Borealis buys rest of Dutch plant from DuPont

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Borealis, a leading provider in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, has announced that it has completed the acquisition of DuPont Holding Netherland B.V. shares of Speciality Polymers Antwerp N.V., as per the company's press release.

Previously, Speciality Polymers Antwerp N.V., located in Zwijndrecht (Antwerp, Belgium) was a joint venture between DuPont Holding Netherlands B.V. (67%), Borealis Polymers N.V. and Borealis Kallo N.V. (together 33%).

"The acquisition of the full ownership of Speciality Polymers Antwerp is in line with our strategy to grow our polyolefin business in specific market areas", says Mark Garrett, Borealis Chief Executive. "Acrylate copolymers, which are part of a broader portfolio of specialty polymers produced at Speciality Polymers Antwerp, are an important building block for our value-added products sold into our core Energy & Infrastructure market."

Under the new arrangement, DuPont will continue to serve the market with ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and acrylate copolymers and Borealis will supply DuPont with ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and acrylate copolymers from the Specialty Polymers Antwerp facility.

Borealis intends to fully integrate the new site and its employees into the Borealis organisation. The company will start the full integration of the site and its activities, a process in which safety and business continuity will be key.

As MRC informed earlier, last summer, Borealis and Borouge announced the dedicated roll-out of the technology platform Borlink in Russia, according to the company's press release. Borlink was introduced by Borealis and Borouge as a technology platform offering a complete global package of power cable compounds and expertise serving applications for medium and high voltage (MV, HV), including extra high voltage (EHV) and high voltage direct current (HVDC).

DuPont is an American chemical company that was founded in July, 1802. The company manufactures a wide range of chemical products, leading extensive innovative research in this field. The company is the inventor of many unique plastics and other materials, including neoprene, nylon, Teflon, Kevlar, Mylar, Tyvek, etc. DuPont was the developer and main producer of Freon used in the production of refrigeration equipment.

Vienna-based Borealis is a leading producer of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers. The firm posted sales of more than USD10 billion in 2013. Borealis is majority-owned by state-owned International Petroleum Investment Co. of Abu Dhabi. IPIC also owns North American ethylene and polyethylene producer Nova Chemicals and Middle Eastern petrochemicals firm Borouge.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in Kazakhstan increased to 39,700 tonnes in the first seven months of this year, up 76% compared with the same time a year earlier, according to MRC analysts.
July imports of unmixed PVC in Kazakhstan rose to 8,700 tonnes, compared with 6,000 tonnes in June. Total imports of PVC in the country grew to 39,700 tonnes in January - July 2014, compared with 22,500 tonnes year on year.

Such a significant increase in PVC imports in Kazakhstan resulted from a further re-import of the polymer in Russia. The main suppliers of PVC in the local market were producers from China, with their share more than 97% from the total PVC imports into the country.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Swiss machinery company Sidel Group has opened a new training center in Guadalajara, Mexico, featuring a virtual factory environment, augmented reality and authentic parts that trainees can handle themselves, said Plasticsnews.

The new facility, which brings Sidel’s training centers to seven, has been developed to meet local customer needs.
"We know that our customers have high expectations, so the first step was to conduct extensive research with leading companies," said Jake Randall Brown, Sidel’s technical training center project manager in a news release. "During this process we looked to gather as much information as possible, including brainstorming sessions from the different departments of Sidel."

The new center will feature tailored sessions using authentic parts for assembling and disassembling, along with functional key items of equipment such as valves; filling, blowing and labeling stations; production line PCC (panels for control and command) simulators to develop troubleshooting skills; and the latest 3-D interactive modeling system, bringing the ability to disassemble in detail every piece of equipment in the entire Sidel portfolio, says the company.

Sidel states it trains over 5,000 people globally every year.

As MRC wrote before, Sidel (Le Havre/France) has developed a PET bottle base for still drinks, which is says is stronger, lighter and cheaper to produce. The 'StarLite' base, which is particularly suited to water and juices, uses two proprietary PET designs: the 'Edge Beam', a groove structure that improves stiffness, and the 'Smart Disc' that reinforces the base to prevent deformation.

