TechnipFMC signs agreement to license Sumitomo’s HCI oxidation technology

MOSCOW (MRC) — TechnipFMC announced today that it has signed an exclusive collaboration agreement with Sumitomo Chemical Company to license and engineer Sumitomo’s hydrogen chloride (HCI) oxidation technology, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The technology is used to produce chlorine via the catalytic oxidation of hydrogen chloride.

Chlorine is utilized in a variety of petrochemical processes while hydrogen chloride is often an unwanted byproduct from those same processes. The HCl oxidation technology provides a route for recycling chlorine gas from hydrogen chloride.

The technology uses a unique oxidation catalyst and proprietary reactor system to produce chlorine at high conversion rates. The process requires very little external utilities compared to other options for producing chlorine, in line with the sustainability approach of the company. Pioneered by Sumitomo Chemical Company, the process has started up in seven trains located in eastern Asia and Europe.

This agreement brings together Sumitomo’s expertise in oxidation catalyst and reactor design with TechnipFMC’s global strength in technology licensing, engineering design, and procurement.

Stan Knez, President, Process Technology, for TechnipFMC, stated: “This HCI oxidation technology will be of interest to clients who want to avoid the high-power requirements of alternative technologies for producing chlorine. We are pleased to add it to our expanding onshore process technology portfolio.”
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Gazprom neftekhim Salavat, one of Russia's largest production complexes for oil refining and petrochemicals, has shut down its high density polyethylene (HDPE) production for a scheduled turnaround, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

The plant's clients said the maintenance at Gazprom neftekhim Salavat's HDPE production began on Wednesday, 7 November. The start-up of polyethylene (PE) production after the outage is scheduled for 13 November.

Gazprom neftekhim Salavat's low density polyethylene (LDPE) and HDPE production capacities are 45,000 and 120,000 tonnes per year, respectively.

OAO "Gazprom neftekhim Salavat" (formerly OAO "Salavatnefteorgsintez") is one of the leading petrochemical companies in Russia, carrying out a full cycle of processing hydrocarbon material. The list of products manufactured by the plant includes more than 140 items, including 76 grades of the main products: gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, toluene, solvent, liquefied gases, benzene, styrene, ethylbenzene, butyl alcohols, phthalic anhydride and plasticizers, polyethylene, polystyrenes, silica gels and zeolite catalysts, corrosion inhibitors, elemental sulfur, ammonia and urea, glycols and amines, a wide range of household products made of plastics, surfactants and much more.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (Sabic) has awarded WorleyParsons a five-year framework agreement ot provide engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services, WorleyParsons reported Wednesday.

According to a WorleyParsons statement, the company will assist Sabic by optimizing operating efficiency at the Saudi Arabia-based company’s five production sites in Europe.

"We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Sabic and working with them to optimize their European facilities’ performance," noted WorleyParsons CEO Andrew Wood.

WorleyParsons stated that it will execute the services from its offices in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The company added that the EPCM deal bolsters its efforts to "establish a strong presence in the European chemicals sector."

"We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Sabic and working with them to optimise their European facilities’ performance," said Andrew Wood, Chief Executive Officer of WorleyParsons.

As MRC wrote previously, in October 2016, the first product of a new generation of low density polyethylene (LDPE) foam grades from Sabic was designed to increase production efficiency at the foam manufacturer.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) ranks among the world's top petrochemical companies. The company is among the worldпїЅs market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.

WorleyParsons delivers projects, provides expertise in engineering, procurement and construction and offers a wide range of consulting and advisory services. We cover the full lifecycle, from creating new assets to sustaining and enhancing operating assets, in the hydrocarbons, mineral, metals, chemicals and infrastructure sectors. Our resources and energy are focused on responding to and meeting the needs of our customers over the long term and thereby creating value for our shareholders.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals Co. (SIDPEC) has selected W.R. Grace & Co.'s Unipol PP (polypropylene) process technology for a new 450,000 t/y world-scale PP facility in Alexandria, Egypt, as per GV.

Grace's all gas-phase Unipol process provides the "most advanced and broadest range" of homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers in the industry, Grace noted.

"As the simplest of all PP process technologies, without any moving parts inside of the reactor and less equipment than any alternative, its reliable, safe and stable operation leads to lower capital, operating and maintenance costs," said Grace.

Earlier this year, SIDPEC chose Honeywell UOP's C3 Oleflex technology for a new 500,000 t/y propylene plant at SIDPEC's refinery in Amerya, near Alexandria. No other details of the projects were given.

We also remind that, as MRC wrote previously, in June 2018, Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global chemical producer, entered into a joint venture agreement with Dhunseri Petrochem Ltd. (Dhunseri) to acquire its Egyptian Indian Polyester Company S.A.E. (EIPET) PET facility located in Ain Sokhna free trade zone, North West of the Gulf of Suez in Egypt.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PepsiCo Inc. wants to use 25% recycled content in its plastic packaging by the middle of the next decade, the Purchase, New York.-based company announced 26 Oct., as per Plasticsnewseurope.

"PepsiCo's sustainable plastics vision is to build a PepsiCo where plastics need never become waste. We intend to achieve that vision by reducing, recycling and reusing, and reinventing our plastic packaging — and leading global change through partnerships," said Mehmood Khan, vice chairman and chief scientific officer, in a statement.

"Already, PepsiCo is one of the world's largest users of food-grade recycled PET. To further boost recycled content across all plastic packaging and drive progress towards a circular economy for plastics, it is vital to dramatically increase global waste collection and recycling rates through investment in recycling infrastructure and technology," Khan said.

PepsiCo will use collaboration with suppliers and partners, consumer education, industry and public-private partnerships and advocacy for improved recycling infrastructure and regulatory reform to help achieve the goal, the company said.

While the 25% goal is across all plastics packaging, the company said it aims to use 33% recycled content in its PET bottles by 2025. PepsiCo recently struck an agreement with Loop Industries Inc. to use recycled PET in its products by the middle of 2020.

While the company is well known for its soft drinks, PepsiCo has a number of other brands that use plastics packaging. They include Frito-Lay, Gatorade and Tropicana.

While the company is well known for its soft drinks, PepsiCo has a number of other brands that use plastics packaging. They include Frito-Lay, Gatorade and Tropicana.
MRC