Hengli Petrochemical resume operations at No.1 PTA plant

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Hengli Petrochemical has restarted operations at its no.1 purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant at Dalian, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant was brought on-stream on August 14, 2018 following a planned maintenance turnaround. The plant was taken off-stream on August 1, 2018. Currently, the plant is operating at 80-85% production capacity rates.

Located at Dalian in China, the plant has a production capacity of 2.2 mmt/year.

As MRC reported previously, in May 2018, INVISTA’s technology and licensing group, INVISTA Performance Technologies (IPT), and Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Co.,Ltd. (Hengli) reached an agreement to license INVISTA’s latest purified terephthalic acid (PTA) process technology for Hengli’s fourth PTA line. Hengli’s first three PTA lines, the first of which began operation in 2012, also utilize INVISTA’s technology and have a combined capacity of 6.6 million metric tonnes per year. The fourth line will have a design capacity of 2.5 million metric tonnes per year and will be installed at Changxing Island, Liaoning Province of China.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sinopec Corp’s subsidiary Shanghai Petrochemical Corp started providing cleaner diesel fuel with "National 6" standards on Monday to customers, ahead of a deadline set by the Shanghai authorities, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing with reference to local state media.

China’s "National 6" sets tighter specifications on the content of aromatics in diesel fuel compared to Euro 6 standards. The Shanghai government is enforcing a city-wide upgrade of gasoline and diesel to "National 6" beginning Oct. 1.

China’s biggest cities - Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou - have led the country’s push for cleaner fuels. Diesel-burning trucks are considered a major contributor to smog, along with coal burning and emissions from heavy industries such as steel and cement.

As MRC reported earlier, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical conducted maintenance works at its low density polyethylene (LDPE) unit in Shanghai from 26 February, 2018, to 26 March, 2018. Thus, the turnaround at the plant lasted for one month. Located at Shanghai in China, the LDPE unit has a production capacity of 100,000 mt/year.

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, or Sinopec Limited is a Chinese oil and gas company based in Beijing, China. It is listed in Hong Kong and also trades in Shanghai and New York . Sinopec is the worlds fifth biggest company by revenue.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's output of chemical products dropped in July 2018 by 1.1% month on month. However, this figure increased by 3.3% in the first seven months of 2018, according to Rosstat's data.

According to the Federal Service of State Statistics, last month's production of basic chemicals decreased by 1.1% from June 2018, with ethylene accounting for the main reduction. Overall production of chemical products grew in January-July 2018 by 3.3% year on year, with benzene accounting for the greatest increase in the output.

237,000 tonnes of ethylene were produced in July versus 255,000 tonnes a month earlier, Angarsk Polymers Plant and Tomskneftekhim's production capacities were shut down for maintenance last month. 1,759,000 tonnes of this olefin were produced in the first seven months of 2018, up by 1% year on year.

Last month's production of benzene rose to 117,000 tonnes from 115,000 tonnes in June. Overall output of this product reached 850,800 tonnes over the stated period, up by 6.1%year on year.

July output of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) was 106,000 tonnes (100% of the main substance) versus 107,000 tonnes a month earlier, lower production was caused by a scheduled shutdown for maintenance at SayanskKhimPlast. Overall production of caustic soda grew to 736,500 tonnes in January-July 2018, up by 2.5% year on year.

Last month's output of mineral fertilizers was 1,783,000 tonnes (in terms of 100% nutrients) versus 1,834,000 tonnes in June, Russian producers reduced their production of nitrogen and potash fertilizers. Overall, Russian plants produced 13,645,000 tonnes of mineral fertilizers in the first seven months of 2018, up by 3.1% year on year. Nitrogen fertilizers accounted for the greatest increase in the output - up by 7% year on year.
MRC

According to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus, local converters slightly reduced their purchasing of PVC in June 2018, overall imports totalled 2,900 tonnes, compared to 3,200 tonnes a month earlier.

Thus, imports of unmixed PVC grew in January-June 2018 to 17,000 tonnes from 15,200 tonnes a year earlier, with local windows producers accounting for the main increase in demand.

Russian producers with the share of about 89% of the Belarusian market were the key suppliers of resin to Belarus over the stated period. Producers from Ukraine and Germany were the second and third largest suppliers, respectively.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Tosoh is in plans to take its No.1 vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) plant off-stream for a maintenance turnaround, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the company has schedule to start turnaround at the plant on October 17, 2018. The plant is expected to remain under maintenance until early-December 2018.

Located in Nanyo, Japan, the No.1 VCM plant has a production capacity of 250,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed before, in 2013, Tosoh's proposed restructuring of operations in Nanyo led to a net loss of 320,000 tpa of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) capacity, thereby tightening feedstock supply to the PVC industry. Almost one year after a fire seriously damaged its complex in Nanyo, Tosoh Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) touted plans to raise output at the site's number 3 vinyl chloride monomer plant. The building phase of the 200,000 t/y capacity expansion was to kick off in November 2013, with completion scheduled for October 2014.

The Tosoh Group comprises over 100 companies worldwide with over 12,000 employees and net sales of JPY 743.0 billion (USD 6.9 billion) in fiscal 2017. The group is one of the largest chlor-alkali manufacturers in Asia. Tosoh’s petrochemical operations supply ethylene, polyethylene, and functional polymers, while its advanced materials business serves the global semiconductor, display, and solar industries.
MRC