (USA). Its corporate venture capital fund, Evonik Venture Capital GmbH, invested USD2.5 million in the round, according to the company's press release.

FRX is the manufacturer and marketer of a new, environmentally friendly family of inherently flame retardant plastics and oligomers, trade named Nofia. The closing coincided with the opening of FRX’s first industrial scale flame retardant polymer plant in Antwerp, Belgium.

Nofia products are a family of halogen-free, phosphorus-containing oligomers and polymers that are inherently flame retardant and display unique physical properties. FRX’s products have applications in consumer electronic, building and construction, and transportation markets.

"We are delighted to have become an investor in FRX. This is an exciting company with a unique product offering that has come a very long way and is strategically well positioned to carve out an important market share in the years to come", said Dr. Bernhard Mohr, Managing Director of Evonik Venture Capital, who are also represented on the Board of Directors of FRX.

Investments in technology companies and specialized venture capital funds provide Evonik with rapid access to new technologies outside of the existing portfolio covering the most important technologies trends and geographic regions.

As MRC reported before, with a level of purity approaching 99%, SEPURAN green high performance polymers from Evonik Industries make biogas processing much more efficient. For this achievement, the company has recently received the 2013 German Innovation Prize for climate and the environment in the "Environmentally friendly technologies" category.

FRX Polymers, Inc. was founded in 2007 following over five years of intensive research and development in the field of inherently flame retardant plastics. The company operates two pilot plants in Chelmsford MA, a polymer pilot plant in Switzerland and a full scale plant in Antwerp Belgium.

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2012, the company generated sales of around EUR13.6 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about EUR2.6 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Chinese Wuhan Petrochemicals has shut a high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant was shut early this week owing to technical issues. A restart date for the plant could not be confirmed.

Located in Hubei province of China, the plant has a production capacity of 300,000 mt/year.

As MRC reported earlier, in summer 2013, Wuhan Petrochemical started up a new cracker. Located in Hubei province, China, the cracker has an ethylene production capacity of 800,000 mt/year. Currently, Wuhan Petrochemical has an ethylene production capacity of 200,000 tonnes/year and can process 8.5m tonnes/year of crude.
MRC

МОSCOW (MRC) -- Americas Styrenics has announced a project to construct a deep water dock at its styrene production facility at St. James, Louisiana, located on the Mississippi River, said Plastemart.

"AmSty's St. James Plant is a world-scale styrene facility and also one of the largest consumers of hydrocarbon feedstocks on the Lower Mississippi River," said Randy Pogue, Vice President - Styrene, Feedstocks and Corporate Services. "We completed economic and engineering studies earlier this year and have internal approvals in place to begin the project. This project will increase our marine capability to include large ocean-going vessels that are critical to feedstock imports and will also support AmSty's styrene export business.

Once completed, we expect this project to enhance the operational flexibility and export capabilities for our St. James Plant." Detailed engineering is underway for the project with local permitting expected by mid-2014. AmSty's deep water dock facility at the St. James Plant is expected to be operational in late 2015.

"We are exceptionally proud of our St. James styrene facility and are excited to be extending its reach within our industry," said Brad Crocker, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This is a significant investment in this facility and in the styrenics industry as a whole. We have been able to reach this important milestone thanks to continued growth in demand for our products and strong support from our owners."

As we wrote before, Americas Styrenics declared force majeure on polystyrene resin after a power outage at its plant in Torrance, Calif in September 2013.

Americas Styrenics — based in The Woodlands, Texas — ranks as one of North America's largest PS makers. The firm is a joint venture between Styron LLC and Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP.

MRC