PVC imports into Belarus grew almost by 2 times in January

MOSCOW (MRC) -- January imports of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into Belarus rose by 95% year on year, totalling 2,700 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.


According to the statistical committee of the Republic of Belarus, local converters increased their purchasing of PVC in January 2018 on the back of low prices of some suppliers. Total imports were 2,700 tonnes, compared to 1,400 tonnes a year earlier and 3,200 tonnes in December 2017.

As reported earlier, PVC imports rose to 34,600 tonnes in 2017 from 24,800 tonnes in 2016, with local windows producers accounting for the main increase in demand.

Russian producers with the share of 89% of the Belarusian market were the key suppliers of resin to Belarus in the first month of the year. Producers from Ukraine and Germany were the second and third largest suppliers.

MRC

PC production in Russia remained at last year's level in Jan-Feb 2018

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kazanorgsintez's production of polycarbonate (PC) totalled 12,100 tonnes in January-February 2018, compared to 12,000 tonnes a year earlier, according to MRC's ScanPlast report.


February output of PC granules was 5,620 tonnes versus 6,530 tonnes a month earlier. The plant has been operating normally. The plant has been increasing its output of extrusion grades as the start-up of the season of strong demand approaches.

Some PC sheets producers reported limited quantities of extrusion grade material at the plant in January-February. January output of extrusion grade PC accounted for 67% of the total production, whereas it reached 94% in February.

Overall production of extrusion grades reached 9,700 tonnes in the first two months of 2018 or 79% of the plant's total output. Production of injection moulding PC accounted for 21% or 2,500 tonnes. The main quantities of Kazanorgsintez's injection moulding PC was shipped for export to China.

Kazanorgsintez again raised its prices of extrusion grade and injection moulding PC by Rb5,000/tonne in March. Extrusion grades were offered from Rb220,000/tonne FCA plant, including VAT, whereas injection moulding grades were offered from Rb225,000/tonne FCA plant, including VAT.

MRC

PVC production in Russia rose by 9% in Jan-Feb 2018

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's production of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) grew in the first two months of 2018 by 9% year on year, totalling about 165,200 tonnes. All producers increased their output, according to MRC's ScanPlast report.

Some Russian producers reduced their capacity utilisation amid weak demand for PVC from the domestic market, the total output of unmixed PVC was 75,400 tonnes versus 89,800 tonnes a month earlier. Overall PVC production reached 65,200 tonnes in January-February 2018, all plants increased their output.

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


RusVinyl (JV of SIBUR and SolVin) produced about 22,600 tonnes of PVC in February, with emulsion polyvinyl chloride (EPVC) accounting for 2,500 tonnes, compared to 31,200 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of resin at RusVinyl reached 53,800 tonnes in the first two months of the year, the plant will be shut down for a two-week turnaround in April.

SayanskKhimPlast increased its capacity utilisation last month (given the calendar factor), the plant's total SPVC production reached 25,000 tonnes, whereas this figure was 27,100 tonnes in January. SayanskKhimPlast managed to produce 52,100 tonnes of resin over the stated period.

Bashkir Soda Company (BSC) produced about 20,500 tonnes of SPVC in February, whereas 23,300 tonnes were produced in January. Overall output of resin at the Bashkir plant was 43,800 tonnes in January-February 2018.

Kaustik (Volgograd) slightly decreased its production last month, total SPVC output was about 7,300 tonnes versus 8,200 tonnes in January. The plant's overall output of resin reached 15,500 tonnes over the stated period.

MRC

Formosa Petrochemical expects naphtha cracker to restart in 7-10 days

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Taiwan's Formosa Petrochemical Corp is expected to restart a 700 Mtpy naphtha cracker in about 7 to 10 days after the unit failed to resume normal operation on Monday as intended, a company spokesman said on Tuesday, reported Reuters.

The unit was idled unexpectedly early Monday due to minor glitches and was to restart later in the same day.

But the sudden shutdown has affected some of its structure and prevented Formosa from restarting the unit as planned, the spokesman said.

Formosa, Asia's top naphtha importer, has two other larger crackers which have a combined capacity of 2.23 MMtpy, both of which are operating normally.

Steam crackers break down naphtha into petrochemical precursors such as ethylene or propylene that are used to manufacture plastics and other chemicals.

As MRC wrote before, in 2016, Formosa Petrochemical conducted maintenance works at its No.1 residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) unit from early March to mid-April. Located in Mailiao, Taiwan, the No.1 RFCC unit has a propylene capacity of 375,000 mt/year.

Formosa Petrochemical is involved primarily in the business of refining crude oil, selling refined petroleum products and producing and selling olefins (including ethylene, propylene, butadiene and BTX) from its naphtha cracking operations. Formosa Petrochemical is also the largest olefins producer in Taiwan and its olefins products are mostly sold to companies within the Formosa Group. Among the company's chemical products are paraxylene (PX), phenyl ethylene, acetone and pure terephthalic acid (PTA). The company's plastic products include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resins, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and panlite (PC).
MRC

Siemens micro-LNG solution commences operation in British Columbia, Canada

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Siemens' Dresser-Rand business recently commissioned an LNGo-HP (high-pressure) micro-scale natural gas liquefaction system for Altagas Ltd. in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The modular, expandable LNGo technology enables efficient installation, especially in a demanding environment like Dawson Creek. The Dawson Creek facility, with a capacity of approximately 30,000 gallons of LNG per day, commenced production on January 25, 2018.

The scalability of the LNGo system enables the customer, Altagas, to scale production in line with demand and minimize capital expenditures. The LNGo-HP system allows consumers to convert from diesel and other fuels to natural gas which provides the benefit of a smaller carbon footprint, lower operational cost, and market price stability.

Siemens’ scope of supply included one LNGo-HP system, site civil works, building construction, mechanical and electrical integration, commissioning, startup, and operator training. The LNGo system consists of modules which include two Siemens gas engines, two Dresser-Rand MOS reciprocating compressors, three Siemens MV motors, Siemens variable frequency drives, and associated auxiliaries. The plant, with a footprint of approximately 2,500 square meters, was deployed directly at the site.

"This project demonstrates our unique capability to deliver a complete solution," said Michael Walhof, Sales Director for Distributed LNG Solutions for the Dresser-Rand business. "We take pipeline natural gas and separate it into a feed gas stream and a waste gas stream. The waste gas is used to fuel the Siemens gas engine generator sets which power the LNGo-HP equipment. The feed gas is liquefied in the process to produce LNG."

The LNGo technology makes it possible to monetize stranded gas deposits due to its relatively low capital and operating costs. The micro-scale LNGo solution can be deployed in rough terrain or remote regions, eliminating the need to establish an expensive gas pipeline infrastructure or arrange for long-distance trucking of LNG from centralized plants to point of use. It can function as a decentralized solution where the requisite pipeline infrastructure is lacking, or as an onsite solution to reduce or eliminate flaring of petroleum gas at, for example, oil rigs or producing gas fields.

"This project represents another successful commercial installation for our LNGo systems,” said Rainer Theisen, Vice President for Integrated Solutions for Siemens. “It’s an economic solution for connecting stranded and disconnected gas supplies to remote consumers via a virtual pipeline,” Theisen added.

In 2016 the Dresser-Rand business commissioned its first LNGo-LP (low-pressure) micro-scale natural gas liquefaction system at the Ten Man LNG facility in Pennsylvania, U.S. Here, the LNGo technology enables the operator, Frontier Natural Resources, to monetize stranded gas assets at Tenaska Resources LLC's Mainesburg field, located in the Marcellus shale natural gas field.
MRC