Icis
en
MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay has published its 2013 Sustainable Development Report, showing a variety of concrete measures that the Group has put in place to become a model in sustainable chemistry, supporting its long term growth, said the company in its press release.
"Sustainable development is a driving force of Solvay’s strategy. It is part of our vision and integrated into the way we conduct our business, ranging from the day-to-day work on the sites to our investment decisions, to ensure that our solutions will answer to global challenges," said Jacques Kheliff, Group General Manager Sustainable Development.
"Sustainable development is also a lever for growth: a portion of our business is already oriented towards markets driven by the demands and opportunities associated with society’s challenges." Solvay last year developed five priorities for 2020 to answer to social, societal and environmental challenges:
To achieve excellence in safety, health and occupational hygiene for everyone on all our 117 sites in 56 countries.
To increase the share of our sales in markets or with activities meeting the requirements of sustainable development. To relentlessly improve the performance of our technologies, processes and products so as to avoid any harm and to limit their environmental impact throughout the lifecycle of our products.
To lower greenhouse-gas emissions, energy and water consumption, to reduce negative impacts on soil, water, air quality and the use of resources.
As a first important step in its sustainability commitment, Solvay in 2013 signed a global agreement on social and environmental responsibility with the IndustriALL Global Union, which reflects the Group’s aim to develop a rich and balanced dialogue with its employees and their representatives worldwide.
As MRC wrote before, Solvay has signed an agreement to sell its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compound business Benvic Europe to U.S. investment company OpenGate Capital. The closing of this transaction is expected in the first half of 2014 and is subject to the approval of the anti-trust authorities. The deal was announced in late December of the year.
Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company founded in 1863, with its head office in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Brussels, Belgium. The company has diversified into two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics. Solvay supplies over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds.
MRC
Solvay publishes its 2013 Sustainable Development Report
Crimean Titan increased titanium dioxide production by 6% in Q1 2014
The company increased its production of sulfuric acid by 9% to 137.649 tonnes in the first quarter of 2014. The producer's total production of titanium dioxide was 108,000 tonnes in 2013, while in 2012 it was 106,000 tonnes.
The company plans to produce 110,000 tonnes of titanium dioxide in 2014.
The company has launched 660,000 tonnes/year unit for sulfuric acid, which helped to increase the production of main products. New sulfuric acid unit provides feedstock for 120,000 tonnes/year production of titanium dioxide.
As MRC reported previously, "Crimean Titan" can be shut if the delivery of feedstock from Dnepropetrovsk and Zhytomyr regions are stopped.
Private Joint Stock Company "Crimean Titan" was found in August, 2004. 100% of the shares belong to Ostchem Germany GmbH, a member of the Group DF. The main activity of PJSC "Crimean Titan" - the production of titanium dioxide pigment grades, which is used in paint, rubber industry, plastics industry and many other industries.
Titanium dioxide accounts for about 90% of the companie's total exports. The company supplies its products to more than 60 countries.
MRC
PC exports from Russia fell by 3% in Q1 2014
MOSCOW (MRC) - Export volumes of Russian polycarbonate (PC) to foreign markets decreased to 4,000 tonnes, down 3% compared to the same period last year, according to MRC DataScope report.
The main destination for exports of Russian PC was China. Total exports of Russian PC to China was about 3,000 tonnes in Q1 2014, which made 75% of total exports volumes over the reported period.
Exports of Russian PC to China in Q1 2014 decreased by 19%, compared with the same period last year. The most popular exported brand to China over the reported period was injection moulding PC.
Russian PC is popular in the Chinese market because of good quality in the first place, and cheaper price. Since the beginning of this year, the price range for injection moulding PC in the main ports of China has kept at USD2,430-2,570/tonne.
The main buyer of Russian polycarbonate in China is a Swiss company Ameropa. The only major exporter of Russian PC is Kazanorgsintez.
MRC
HDPE imports to Russia fell by 31% in Q1 2014
MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) to Russia fell by 31% over the first three months of 2014. Weak demand and higher prices were the main reasons for reduced imports polyethylene (PE), according to MRC DataScope.
