Pyrowave and INEOS Styrolution announce partnership to recycle North American post-consumer PS

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Pyrowave and INEOS Styrolution America LLC, the American subsidiary of the global leader in styrenics, announce a strategic partnership to support Pyrowave’s North American polystyrene recycling project, as per INEOS Styrolution press-release.

The objective of this project is to demonstrate the recyclability of post-consumer polystyrene packaging using Pyrowave’s innovative Catalytic Microwave Depolymerization (CMD) technology. This consortium project will be represented with various actors from the value chain of the polystyrene industry, and INEOS is the first manufacturer to join the consortium.

"We are very excited to collaborate with Pyrowave in this project. At INEOS Styrolution, we are committed to exploring ways towards a circular economy. Polystyrene is a too valuable material to end up in landfills," said Ricardo Cuetos, VP Standard Products, INEOS Styrolution America LLC. "Pyrowave’s North American project is a significant component in our efforts to recycle polystyrene taking advantage of innovative technologies," he adds.

Pyrowave’s principal advantage is the modularity of its technology, which is intended to be installed and operated in existing sorting facilities, similar to other recycling equipment. Also, its unique microwave technology is the first of its kind at commercial scale and generates particular high yields of monomers with a very low energy consumption. Pyrowave spent three years exploring the technology on post-consumer polystyrene waste, and now, Pyrowave is operating a full scale machine in Montreal, Canada. Pyrowave’s next phase is to deploy units in the field and demonstrate its business model with a strong consortium of industry leaders, representing the value chain.

"We are extremely pleased to announce the support of INEOS Styrolution in the project as it shows strong leadership from the polystyrene industry that wants to improve the life cycle of polymer products", says Jocelyn Doucet, CEO of Pyrowave. "We believe that plastics are meant to stay in our modern world and to continue delivering broad span benefits during their use phase. However, this must include end-of-life-solutions. We believe the future of plastic is circular. Our technology combined with the support of the industry will help improve our world’s resource efficiency for the good of future generations," adds Jocelyn Doucet.

NEOS Styrolution is the leading, global styrenics supplier with a focus on styrene monomer, polystyrene, ABS Standard and styrenic specialties. With world-class production facilities and more than 85 years of experience, INEOS Styrolution helps its customers succeed by offering the best possible solution, designed to give them a competitive edge in their markets. The company provides styrenic applications for many everyday products across a broad range of industries, including Automotive, Electronics, Household, Construction, Healthcare, Packaging and Toys/ Sports/ Leisure. In 2016, sales were at 4.5 billion euros. INEOS Styrolution employs approximately 3,200 people and operates 16 production sites in nine countries.
MRC

PVC imports to Belarus rose by 38% in first nine months of 2017

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into Belarus grew in January-September 2017 by 38% year on year, totalling 25,500 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

According to the statistical committee of the Republic of Belarus, local converters slightly reduced their purchasing of PVC in September, total imports were 3,200 tonnes, compared to 3,500 tonnes a month earlier.

Thus, PVC imports rose in the first nine months of 2017 to 25,500 tonnes from 18,500 tonnes in January-September 2016, with local windows producers accounting for the main increase in demand.
Russian producers were the key suppliers of resin to Belarus. They accounted for about 85% of the Belarusian market in January-September 2017. Producers from Germany with the share of about 12% were the second largest suppliers.

MRC

Hengli Petrochemical to use Honeywell advanced flare and burner technologies to control emissions

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Honeywell announced that Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery Co., Ltd. will use Callidus advanced flares and low-nitrogen oxides (NOx) burner technology at its refinery and petrochemicals complex, one of the largest in China, at Changxing Island in Dalian City, said Yourpetrochemicalnews.

Honeywell will provide a 5,000 ton-per-hour flare system that will be the largest in Asia. In addition, Honeywell will provide more than 1,400 Callidus® low-NOx burners to provide heat for refinery processes, as well as process design and procurement services, key mechanical equipment and instrumentation.

Under the Chinese government's Emission Standard of Pollutants for the Petroleum Refining Industry, emissions of nitrogen oxides from industry furnaces are required to drop 33 percent, from 150 milligrams per cubic meter in 2015 to less than 100 this year. These pollutants are a primary cause of acid rain and increased surface ozone concentration, which have serious and direct impacts on public health and the environment.

