PVC production in Russia increased by 4% in January 2017

MOSCOW (MRC) - Russia's unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production reached 78,900 tonnes in January 2017, up 4% compared with the same time a year earlier. SayanskKhimPlast and RusVinyl showed a significant increase in production, according to MRC ScanPlast report.

January production of unmixed PVC in Russia grew to 78,900 tonnes, compared with 75,700 tonnes in January 2016 and 84,000 tonnes in December 2016. The main increase in PVC output provided SayanskKhimPlast and RusVinyl, while Kaustik Volgograd on the contrary decreased production. Total PVC production in Russia reached 785,500 tonnes in 2016.

The structure of PVC production by plants looked the following way over the stated period.

RusVinyl (joint venture of SIBUR and SolVin) produced about 25,300 tonnes of PVC in January, with about 2,000 tonnes of which accounted for emulsion polyvinyl chloride (EPVC), compared to 30,500 tonnes a month earlier. RusVinyl's total PVC production reached 305,500 tonnes over twelve months of 2016, whereas this figure was 237,3000 tonnes a year earlier.

SayanskKhimPlast last month kept sufficiently high level of capacity utilisation, with January PVC production reached 23,000 tonnes, while last year's January and December level reached 21,700 tonnes and 23,000 tonnes, respectively. The Sayansk plant managed to produce only 142,800 tonnes of PVC in 2016, compared to 208,500 tonnes a year earlier due to the forced shutdown in February-July.

Bashkir Soda Company produced more than 22,700 tonnes of SPVC in January, compared with 22,400 tonnes in January 2016 and 22,700 tonnes in December 2016. Total SPVC production at Bashkir Soda Company in 2016 was 248,700 tonnes.

Kaustik (Volgograd) in January slightly decreased production, reaching about 8,000 tonnes in SPVC, compared with 8,200 tonnes in January 2016 and 8,100 tonnes in December 2016. Total PVC production at Kaustik (Volgograd) in 2016 reached 88,500 tonnes.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Honeywell has announced that Zhejiang Petrochemical Co. Ltd. will use a range of process technology from Honeywell UOP, the world’s leading licensor of refining and petrochemical process technology, for a new integrated refining and petrochemical complex in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Honeywell UOP will supply a wide range of technologies in the form of license, design, key equipment, and catalysts and adsorbents, while Honeywell Process Solutions will provide the process controls and automation systems.

The complex will be located in one of seven new large industrial sites that are part of China’s current national economic development plan. When completed, it will be the largest crude-to-chemicals complex in China and one of the largest in the world. The complex will produce petrochemicals, including aromatics that are used to make plastic resins, films and fibers that are the basis for millions of products.

"This is the first phase of a completely new site that will process 20 MMtpy of crude oil and produce 5 MMtpy of aromatics when completed," said Mike Millard, vice president and general manager, Process Technology and Equipment at Honeywell UOP. "It will help China meet its goal of self-sufficiency in paraxylene and serve as a major new source of propylene, jet fuel and other products."

"The refining and petrochemical process units at this site will be controlled by the Experion Distributed Control System, which is designed and configured especially for Honeywell UOP processes," said Chen Yan, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Process Solutions - Greater China. "This integrates all process control and safety systems and automation software under a single architecture, providing ZPC with pre-engineered solutions, faster project execution and an easy-to-use operator interface."

The project includes a two-train LD Parex aromatics complex - including the UOP Sulfolane, Isomar and Tatoray processes - for the production of 4 MMtpy of paraxylene, a primary ingredient in plastics.

The new plant also will include an RFCC complex, using Honeywell UOP’s RCD Unionfining and RFCC processes to upgrade 5 MMtpy of residual oil into fuels.

An Oleflex propane dehydrogenation unit will produce 600,000 tpy of polymer-grade propylene – another basic component in the production of plastics, in addition to synthetic rubber and gasoline additives.

The project also will include a Honeywell UOP Unicracking hydrocracker to convert vacuum gas oil into petrochemical feedstocks, two CCR Platforming units to produce aromatics and blend stocks for making high-octane fuels, and a Unionfining naphtha hydrotreating unit to remove sulfur.

As MRC informed before, in May 2015, Honeywell opened a new manufacturing facility in China to produce catalysts used to make components for plastics production. This new site in Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province, began production of catalysts used to covert propane to propylene as traditional sources for this product shrink. The catalysts are used in the Oleflex process developed by Honeywell’s UOP, a global leader in technology for the oil and gas industries.

Honeywell UOP is the world’s leading licensor of process technology for the production of aromatics. As of last year, UOP licensed more than 100 complexes and more than 700 individual process units for the production of aromatics, including more than 300 CCR Platforming process units and 500 Unionfining units, 158 Sulfolane units, 80 Isomar units, 58 Tatoray units, 100 Parex units and 50 Oleflex units worldwide.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Еvonik has approved construction on a new production plant for high-quality flat films made from multi-layer polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), said the producer on its site.

