Toyo-Korea lands petrochemical project in Thailand

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Toyo Engineering Korea Limited, a Korean subsidiary of Toyo Engineering Corporation, has been awarded Engineering, Procurement and Construction project from Bangkok Synthetics Company Ltd. (BST), a major C4 downstream product manufacturer of Thailand, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

This project involves the construction of 1,3-Butadiene & Butene-1 production units total capacity of 80 KTA & 34 KTA, respectively, at BST’s existing petrochemical complex in Map Ta Phut, Rayong, Thailand. The plant is scheduled for completion in 2021.

This is an EPC project following the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) contract awarded to Toyo-Korea at the end of 2017.

As MRC informed before, in August 2018, Toyo Engineering Corporation was awarded offshore engineering and procurement services of olefin expansion project by Map Ta Phut Olefins Co., Ltd (MOC), a joint venture company of SCG Chemicals Co., Ltd (SCG Chemicals) and The Dow Chemical Company. This project intends to increase the annual olefin production capacity of an existing plant by 350,000 tons from the current capacity of 1,700,000 tons (900,000 tons of ethylene and 800,000 tons of propylene). The plant is to be constructed adjacent to MOC’s existing olefin plant in Map Ta Phut, Rayong, Thailand and scheduled for completion in 2021.
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SABIC pioneers first production of certified circular polymers

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, has announced another major milestone in its ground-breaking project to pioneer the production of certified circular polymers using a feedstock from mixed plastic waste, as per the company's press release.

The latest achievement - the production of the first certified circular polymers - is part of what is known as a ‘market foundation stage’. Launched in January, this stage is an important step towards creating a new circular value chain for plastics, during which, initial volumes of pyrolysis oil from plastic waste are introduced as feedstock at SABIC’s Geleen production site in The Netherlands. The patented pyrolysis oil has been produced by PLASTIC ENERGY Ltd from the recycling of low quality, mixed plastic waste otherwise destined for incineration or landfill.

As part of the market foundation stage, SABIC has begun to produce and commercialize the first monthly volumes of certified circular polymers - polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP)-, prior to the projected start-up in 2021 of the commercial plants planned by SABIC and PLASTIC ENERGY in the Netherlands to manufacture and process the alternative feedstock.

"Certified circular polymers are a disruptive innovation and SABIC’s market foundation stage is a critical phase in their development", said Frank Kuijpers, General Manager Corporate Sustainability at SABIC. "It will act as a bridge moving from a linear economy to a circular one and will enable the value chain to become familiar with the products and consider how they can best be implemented in their own markets. It will allow confidence in this pioneering product to grow before SABIC goes into full scale production."

The polymers are certified through the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification plus (ISCC+) scheme that certifies circular content and standards across the value chain from source to end product. The ISCC+ certification works on what is known as a “mass balance system”, meaning that for each tonne of circular feedstock fed into the cracker and substituting fossil-based feedstock, a tonne of the output can be classified as circular.

Certified circular polymers will help SABIC’s customers to meet consumer demand for more sustainable products and will contribute to closing the loop on reutilizing plastic waste.

As MRC reported before, in November 2017, Sabic introduced new materials for customers producing LED automotive lighting parts. LEXAN HF4010SR resin was one of the new offerings. This polycarbonate (PC) material can make it possible for customers to develop complex headlight bezels with enhanced aesthetics. Sabic has also added new grades to its existing LEXAN XHT resin line, which can offer improved flow at high temperatures compared to other high-heat polycarbonate materials available today.
MRC

Glenn M. Plumby named Marathon Petroleum Corporate Officer

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Glenn M. Plumby, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Speedway LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC), has been appointed an MPC officer, with the title senior vice president and chief operating officer, Speedway, said the company.

"Among Glenn's many notable accomplishments, he has played a key leadership role in Speedway's significant growth in recent years," said MPC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary R. Heminger. "Glenn has gained enormous expertise in our retail business during more than 37 years of dedicated service, making him a welcome addition to our senior management team."

Plumby joined MPC in 1981 and held various accounting and marketing positions until transferring to Emro Marketing Company, the predecessor of Speedway LLC, in 1994. He was appointed vice president of Light Product Marketing in 2000 and served as vice president of Marketing from 2003 to 2009. From 2010 through 2017, Plumby held operations posts as both a vice president and a senior vice president. He was appointed senior vice president and chief operating officer for Speedway in 2018.
MRC

Neil Carson maybe appointed as Director of Royal Dutch Shell

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Carson is non-executive Chairman of Oxford Instruments and TT Electronics, a non-executive director of TI Fluid Systems and also a former non-executive director of Amec Foster Wheeler and Paypoint, said Process-worldwide.

The Netherlands – Royal Dutch Shell has recently announced its intention to propose to the 2019 Annual General Meeting that Neil Carson be appointed a Director of the Company with effect from June 1, 2019.

The Nomination and Succession Committee recommended Neil’s appointment to the Board following its review of the skills, knowledge and experience needed and a rigorous and thorough search process. The firm stated that Neil has a wealth of expertise, and the Board is delighted to recommend to shareholders that he be appointed a Director of the Company.

As a Non-Executive director, Neil brings a track record of utilising well his strong operational exposure, familiarity with capital intensive business and a first-class international perspective on driving value in complex environments.

Neil currently serves as Honorary President of the Society for the Chemical Industry and was awarded an OBE for services to the chemical industry in 2016.
MRC

EQUATE Group announces financial results for 2018

MOSCOW (MRC) -- EQUATE Group announced its fourth quarter (Q4) 2018 and full-year 2018 earnings, said the compant.

In Q4 2018, the EQUATE Group reported an EBITDA of USD427 million, compared to USD388 million for the same period in 2017. EQUATE Group’s total EBITDA for 2018 stood at USD2.12 billion, compared to USD1.73 billion in 2017. Net Income After Tax for the year was USD1.56 billion, compared to USD1.13 billion in 2017.

"EQUATERS across the globe defined excellence in 2018," said Dr. Ramesh Ramachandran, CEO and President of the EQUATE Group. “The record-breaking EBITDA was a result of extraordinary performance across all functions. We had an exceptionally safe year without any recordable EH&S incidents across the globe, a manufacturing volume record at all global sites and a very good pricing environment - notably in the first three quarters - and excellent cost optimization.""
Looking ahead to 2019, Ramachandran said, “Global headwinds in the commodity environment and high volatility due to uncertainty of tariffs resulted in a slowdown in the fourth quarter that persists in early 2019. That said, EQUATERS have always overcome challenges and I have every confidence that their expertise and commitment will continue to result in success."

The EQUATE Group maintained its leadership position as the second largest producer of EG globally, with EG production of over 2.5 million metric tons. This market leadership will be further strengthened in the coming months with an additional 750,000 MT in EG capacity as the new Oyster Creek, Texas Site comes on line on the US Gulf Coast.

The EQUATE Group is a global producer of petrochemicals and the world’s second largest producer of ethylene glycol (EG). The Group owns and operates industrial complexes in Kuwait, North America and Europe that annually produce over 6 million tons of ethylene, EG, polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), styrene monomer (SM), paraxylene (PX), heavy aromatics (HA) and benzene (BZ). The EQUATE Group includes EQUATE Petrochemical Company (EQUATE), The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC), as well as a number of subsidiaries such as MEGlobal and Equipolymers. Their products are marketed throughout Asia, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group’s shareholders are Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Employing more than 1,500 people worldwide, the EQUATE Group is a leading enterprise that pursues sustainability wherever it operates through partnerships in fields that include the environment, economy and society.
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