The integrated picture to minimize bottoms sent to bunker fuel - Shell & KBR

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Finding ways to minimize the amount of bottoms sent to the bunker fuel pool has become a strategic priority for many refiners, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Although many technical solutions are available, the optimum response for a specific refiner depends on individual circumstances. Refiners that already have a visbreaker unit (VBU), and are capital constrained, may find integrating it with the vacuum distillation unit (VDU) solvent deasphalting (SDA) unit and hydrocracking unit (HCU) - or fluidised catalytic cracker (FCC) - to be particularly attractive.

Visbreaking is a well-established process that has been around for more than 50 years. It has been a particularly popular bottom-of-the-barrel upgrading option in some regions, especially much of Europe and parts of Asia Pacific that have had a strong market for fuel oil. Although a VBU produces lower distillate yields than a delayed coker, it has clear strengths, in particular, a lower capital cost. It can also be revamped easily to achieve higher conversions if there is no need to produce stable fuel oil.

With outlets for fuel oil now diminishing, however, refiners with a VBU must evaluate new bottom-of-the-barrel solutions. Those with an abundance of capital could consider investing in the technologies that provide the highest conversion levels, such as residue gasification, slurry hydrocracking or ebullated bed residue hydrocracking, but these will be out of reach for most refiners.

However, as a VBU can integrate seamlessly with an SDA unit, which has a low investment cost, there is the opportunity to reduce fuel oil exposure significantly at a low cost.
MRC

China levies anti-dumping duties on Korean styrene monomer imports

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Chinese government imposed anti-dumping duties on imports of styrene monomer (SM) from South Korea, the United States and Taiwan in its preliminary ruling amid escalating tensions between China and the U.S. in the trade sector, reported Pulse.

The China’s Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday slapped a preliminary anti-dumping duty rate of 7.8 percent to 8.4 percent on styrene monomer imports from Korea, 9.2 percent to 10.7 percent on U.S. products and 5 percent on Taiwanese products, saying that the styrene imports selling below normal prices have hurt domestic industry.

Styrene monomer is a raw material widely used to make polystyrene, synthetic rubber, plastic and ion exchange resin. Korea is the largest styrene monomer exporter to China. Korean companies including Hanwha Total Petrochemical Co. and Lotte Chemical Corp. shipped the products worth USD1.3 billion to China in 2016, commanding a 35 percent share among exporters of the item to China.

The latest move by Chinese authorities follows the U.S.’s decision last month to take safeguard actions imposing hefty tariffs on imported washers and solar panels from China and Korea, raising speculation that Beijing has taken steps to take retaliatory actions against the U.S. amid escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

An official from the trade ministry said that Korean authorities have worked hard to protest against the charge, and added that the preliminary measure could be both good and bad for Korean exporters as Korean products were levied lower rate than the U.S. imports but higher than the Taiwanese products.
MRC

CB&I wins technology and material supply award for ethylene plant in Thailand

MOSCOW (MRC) -- CB&I announced it has been awarded a contract valued in excess of USD95 million by Samsung Engineering (Thailand) Co. Ltd. for a brownfield ethylene plant at PTT Global Chemical's (PTTGC) petrochemicals complex in Map Ta Phut, Rayong, Thailand, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

CB&I's scope of work includes the license and basic engineering of the ethylene plant and pyrolysis gasoline hydrogenation unit. It also includes detailed engineering and material supply of SRT® (Short Residence Time) pyrolysis heaters. The plant will use CB&I's latest generation ethylene technology for the production of polymer grade ethylene, propylene and other byproducts, with a nameplate capacity of 500,000 metric tons per year of ethylene and 250,000 metric tons per year of propylene.

"CB&I looks forward to providing the technology license and heater supply to this ethylene plant in Thailand," said Daniel M. McCarthy, CB&I's Executive Vice President of Technology. "This award is the third CB&I licensed ethylene plant for PTTGC and further expands our presence in Asia."
MRC

Negri Bossi to pump EUR4m into India

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Italian injection moulding machinery maker Negri Bossi SpA plans to invest USD5m (EUR4m) to expand capacity in India to meet increasing demand both in the country and in regional Asian and African markets, as per Plasticsnewseurope.

The Milan-headquartered company said it plans to make a wider range of moulding presses at its plant in Ahmedabad and increase its localization of components.

"An investment of USD5 million is planned for the India plant in the next three to five years, to hike capacity from 70 machines to more than 100 presses annually," said Tommaso Giusti, operations manager of Negri Bossi India.

He was interviewed at Plastindia 2018, held from 7-12 Feb, in Gandhinagar. The Ahmedabad plant, which started in early 2014, is an assembly operation with many critical components shipped from Italy. The company said it has about 50 vendors locally.

"We are also looking at increasing local sourcing for the machines assembled in India," Giusti said.

Negri Bossi India manufactures servo-driven machines starting from 70 tons up to 900 tonnes, with larger machines sourced from Italy. The company also has factories in the Czech Republic and China.
MRC

DSM announces global price increases for several high performance plastics

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials, has announced that significant and continuing cost increases of main raw materials throughout 2017 and early 2018 have caused DSM Engineering Plastics to increase prices globally for several polyamide and thermoplastic polyester products, effective April 1 or as contracts allow, as per the company's press release.

The price increases are as follows:

- Akulon polyamide (nylon) 6 and 66 products will increase by the equivalent of EUR175 per metric ton
- Arnite polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) products will increase by the equivalent of EUR175 per metric ton
- Stanyl polyamide 46 products will increase by the equivalent of EUR350 per metric ton
- Arnitel co-polyester elastomer (COPE) products will increase by the equivalent of EUR225 per metric ton.

As MRC informed before, in November 2017, Royal DSM announced a new approach for its additive manufacturing (AM) activities. By aligning all its AM activities within the Materials cluster and promoting a partnership approach, DSM can provide customers an open and flexible infrastructure. This will help customers to find exactly the right materials and production systems for their applications.

Royal DSM is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. DSM delivers innovative solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance in global markets such as food and dietary supplements, personal care, feed, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, paints, electrical and electronics, life protection, alternative energy and bio-based materials.
MRC