Nova aims to solve the meal kits packaging challenge

MOSCOW (MRC) -- With the goal of improving convenience as more consumers do their food shopping online, Nova Chemicals Corp. is helping film processors, converters, and brand owners develop sustainable packaging for the fast-growing meal kits industry, as per Canplastics.

"Solving the packaging challenge is key to transforming the meal kits business from a trend to a permanent segment of the food market,” Mark Kay, Nova’s polyethylene (PE) performance films leader, said in a Nova statement. “Packaging materials, such as our high-performance PEs, help ensure that fresh food deliveries are still truly fresh when the consumer arrives home to a meal-kit box on their doorstep."

Meal kits – the subscription services for ready-to-cook meal recipes and ingredients – are growing three times faster than any other food segment, the statement continued. “Perishable food deliveries create new challenges for the supply chain including product freshness, package integrity and package sustainability,” Nova said. “Instead of bulk deliveries to the grocery store that are then merchandised and hand-selected by the consumer, foods are portioned by co-packers or distribution facilities and shipped to the consumer’s home – a very different supply chain that often results in more packaging overall. In addition, unlike the brick and mortar system, the seller retains responsibility for e-commerce deliveries until it reaches the consumer’s home and the consumer inspects it."

Which is why Nova has developed several PE resins for e-commerce primary food packaging. The new VPsK914 PE grade, for example, is described as an ultra-durable sealant resin that is tough enough for granola and bone-in chicken, and can even replace plastomers in some applications. Another new grade, called SPsK919, is commonly used in heavy duty sacks and has the stiffness-toughness balance, creep resistance, and sealant properties for heavier food e-commerce packages.

Nova has also designed recyclable film structures that have the properties required for food e-commerce. The company’s PE and expandable styrenics businesses also have been working on a conceptual design for the insulating vessels used to ship weekly meal kit subscriptions.

"Meal kit delivery companies face a huge challenge in keeping fresh foods at their proper temperature until the consumer unpacks the order at home,” said Bob Stoffa, Nova’s expandable styrenics sales leader. “Many people who’ve tried one of these services has a story about a delayed or damaged vessel, or arriving home late, only to find their weekly order has spoiled ingredients. Customized vessel design can greatly reduce this problem, and a reusable vessel has tremendous sustainability benefits as well."
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Styrindo Mono Indonesia (SMI) has undertaken an unplanned shutdown its styrene monomer (SM) plant No. 1, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Indonesia informed that company has taken off-stream the plant in end-February 2018. The unplanned outage is likely to remain in place for a period of around 2 weeks.

Located at Merak in Indonesia, the plant has a production capacity of 100,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed before, SMI has another SM plant No. 2 in Merak. The plant's capacity is 250,000 mt/year. This plant was shut in March 2016 owing to a technical glitch.

Styrindo Mono Indonesia (SMI) is an affiliate of one of the major petrochemical producers in Indonesia - Chandra Asri.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Vietnam's state-owned oil and gas firm PetroVietnam and Thailand’s Siam Cement Group (SCG) have commenced construction on the USD5.4bn Long Son Petrochemical (LSP) Complex in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Vietnam, as per Refiningandpetrochemicals.

The project is being developed through the Long Son Petrochemical, a joint venture between SCG and PetroVietnam. Planned to be completed in 2022, the complex will have capacity of 1.6 million tons of olefin per year. It is expected to contribute about USD60m to the provincial and the state budget annually.

SCG Roongrote Rangsiyopash president and CEO said: "SCG believes that the project will encourage the long-term investment in related industries throughout the value chain as well as improving competitive standard of products that will lessen the need of importing petrochemical products."

The project is expected to create around 20,000 jobs during construction phase and a further 1,000 technical jobs once commissioned.

Vung Tau People’s committee chairman Nguy'n Van Trinh was quoted by Viet Nam News as saying: “After beginning operation, the project will have a great impact on the development of the petrochemical industry and downstream businesses, such as automobiles, electronics, electrical equipment, packaging and other services of the province."

The complex will be equipped to produce petrochemical products, including materials for plastics with the capacity of more than 2 million tons per year.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was reported by Vietnam Investment Review as saying: “The Vietnamese government commits to facilitating this project, which is very important not only to the national economy, but also for the strategic relation between the two countries of Vietnam and Thailand."

Recently, SCG has awarded a contract to SK E&C and TechnipFMC for the construction of the Long Son Petrochemical complex.

Under the USD2bn contract, TechnipFMC and SK E&C will provide basic design, detailed design, procurement, construction, and commissioning services for a new 950,000-tonne/year ethylene plant, which will be the largest plant at petrochemical complex, reported Oil & Gas Journal earlier.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Valero Logistics UK Ltd, a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corporation and SemGroup Europe Holding L.L.C., a SemGroup Corporation company, have signed an agreement for the purchase of SemLogistics Milford Haven fuel storage facility on the west coast of Wales, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Situated across the Haven from Valero’s refinery at Pembroke, the facility is one of the largest petroleum products storage facility in the United Kingdom (UK) with 8.5 million barrels of capacity for storing gasoline, gasoline blendstocks, naphtha, jet fuel, gas oil, diesel, and crude oil.

Over 67 percent of the storage capacity is multiproduct or dual purpose, giving Valero the flexibility to meet customers’ demands in the UK and throughout Northwest Europe. Additionally, Milford Haven will continue to operate as a third-party storage facility, offering storage options for third-party customers across the European petroleum markets.

"This facility complements our Pembroke refinery and fuel terminals in the UK and Ireland making it a natural fit for the company," said Joe Gorder, Valero Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This purchase demonstrates Valero’s commitment to Wales and the UK, and it aligns with our strategy to grow the logistics business and reduce secondary costs," added Gorder.

Subject to customary regulatory approvals, Valero expects the purchase to be completed in the third quarter of 2018. Valero also expects to retain the UK employees currently engaged in the business to be acquired.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Performance Plastics business of Saint-Gobain has acquired HyComp LLC, an Ohio-based manufacturer of advanced proprietary components for the aerospace and industrial markets, as per Canplastics.

The terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Founded in 1986, HyComp operates from a single location in Cleveland where it has approximately 120 employees. In a statement, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics described HyComp as a “leading supplier” of composite components made with proprietary carbon fibres and thermoplastic materials, used in applications such as actuation and electric systems on aircraft, as well as wear rings and air rotary valves for the canning and rolling mills markets.

"HyComp’s joining Saint-Gobain gives us the opportunity to broaden our portfolio of critical parts for high-temperature and long-life applications in aerospace and industrial applications,” said Jean Angus, general manager of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics’ seals division. “The HyComp management team’s years of experience will help us to continue to make a material difference for our customers. The operation’s design, engineering, and quality control processes, coupled with pioneering, advanced thermoplastic and thermoset manufacturing capabilities, have provided customers with unique, complex parts critical for demanding applications over the years. It’s a perfect fit for Saint-Gobain."

Also headquartered in Ohio, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics has about 6,500 employees across 58 manufacturing sites. The business is part of building materials company Saint-Gobain, which is based in France and had about US$46 billion in global sales in 2017. In Canada and the U.S., Saint-Gobain has approximately 150 locations and more than 15,000 employees, and reported sales of approximately USD6 billion in 2017.
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