China chemical plant blast kills 19, injures 12

MOSCOW (MRC) -- An explosion at a chemical plant in China has killed 19 people and injured 12, the local government said on Friday, the latest deadly industrial incident in the world's largest producer of chemicals, as per Reuters.

It is not yet clear what caused Thursday evening's blast at Yibin Hengda Technology in an industrial park several hours southeast of Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan, authorities in Jiang'an county said.

The injured are in stable condition and an investigation has begun, state news agency Xinhua said.

The company did not immediately answer telephone calls from Reuters to seek information. Photographs on Chinese social media showed a huge fire and plumes of smoke rising from the facility.

The fire, which broke out early on Thursday evening, was put out by 11:30 p.m., the government said in its statement.

China has kicked off measures to improve industrial safety, ramping up checks over the last year, following some high-profile incidents at coal mines and chemical plants.

In 2015, an explosion in a chemical warehouse in the northern port city of Tianjin killed 165 people. Last year a blast at a petrochemical plant in eastern Shandong province killed eight people and injured nine.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Greiner Packaging has announced plans to close down two loss-making production facilities in Wernberg, Austria and Rastatt, Germany, as per Plasticsnewseurope.

The Kremsmunster, Austria-based packaging firm said in a 3 July statement that it would cease operations by mid-2019 at the two units, which it said had been "losing money for quite some time".

Some 110 jobs will be affected by the move. Greiner has stated that its "comprehensive restructuring in recent years" failed to secure the business case for the two plants, as the environment is becoming "increasingly competitive".

"Therefore, within the framework of a strategic process, we have decided to outsource certain production areas to other locations within the Greiner Packaging Group," explained group spokesperson, Ute Kliemstein.

According to Kliemstein, bottle production, which constitutes the bulk of the Wernberg facility's business, will be transferred to the Greiner Packaging’s plant in Kremsmunster, Austria.

Greiner Packaging had already downsized its Rastatt site back in 2016.

At the time, marketing director Joerg Sabo, told PNE that the site was not successful "because of the outdated technologies/machines we were using there."

Sabo told PNE that it was updating its machinery and technology at the site and cutting the number of jobs from 90 to around 50.

Greiner Packaging is one of five branches of the Greiner Group which consists of Greiner Packaging, Greiner Bio-One International, Greiner Foam International, Greiner Perfoam, and Greiner Tool.Tec.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Russia's production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) was about 491,400 tonnes in January-June 2018, down 2% year on year. Only two producers increased production volumes over the reported period, according to MRC ScanPlast.

June production of HDPE in Russia decreased to 79,000 tonnes, while in the same time last year it barely exceeded 86,800 tonnes. Decrease in production volumes was seen by all producers, excepting Gazprom neftekhim Salavat. Overall HDPE output decreased 491,400 tonnes in the first six months of 2018, compared to 500,400 tonnes a year earlier; two Tatar producers - Kazanorgsintez and Nizhnekamskneftekhim reduced production volumes in favour of linear polyethylene (LLDPE).

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

Russia's June HDPE production at Kazanorgsintez decreased to 44,600 tonnes from 48,400 tonnes a month earlier. The Kazan plant's overall HDPE production was 262,200 tonnes in January-June 2018, down by 3% year on year.

Stavrolen last month produced about 23,400 tonnes against 25,600 tonnes a month earlier. The plant's HDPE output reached 151,100 tonnes in the first six months of 2018, up by 6% year on year.
Gazprom neftekhim Salavat cut capacity utilisation and June HDPE production at the plant reached about 10,900 tonnes, compared with 10,300 tonnes in May. Total HDPE production at the plant reached 60,400 tonnes in January-June 2018, up 17% year on year.

During the period under review, Nizhnekamskneftekhim produced HDPE only in April and May. Total HDPE production at Nizhnekamskneftekhim was junst 17,700 tonnes in January-June 2018 against 37,100 tonnes year on year.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) is likely to shut its low density polyethylene (LDPE) plant, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Thailand informed that the company has planned to halt operations at the plant on September 5, 2018. The plant is slated to remain under maintenance for about 10 - 12 days.

Located at Map Ta Phut in Thailand, the LDPE plant has a production capacity of 345,000 mt/year.

As MRC reported earlier, PTT started commercial operations at its new 400,000 mt/year metallocene C6 linear low density polyethylene plant at Map Ta Phut, Thailand, in the first quarter of 2018.

PTT Global Chemical is a leading player in the petrochemical industry and owns several petrochemical facilities with a combined capacity of 8.45 million tonnes a year.
MRC

Russian companies slightly reduced their PP imports in June, which were 17,200 tonnes versus 18,200 tonnes a month earlier, shipments of propylene homopolymers (homopolymer PP) from Turkmenistan decreased. Overall, 97,300 tonnes of propylene polymers were imported into Russia in January-June 2018, compared to 67,570 tonnes a year earlier. Imports of all grades of propylene polymers increased, with homopolymer PP accounting for the greatest increase in deliveries.

Overall, the structure of PP imports by grades looked the following way over the stated period.

June imports of homopolymer PP dropped to 6,500 tonnes from 8,100 tonnes a month earlier, shipments of homopolymer PP raffia from Uzbekistan decreased. Overall imports of this PP grade reached 35,500 tonnes in January-June 2018, compared to 26,200 a year earlier.

Last month's imports of block copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) were 4,200 tonnes versus 4,100 tonnes in May. Local companies increased their purchasing of PP block copolymer for injection moulding and pipe extrusion in Europe. Imports of PP block copolymers into Russia rose to 24,400 tonnes in the first six months of 2018, compared to 20,400 tonnes a year earlier.

June imports of statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) were 3,200 tonnes, compared to 2,900 tonnes a month earlier, purchases from films producers increased. Overall imports of this propylene copolymers grade were 16,800 tonnes in the first six months of 2018, compared to 13,600 tonnes a year earlier, with imports of pipe propylene copolymers showing a two-fold increase.

Imports of other propylene polymers totalled 20,500 tonnes over the stated period, compared to 15,600 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC