PC production in Russia down by 9% in January-August 2017

MOSCOW (MRC) - Polycarbonate (PC) production at the Kazanorgsintez plant in August amounted to 5,100 tonnes against 1,500 tonnes a month earlier, according to the ICIS-MRC Price Report.

Production of the extrusion grade PC-007 UL1 was 4,700 tonnes, or 91% of the production volume for the month. Because of Kazanorgsintez 's shutdown for maintenance in July overall production at the plant dropped by 9% in the first eight months of 2017 to 43,600 tonnes from 48,000 tonnes a year earlier.
The output of extrusion grades was 37,700 tonnes or 86% of the total PC production in January-August 2017, compared to 42,400 tonnes or 88% for the first eight months of last year.

Exports of Kazanorgsintez's PC dropped by 28% year on year in the first eight months of 2017 to 4,900 tonnes from 6,800 tonnes a year earlier.

Supply of Kazanorgsintez 's PC into the domestic market dropped by 6% year on year in the first eight months of 2017 to 38,700 tonnes from 41,200 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of polypropylene (PP) into Belarus increased to about 54,200 tonnes in first seven months of this year, up 3.2% year on year, compared to the same period of 2016. Demand for all PP grades increased, as per MRC DataScope.

July PP imports into Belarus increased to 7,700 tonnes from 8,500 tonnes a month earlier, local companies cut their purchasing of propylene copolymers in Russia. Total PP imports into the country reached 54,200 tonnes in January - July, compared with 52,500 tonnes year on year.
Demand for all PP grades increased, but propylene copolymer accounted for the greatest growth.

Structure of PP imports over the reported period was as follows.

July imports of homopolymer PP to the Belarusian market rose to 6,000 tonnes from 5,500 tonnes a month earlier, shipments of injection moulding homopolymer PP increased. Total imports of homopolymer PP into Belarus were 37,200 tonnes in the first seven months of this year, compared with 36,100 tonnes year on year. The key suppliers of homopolymer PP were Russian producers, with their share in the total supply around 87%.

July imports of propylene copolymers into Belarus reduced to 1,700 tonnes against 3,000 tonnes a month earlier, the local companies decreased procurement of PP random copolymers in Russia. Thus, overall imports of propylene copolymers reached 17,000 tonnes in January-July 2017, whereas this figure was 16,400 tonnes a year earlier.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation), a global technology and specialty materials company, will increase October list and off-list selling prices for Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) and Vinyl Acetate Ethylene (EVA) emulsions sold in Europe, as per the company's press release.

The price increases will be effective October 1, 2017, or as contracts otherwise allow, and are incremental to previously announced increases. The following price rise will apply:

- VAM - by EUR200/mt;
- EVA - by EUR90/mt;
- VAM Homopolymers (PVAC) - by EUR90/mt;
- VAM Copolymers - by EUR90/tonne;
- Pure Acrylics - by 120 EUR120/tonne;
- Styrene Acrylics - by EUR90/tonne.

As MRC wrote earlier, on 6 and 13 September 2017, Celanese increased its prices of VAM emulsions in Asia. Thus, each time the company raised the price of vinyl acetate-based emulsions sold in China by CNY500/mt and in Asia (outside of China) - by USD100/mt.

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 7,300 employees worldwide and had 2016 net sales of USD5.4 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Taiyo Vinyl is likely to take its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant off-stream for a maintenance turnaround in 2018, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant is planned to be shut in end-June 2018 for a period of about one month. The last shutdown was undertaken by the company in end-June 2017 for about 30 days.

Located in Osaka in Japan, the PVC plant has a production capacity of 160,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed previously, in mid-September 2017, Taiyo Vinyl completed turnaround at its another PVC plant at Chiba. The plant was taken off-line for a four-week maintenance on 17 August 2017. Located in Chiba in Japan, the PVC plant has a production capacity of 90,000 mt/year.

Taiyo Vinyl Corporation, a subsidiary of Tosoh Group, is one of Japan's largest manufacturers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The plant in Chiba is one of the company's key assests, which supplies 50% of its products to the domestic market. The company also produces PVC at the plants in Yokkaichi and Osaka with the annual capacity of 310,000 and 150,000 tonnes, respectively.
mrcplast. com

MOSCOW (MRC) - Production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) in Russia decreased to about 647,100 tonne in the first eight months of 2017, down 4.3% year on year. Gazprom neftekhim Salavat and Nizhnekamskneftekhim reduced their output, according to MRC's ScanPlast Report.

August HDPE production in Russia grew to 73,800 tonnes, whereas this figure was about 72,700 tonnes a month earlier. Overall HDPE production reached 647,100 tonnes in the first eight months of the year, compared to 676,200 tonnes a year earlier. Kazanorgsintez and Stavrolen's higher output did not allow to offset the reduction in production at the other two plants.

Structure of HDPE production over the reported period looked as follows.

Russia's August HDPE production at Kazanorgsintez increased to 47,000 tonnes from 46,800 tonnes a month earlier. The producer's total HDPE production was 363,300 tonnes in the first eight months of the year, up 10% year on year.

August HDPE production at Stavrolen reached about 25,400 tonnes against 25,800 tonnes in July. Stavrolen shut its capacity for two months of maintenance works for the modernisation of part of the facilities from 16 September. The plant's HDPE output reached 193,600 tonnes in the first eight months of 2017, up by 7% year on year.

Gazprom neftekhim Salavat shut down its HDPE capacities on 1 July for long-term turnaround, which lasted until the year end. Thus, for a few days of work in August, the producer managed to produce 1,400 tonnes of HDPE. Overall HDPE production at Gazprom neftekhim Salavat reached 52,900 tonnes in the first eight months of 2017, down by 28% year on year. Such a noticeable decrease in the volume of output was a result of long preventive maintenance, whereas last year the company worked without long-term turnaround.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim in late June, switched to the production of linear polyethylene and plans to resume the production of HDPE only on 15 September. Overall HDPE production at the plant in January-August was 37,100 tonnes compared with 92,500 tonnes year on year. Such a tangible reduction in output was a result of the increase in the share of LLDPE in total production.


MRC