Pepsi bottler in Mexico adds stretch, shrink film production

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Pepsi bottler Grupo GEPP SAPI de CV is installing its own shrink and stretch film production lines in Mexico using technology supplied by Italy's Amut SpA. said Plasticsnews.

According to Geronimo Rotundo, director of GEPP bottling operation Procesos Plasticos SA de CV (Proplasa), the aim is to produce in excess of 14,000 tons of shrink film and 4,500 tons of stretch film a year.

The project has been in the works for the past two years and will "optimize packaging costs for all of [GEPP's] dedicated plants around Mexico," Rotundo added in a news release from Amut.

Riccardo Castello, Amut Dolci Extrusion's sales director, said Amut is supplying three coextrusion lines for blown polyethylene shrink film, one cast line for stretch film, one slitting machine, a system for the recovery of flawed rolls, a chiller, piping for water distribution and an intensive training program for GEPP technicians.

According to Amut, the three blown extrusion lines are identical and each has a 3-layer shrink PE film configuration, net width of 2.4 meters (7.87 feet) and a capacity of 800 kg/h with 50 ? of thickness.

The cast line will produce 5-layer stretch film with a net width of 1.5 meters (4.92 feet). The line is based on four extruders with water-cooled drives and a Prowind 4.0 super-fast winder.

GEPP's headquarters is in Mexico City and the Proplasa plant is in Tultitlan. Amut is based in Novara, Italy.

Apart from being PepsiCo Inc.'s exclusive bottler in Mexico, GEPP has its own water brand, Epura, and works with other brands including Gatorade, Lipton, 7Up, Cosecha Pura, Squirt and Garci Crespo.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- INEOS has completed the acquisition of the chemical intermediates business of Flint Hills Resources (known as ‘Flint Hills Resources Joliet’), said the company.

The transaction which was agreed on the 26th September and completed on 1st December 2018 sees the business, workforce and production facilities transferring to INEOS Enterprises, where it will trade as INEOS Joliet.

The business manufactures purified Isophthalic acid (PIA), trimellitic anhydride (TMA) and maleic anhydride (MAN) at its production facility located near Chicago, Illinois and has offices and distributions centres located in the USA, Europe and Asia. The products made in the USA are distributed globally and used in a diverse range of end use applications such as coatings, clothing, paints and gasoline additives.

Ashley Reed, CEO INEOS Enterprises said: “I am very pleased to have completed the acquisition of the Flint Hills Intermediates business and I look forward to working with its people as we integrate the business into INEOS Enterprises”

INEOS Enterprises is comprised of a portfolio of businesses manufacturing and distributing chemical products from its facilities and offices in Europe, USA, Canada, and Asia with global sales of more than €1bn. INEOS Enterprises is focused on meeting the developing needs of its customers and rapid growth both through acquisition and through investment in new manufacturing facilities/products.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indonesian state energy company PT Pertamina will sign an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to upgrade Balikpapan refinery in December, reported Reuters with reference to Chief Executive Nicke Widyawati.

Balikpapan refinery upgrade is expected to start construction earlier next year, Senior Vice President Daniel Purba said.

First stage of Balikpapan upgrade is scheduled for operation in 2021 to produce Euro V standard fuel, and stage 2 in 2022 to convert its use to process sour crude, from currently processing medium heavy crude.

Pertamina also aims to sign framework agreement with a partner in December to build new Bontang refinery, Widyawati said.

Meanwhile, Pertamina will convert its Plaju and Dumai refineries to “green refineries” to produce palm-based fuels, Widyawati said, adding Pertamina will sign an agreement with Italian energy company ENI in December to help with the conversion.

As MRC informed before, in September 2018, Eni and PT Pertamina (Persero) signed in Porto Marghera, at Eni Green Refinery, a Memorandum of Understanding further expanding the relationship into green refinery.

Pertamina is an Indonesian state-owned oil and natural gas corporation based in Jakarta. It was created in August 1968 by the merger of Pertamin (established 1961) and Permina (established 1957). Pertamina is the world's largest producer and exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PKN Orlen S.A. ("Company") hereby informs that on 30 November 2018 it submitted to the European Commission a draft notification for concentration ("Notification"), together with the draft outline of remedies areas, regarding the planned taking capital control over Grupa Lotos S.A. headquartered in Gdansk ("Grupa Lotos") by PKN Orlen S.A. ("Transaction"), said Biznes.pap.

Notification, submitted today by the Company, initiates the process of the arrangement of its final version with the European Commission. After submitting the final notification by the Company, the European Commission will formally start the concentration investigation.

Notification includes, apart from the description of the parties and Transaction assumptions, description of parties activity on the certain markets and presents preliminary arguments on the influence of the Transaction on the competitiveness on that markets. There has been enclosed a set of internal documents of both companies, that should allow the European Commission to verify the accuracy of the attached arguments.

Orlen – which in September moved up to 100%-ownership in Unipetrol, giving it sole control of all Czech oil refining – said in late May that it was aiming to finalise the acquisition of Lotos in the third quarter of 2019.

The company said it planned to buy 33% of Lotos shares from the State Treasury and to later increase its stake in the refiner to up to 66% based on a mandatory tender offer.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Johann-Caspar Gammelin, currently Chairman of the Board of Management of Evonik Performance Materials GmbH, will take over as Chairman of the Board of Management of Evonik Nutrition and Care GmbH from Dr. Reiner Beste, effective April 1, 2019, as per the company's press release.

On this date Dr. Beste, as new Regional President, will assume responsibility for bringing together the two regions Asia Pacific North and Asia Pacific South. "The attractive growth markets in Asia are of special importance to Evonik", says Christian Kullmann, Chairman of the Executive Board of Evonik. "With Reiner Beste, our aim is to strengthen the growth of our numerous businesses there."

The successor to Mr. Gammelin as Chairman of the Board of Management of Evonik Performance Materials GmbH will be Dr. Joachim Dahm.

Together with Mr. Gammelin and Dr. Dahm, in future, Dr. Claus Rettig, as Chairman of Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH, and Gregor Hetzke, as Chairman of Evonik Technology and Infrastructure GmbH, will participate in the meetings of the Executive Board.

Dr. Rainer Fretzen will join the Board of Management of Evonik Technology and Infrastructure, taking over the position of Chairman from Gregor Hetzke on September 1, 2019. From that time on, Dr. Fretzen will therefore participate in Executive Board meetings.

As MRC reported earlier, in April 2017, half a year after the announcement of the 2030 strategy, MOL Group reached an important milestone in its industrial transformational journey. The license agreements signed with Evonik and thyssenkrupp, will enable MOL to produce propylene oxide, a key component for the production of polyether polyols. MOL intends to become a significant producer of polyether polyols, high-value intermediates for products applied in the automotive, packaging and furniture industries.

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world.
MRC