To finance the project, the company plans to invest a sum in the double-digit millions in its Weiterstadt site. The plant is scheduled to supply the initial commercial film batches by the end of 2018. A number of new jobs will be created.

"With the investment we have now approved, we are strengthening our role as innovation leader for acrylic-based technologies and products," said Martin Kramer, head of the Acrylic Products Business Line. The new plant will enable production of extremely wide films with a previously unachieved number of layers. "This is an example of how we are putting our vision 'Evolution in acrylics is our passion' into daily business," says Kramer.

Multi-layered PMMA films are used in medical technology, window and facade construction, and in the graphics industry. As recently as mid-January, Evonik presented facade elements made from fiberglass plates equipped with a top layer made of PLEXIGLAS film at the BAU 2017 tradeshow. The thermoset resin and glass fibers are protected in such a way that the plates also have an aesthetically pleasing and brilliant appearance. "With the new multi-layer films, we can ensure the longevity of such exterior components for facades," says Michael Enders, head of film activities at Acrylic Products. The demand for extremely long-lasting and sustainable products has become increasingly important, particularly in the construction and architecture segment.

The new plant will also allow completely new film compositions. "We're expanding our offerings of custom-designed specialty films that offer not only our customers but also the consumers genuine added value,” says Enders. “Wider multi-layer PMMA films allow particularly long-lasting and sustainable products and offer our customers new design and processing possibilities."

As MRC informed earlier, High Perfomance Polymers Business Line within the Resource Efficiency Segment of Evonik Industries, Essen (Germany), is increasing the prices of its polyamide 12-based products by around 6%, to the extent permissable under existing agreements.

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.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sadara Chemical has restarted its three polyethylene (PE ) units following a maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Saudi Arabia informed that the company has resumed operations at all PE units last weekend. The units were shut for a planned maintenance in the last week of December 2016.

Located at located in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, the PE units comprising two LLDPE units and one LDPE unit have a production capacity of 350,000 mt/year each.

As MRC informed before, in late December 2016, Sadara Chemical Co began a scheduled turnaround at the mixed-feed cracker at its petrochemical complex in Jubail. The shutdown of the facility lasted six weeks.

An evaluation of the financial impact of the shutdowns will be released in the company's first quarter 2017 financial statements.

Sadara Chemical is a USD20 billion petrochemical joint venture between national oil giant Saudi Aramco and Dow Chemical.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- National oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc is readying its staff to deal with diversifying its business into the global trade of liquefied natural gas (LNG), says chief operating officer Wirat Uanarumit, said Bangkokpost.

He said PTT is also conducting a feasibility study to invest about US$300 million (10.5 billion baht) to develop a facility where ethane will be extracted from LNG.

PTT plans to invest more in its LNG business because it will have to import up to 20 million tonnes of LNG annually by 2036.

"PTT has already entered the LNG trade," Mr Wirat said. "In the long term it could become a major LNG importer, so integration of this business is crucial in order to cut risks."

"The business may start in a similar fashion to when we initiated our oil trading business, which began with imports and exports before expanding into out-out trading," Mr Wirat said.

PTT is expanding the storage capacity of the receiving terminal in Rayong from 5 million tonnes a year to 10 million. The additional capacity is due to be available by mid-2017. A subsidiary, PTT Exploration and Production Plc, also holds an 8.5% share in Mozambique's Rovuma A1 gas block to develop a liquefaction facility close to the source. The final investment decision by the consortium is due by year-end. PTT is also expanding capacity for its first LNG terminal to 11.5 million tonnes a year, with the additional capacity available by 2019, as scheduled by the Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo). PTT is further increasing its regasification and storage capacity for the second unit of its LNG terminal in Map Ta Phut from 5 million to 6.5 million tonnes a year, as dictated by the energy policymaker.

PTT has already secured long-term purchase contracts with major gas suppliers. It has a 2-million-tonne contract with Qatar Gas, a 1-million-tonne contract with Shell and a 1-million-tonne agreement with Shell and a 1-million-tonne agreement with BP. PTT also plans to import another 1.2 million tonnes from Malaysia's Petronas.

PTT Global Chemical Plc, the petrochemical business arm, also plans to import more LNG and turn its byproduct, naphtha, into feed stock under a retrofit programme.

As MRC informed earlier, PTT Global Chemical Pcl planned to boost sales in Southeast Asia to offset weak demand from China, the company's biggest overseas market.

PTT Global Chemical is a leading player in the petrochemical industry and owns several petrochemical facilities with a combined capacity of 8.45 million tonnes a year.
MRC