Honeywell UOP's Callidus low-NOx burner technology and customized burners will allow Hengli Petrochemical to reduce NOx emissions to half the limit prescribed under the new emission control regulation. The burners are customized to meet requirements of all types of applications at Hengli, including refinery heaters, reformers, ethylene crackers, and CCR (continuous catalytic reforming) and propane dehydrogenation process heaters.

Honeywell recently expanded its China combustion test facility to evaluate the performance of flares. The center, located in Luoyang in Henan Province, is China's only center capable of testing flare emissions for volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.

Hengli Group, founded in 1994, manufactures petrochemicals, polyester, and advanced materials, with operations in weaving, thermal power, machinery, finance, hotels and real estate. In 2010, the company built the Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery Co., Ltd. Hengli Petrochemical is one of the largest refinery and petrochemical projects in China, with a processing capacity of 20 million tons per year and more than 25 processes in operation.

As part of Honeywell UOP, Callidus Technologies provides total solutions for process heater burners, flares, flare gas recovery systems, thermal oxidizers and selective catalytic reduction units.

Honeywell UOP is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell's Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions, a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries.

Honeywell is a Fortune 100 software-industrial company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace and automotive products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, cars, homes and buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable.
MRC

DowDuPont declares quarterly dividend, announces initial USD4 Billion share repurchase program

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DowDuPont has announced that its Board of Directors has declared a fourth quarter dividend of 38 cents per share. The Company also announced that its Board has approved an initial USD4 billion share repurchase program, as per the company's press release.

"Rewarding our owners over both the near- and long-term has been a top priority for both legacy companies, and it remains so for DowDuPont," said Andrew Liveris, executive chairman of DowDuPont. "The Board considered many factors in making these decisions, following an approach that delivers benefits to both heritage Dow and DuPont shareholders."

"We’re committed to returning cash to shareholders consistent with the heritage of both Dow and DuPont, and to preserving the financial flexibility to achieve the target capital structures to support the strong independent companies we intend to create," said Ed Breen, chief executive officer of DowDuPont.

DowDuPont’s dividend for the fourth quarter of 2017 will be payable on Dec. 15, 2017, to shareholders of record on Nov. 15, 2017.

As MRC reported earlier, in late September 2017, DowDuPont Materials Science, the business division of newly formed DowDupont, commissioned ethylene and polyethylene (PE) units in Freeport, Tex., as part of Dow Chemical Co.'s previously announced USD6-billion US Gulf Coast (USGC) investment program in Texas and Louisiana on projects to utilize low-cost and advantaged US shale gas feedstock. The 1.5 million-tonne/year ethylene plant and 400,000-tpy PE plant - which is based on Dow’s proprietary Solution process technology for production of the company’s ELITE brand enhanced PE resins - were both in operation as of Sept. 21.

DowDuPont (DWDP) is a holding company comprised of The Dow Chemical Company and DuPont with the intent to form strong, independent, publicly traded companies in agriculture, materials science and specialty products sectors that will lead their respective industries through productive, science-based innovation to meet the needs of customers and help solve global challenges.
MRC

ADNOC signs MoU with Linde to explore expansion of nitrogen facilities

MOSCOW (MRC) -- State-owned energy and petrochemical firm Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with The Linde Group to explore the expansion of nitrogen facilities at Ruwais in Abu Dhabi, UAE, said Chemicals-technology.

The MoU builds on the joint business development commitment by the two parties that led to the formation of the joint venture Adnoc Industrial Gases ten years ago. In the initial stage, Linde will conduct a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for the new Air Separation Units, which are expected to meet the expanding nitrogen requirements of ADNOC’s gas processing, petrochemicals, and refining businesses.

Subsequent steps will follow as the two companies grow together to satisfy the growing demand for industrial gases from ADNOC’s downstream businesses. ADNOC Downstream director Al Hajri said: "In line with its 2030 smart growth strategy, ADNOC plans to expand and diversify its downstream refining and petrochemicals activities, while also optimising efficiency and costs.

"The Ruwais Air Separation Unit Project will be carried out in two phases, each with the capacity to produce 70,000m? per hour of nitrogen."

ADNOC Industrial Gases specialises in producing gaseous nitrogen, liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen for its sites in Abu Dhabi. It was formed in 2007 as a joint venture between ADNOC and Linde. ADNOC has a 51% interest in the JV, while Linde holds the remaining stake.

Initially, the company was named ‘Elixier’ and its first plant, called ELIXIER I, being commissioned in 2009. The company’s name was changed with the launch of ADNOC’s unified brand last month.
MRC