Sidel is a manufacturing company providing packaging for liquids such as water; carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks; and sensitive beverages like milk, liquid dairy products, juices, nectars, tea, coffee and isotonics; as well as edible oil, beer and other alcoholic beverages. Sidel manufacturers and services equipment that enables other companies to package such liquids using one of three main materials: plastic (especially PET, and also HDPE and PP).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Radius Group, the multinational market leader in PE pipe and fittings, and KE KELIT the leading Austrian pipe systems manufacturer based in Linz, have announce the formation of new joint venture between Radius and the District Heating business of KE KELIT, as per Radius' press release.

Radius will take a majority position in the new company which will trade under the name, Radius-Kelit.

Andy Taylor, Radius CEO, said: "we are overjoyed to be partnering with KE KELIT and the Egger family in establishing such an exciting new opportunity. District Heating is a core segment for the Radius Group and this move will provide all the right combinations to establish a springboard for European growth. The market experience, position and routes to market which KE KELIT, a pioneer in the European District Heating market, provide, combined with the innovative product proposition and the manufacturing and technology expertise from Radius will create a potent market participant. We look forward to working with our partners and their skilled and dedicated workforce to bring to the wider European market a unique offering of reinforced, flexible, pre-insulated plastic pipes designed specifically for high temperature and high pressure networks. This move is the latest in Radius' strategy to complement our core pipe and fittings business with closely associated products, services and technologies and in so doing enhancing our value added proposition to our customer base".

As MRC informed previously, in August 2013, Radius Systems announced the acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital of Aeon Group Holdings Ltd. Radius Systems, the UK's leading supplier of PE pipes and fittings to the Gas and Water utilities sector, has announced the acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital of Aeon Group Holdings Ltd

KE KELIT is a 100% family owned company in Linz, Austria. It is one of the leading manufacturers of pipe systems for hot and cold water, heating, ceiling cooling, pipe insulation and compressed air. KE KELIT has been active in international markets for over 60 years and has manufacturing facilities at five locations and more than 20 offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia/Pacific region.

Radius Group is the market leader in engineered polymer products in the CIS and the largest producer of polyethylene pipes and fittings in Europe. The Group is the market leader in polymer composite materials supply to the automotive, white goods and building materials sectors in the CIS where it is also the leading manufacturer of District Heating Solutions. In Q1 2013, Polyplastic Group, the Russian and CIS market leader in plastic processing, completed the acquisition of Radius Systems. Radius Group operates from 20 plants and exports to more than 50 countries worldwide with an annual turnover of about EUR1bn and employs in excess of 7,000 people.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Imports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) into Ukraine decreased by 10% over the first seven months of 2014. Shipments of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from Europe accounted for the main fall in the total imports, according to MRC DataScope report.

Seasonal factors led to a steady growth of PVC imports to Ukraine in the second quarter of 2014 after a major fall in imports in the first quarter. SPVC imports to the local market exceeded 18,600 tonnes in July versus 11,000 tonnes in May. Local companies were actively building up additional inventories for the peak months. The overall PVC imports totalled 66,100 tonnes from January to July 2014 versus 73,800 tonnes a year earlier.

The structure of PVC imports to Ukraine by regions looks the following wasy over the stated period.

Last month's PVC imports from the United States surged to 12,900 tonnes from 4,900 tonnes a month earlier. Thus, imports of North American PVC reached 38,500 tonnes over the said period versus 35,800 tonnes a year earlier. Relatively low export prices of North American producers in comparison with the European was the main reason for the increased shipments.

July imports of European PVC to the Ukrainian market dropped to 5,600 tonnes from 6,100 tonnes in June. The overall imports of resin from Europe totalled 26,200 tonnes over the first seven months of 2014 versus 35,400 tonnes over the same period of 2013. Producers from Hungary, Poland and Germany remained the key SPVC suppliers to the Ukrainian market because of geographical factors.

PVC imports from other regions (Asia, Turkey, Russia) was sporadic.

MRC