Wacker confirms fourth-quarter and full-year results

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Wacker Chemie (Munich) confirmed its preliminary fourth-quarter and full-year 2015 results announced last month and said it expects growth in both sales and adjusted Ebitda in 2016, said the company on its site.

The company has achieved its sales target for full-year 2015 and slightly exceeded its earnings expectations. Group sales in 2015 advanced by about 10% to EUR5.30 billion (USD5.95 billion) on higher volumes and positive exchange-rate effects. Ebitda in 2015 was flat at EUR1.05 billion and Ebitda margin declined from 21.6% in 2014 to 19.8% last year.

At its chemical business, Wacker sees good prospects for further growth in 2016. It expects sales at each of its three chemical divisions to climb by a mid-single-digit percentage. For silicone and polymer products, growth will be driven by every business segment. Wacker BIOSOLUTIONS sees additional potential especially in its biologics business. Sales growth is also anticipated in its food segment, spurred by new product developments.

As MRC informed earlier, Wacker has presented high-performance silicones and polymer binders for challenging coatings and construction applications: wood impregnated with the silicone resin emulsion SILRES WH is protected against damp, moisture and damage caused by swelling and shrinkage for an exceedingly long time.

Wacker Chemie AG is a worldwide operating company in the chemical business, founded 1914. The company is controlled by the Wacker-family holding more than 50 percent of the shares. The corporation is operating more than 25 production sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The product range includes silicone rubbers, polymer products like ethylene vinyl acetate redispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon and wafers for semiconductor industry.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company and a global leader in vinyl acetate/ethylene (EVA) emulsions, has announced that it has increase the price of vinyl acetate-based emulsions sold in Asia, as per the company's press release.

EVA emulsions increased by Yuan 200/MT for China and USD25/MT for the rest of Asia effective March 10, 2016, or as contracts allow.

This price increase affects all applications including, but not limited to, adhesives, paints and coatings, waterproofing, building and construction, glass fiber, carpet and paper.

This increase is attributed to the continued pressures on raw materials, notably ethylene and vinyl acetate monomer (VAM).

As MRC informed previously, Celanese Corporation last increased its prices of EVA emulsions sold in Asia on 31 October, as follows: EVA emulsions increased by Yuan 260/tonne for China and USD35/tonne for the rest of Asia.

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs approximately 7,000 employees worldwide and had 2015 net sales of USD5.7 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF, the world's petrochemical major, has presented SLENTITE, the new high-performance insulating material, said the producer on its site.

In the design and construction sectors, the properties of SLENTITE are opening up totally new potential. The innovative material based on a polyurethane aerogel is manufactured as a heavy-duty panel displaying exceptional insulation performance. Owing to its open-porous structure, the material provides moisture regulation and thus contributes to a pleasant interior climate: сustomized climate management with the new high-performance insulating material. Inserted between the window frame and the masonry, SLENTITE makes window modernization even more attractive. The PU aerogel can be installed as thermal insulation wedges between walls and windows indoors and outdoors, regardless of the window frame material. Existing window jamb systems can be reduced further in size, as the new high-performance insulation panel is extremely slim.

"We now have the chance to eliminate thermal weak points in the building envelope, prevent damage and enhance interior comfort," says Dr. Marc Fricke, SLENTITE Project Manager at BASF Polyurethanes.

SLENTITE also facilitates further product improvements in roller shutter casings and lamellar blind boxes. For a new or upgraded building to be truly energy-efficient, attention has to be paid to the details. Roller shutter casings insulated with SLENTITE deliver excellent insulation values regardless of the wall structure and thickness. "With the new BASF high-performance insulating material, we’ve succeeded in improving our existing top products by another 35 percent," says Michael Kruger, Development Director at Beck + Heun.

As MRC reported earlier, in September 2015, BASF began its first production of diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) at its wholly-owned site in Chongqing, China. Production will be ramped up gradually in line with market demand.

MDI is an important component for polyurethanes - an extremely versatile plastics material that contributes towards improved insulation, provides lighter materials for cars, and helps save energy in buildings. MDI production will support these key industries in China’s western areas.

BASF is the largest diversified chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries. BASF had sales of over EUR70 billion in 2014 and over 113,000 employees.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Amec Foster Wheeler announces today the award of a contract by Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) for a detailed feasibility study to upgrade their refinery in Karachi, Pakistan, said the company on its site.

PRL’s refinery, on the coastal belt of Karachi, is designed to process various imported and local crude oil. It is one of the principal manufacturers and suppliers of petroleum products to domestic markets.

This feasibility study will investigate and propose ways that the refinery can be upgraded to meet tougher product specifications through regulatory changes, as well as expansion to provide more of the petroleum products that are in demand in the domestic market, whilst ensuring the sustainability of the refinery.

A particular focus of the study will be into upgrading technologies to minimise the production of fuel oil from the refinery as well as making cleaner and higher quality products.

As MRC informed earlier, Amec Foster Wheeler was awarded a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract by PetroVietnam for their Dung Quat oil refinery expansion in Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam.

Amec Foster Wheeler designs, delivers and maintains strategic and complex assets for its customers across the global energy and related sectors. Employing around 40,000 people in more than 55 countries and with 2015 revenues of GBP5.5 billion, the company operates across the oil and gas industry – from production through to refining, processing and distribution of derivative products – and in the mining, clean energy, power generation, pharma, environment and infrastructure markets.
MRC