March HDPE imports to Russia dropped to 15,000 tonnes (18,400 tonnes in February). Thus, the overall HDPE imports totalled 52,900 tonnes in the first quarter of 2014, while this figure was 76,200 tonnes over the same period of 2013. The main reasons for reduced imports were weak demand from local converters and higher prices of imported material (the rouble depreciated by 11% in March). The unscheduled outage at Stavrolen did not affect import shipments.
The imports structure by consumption sectors over the stated period looks the following way.
Imports of HDPE for extrusion coating of large-diameter steel pipes slumped to 2,700 tonnes last month (8,000 tonnes in February). Imports of these PE grades to Russia dropped over the first three months of 2014 by 4% year on year and totalled about 17,900 tonnes.
March imports of pipe grade PE were 3,200 tonnes (3,000 tonnes in February). The overall pipe grade HDPE imports totalled from January to March 10,200 tonnes, down by twofold compared with the first quarter of 2013.
Injection moulding HDPE was the only PE grade, which imports increased. Thus, March imports reached 3,200 tonnes. Imports of injection moulding PE grew in the first quarter of the year to 10,800 tonnes from 10,600 tonnes a year earlier.
Last month's imports of film grade and blow moulding HDPE were 2,000 tonnes (1,500 tonnes in February) and 3,000 tonnes (1,600 tonnes in February), respectively. The overall imports of these HDPE grades slumped over the stated period by 65% and 33% year on year and reached 4,800 tonnes and 6,500 tonnes, respectively.
The overall March imports of HDPE for other consumption sectors totalled about 1,000 tonnes. This figure over the first three months of 2014 was about 2,700 tonnes, while it was 3,100 tonnes a year earlier.
HDPE imports are still expected to increase in April and May. Seasonal stronger demand and an outage at Stavrolen, the second-largest producer in Russia, will be the main reasons for the growth. As reported earlier, Russian companies were actively purchasing HDPE in March in Uzbekistan, some market participants reported an increase in purchasing of pipe grade PE in Asia.
MRC
Russian PC market decreased by 9% in Q1 2014
MOSCOW (MRC) - Russian market of polycarbonate (PC) decreased to 23,600 tonnes, down 9% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2013, according to MRC ScanPlast.
The main reason for the decrease in PC market volumes were weaker imports because of rouble devaluation and rising domestic prices. Many consumers have switched the buying of PC from Kazanorgsintez. Especially it affected the extrusion sector with seasonally growing demand.
Market participants said the peak of the demand will come on the eve of the May holidays.
Russia's market of extrusion grade PC was more than 19,000 tonnes in Q1 20014, down 11% against the same period last year. Average monthly processing volumes of extrusion grade PC in Russia are 5,000-8,000/tonnes this raw material, depending on the season. The first seasonal surge in demand is in March-May, and the second - at the beginning of autumn. The largest converters of extrusion PC in Russia are producers of cellular PC sheets, namely Kronos Polyalt and SafPlast.
Consumption in the injection moulding sector is steady as it is the least affected by seasonal factor. Market volume in this sector in the first quarter of this year increased to 5,000 tonnes, up 6% compared to the same period last year. Russia's monthly demand for the injection moulding PC is about 1,500 tonnes, where imports volumes make 1,000 tonnes. The remaining volumes are provided Russian producers.
Key consumers in this segment are producers of household appliances and automotive components (Samsung Electronics Rus Kaluga, LG Electronics Rus, Beko, Automotive Lighting). Blow moulding sector in Russia completely depends on imports, and in Q1 20014 decreased 674 tonnes, down 20% compared with the same period last year, on the back of price rise of Asian material and rouble devaluation.
Russia's monthly consumption of blow moulding PC is 250 tonnes. Main consumers are the producers of water packaging of more than 10 litres.
Total Russia's imports of PC in the first quarter of this year exceeded 10,000 tonnes, and PC exports was almost 4,000 tonnes over the reported period.
MRC