Shell joins Nouryon, Air Liquide, Enerkem in Rotterdam waste-to-chemical project

MOSCW (MRC) -- In the Netherlands, a consortium of world-leading companies comprising Air Liquide, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), Enerkem and the Port of Rotterdam – has announced that Shell will join as a partner in Europe’s first advanced waste-to-chemicals facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, as per Biofuelsdigest.

Shell, Air Liquide, Nouryon, Enerkem– well, perhaps SANE is the right acronym, and there’s something right in that.

Shell will become an equal equity partner in the proposed commercial-scale waste-to-chemicals project, which will be the first of its kind in Europe to make valuable chemicals and biofuels out of non-recyclable waste materials.

The consortium, which has set up a dedicated joint venture company, has already undertaken extensive preparatory work, covering detailed engineering and the permitting process. It aims to take the final investment decision later in 2019 as it pursues the development work and finalizes the selection of an engineering and procurement contractor (EPC).
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Hellenic Petroleum prepares for tougher global marine fuel rules

MOSCOW (MRC) - Hellenic Petroleum, Greece’s biggest oil refiner, said it is preparing its operations to adjust to tougher global marine fuel rules due in 2020, said Reuters.

UN agency the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will prohibit ships from using fuels with sulphur content above 0.5 percent from Jan. 1, 2020, compared with 3.5 percent today, unless they are equipped with exhaust gas cleaning systems.

Hellenic, which exports more than half of its output, said it had successfully tested U.S. crude oil at one of its three Greek refineries, but gave no further details of its plans.

It reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) adjusted for oil inventory holdings at 156 million euros (USD178 million) for the fourth quarter, an eight percent year-on-year drop but in line with analysts average forecast of 158 million euros in a Reuters poll.

Refining sales volumes rose 6 percent in October to December to 4 million tonnes.

Hellenic last year raised 284 million euros from the sale of a stake in Greek gas grid DESFA. The proceeds helped it reduce net debt by 19 percent last year to 1.5 billion euros.
MRC

Linde receives order from Praxair to supply H2 plant

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Linde Group has signed a contract with Praxair Inc., to supply a hydrogen (H2) plant. The plant will be part of Praxair’s hydrogen system in Louisiana, said Gasworld.

The H2 plant will have a production capacity of over 190,000 Nm3/hr of high-purity hydrogen and will also generate steam.

"We are very pleased with this second major order from Praxair to supply a large hydrogen plant within a few months,” said Dr Chrisitan Bruch, Member of the Executive Board of Linde AG and responsible for the company’s plant engineering business.

Linde receives major order from Praxair to supply a hydrogen plant in the US. "Our well-founded and customer-oriented engineering solutions are the basis of this success," Bruch continued.

The order included the steam-methane reformer, designed and supplied by Linde subsidiary Selas Linde in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, the pressure swing adsorption unit, and the balance of the core plant.

Linde’s Engineering Division is responsible for the design and supply of the equipment for the core components of the hydrogen plant.

The new plant will be highly modularised with reliability and energy efficiency and is scheduled to come on stream in 2021.
MRC

Maire Tecnimont awarded EPC contract worth USD65 M for the reinstatement of an existing PP plant

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. has announced that its subsidiary Tecnimont S.p.A., through its affiliate Tecnimont Arabia Company Limited, has been awarded a reimbursable EPC contract by National Petrochemical Industrial Company (NATPET) for the reinstatement of the existing Polypropylene (PP) Plant located in Yanbu Industrial City, on the west coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The overall value of the contract is about USD 65 million on a reimbursable basis. The project scope of work entails Engineering and Procurement Services, Material Supply, Construction Supervision Services and Construction Works. The project has an estimated execution schedule of about seven months, up to Ready for Start-Up.

Pierroberto Folgiero, Maire Tecnimont Chief Executive Officer, commented: “With this award, we further consolidate our industrial footprint in Saudi Arabia leveraging our strong capabilities in carrying out revamping projects, as part of our business strategy. We are honored to put our technological know-how at the service of a prestigious client such as NATPET”.

As MRC wrote previously, in early April 2017, NATPET shut its PP plant in Yanbu for a maintenance turnaround. The plant remained off-line for around 4 weeks. Located at Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, the plant has a production capacity of 400,000 mt/year.

This plant is producing a wide range of PP product mix of (homopolymers, random & heterophasic copolymers) that is suitable for a wide variety of applications. Natpet has acquired state of the art Spheripol process to produce polypropylene from LyondellBasell, which is the world leader in polypropylene technology.
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Total acquires French Synova

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Total has announced that it has acquired Synova, a French leader in manufacturing high-performance recycled polypropylene for the automotive sector, as per the company's press release.

Synova produces 20,000 tonnes per year of polypropylene (PP) that meets the highest quality standards of original equipment manufacturers and automakers from recycled plastics.

Combining Synova’s recycling expertise and Total’s polymers know-how will increase the supply of recycled polypropylene for automotive applications that deliver the same performance as virgin polymers.

"By contributing to the lighter weight of vehicles, plastics improve their energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. Producing them from recycled materials will also meet the challenge of managing their end of life," explained Bernard Pinatel, President Refining & Chemicals, Total. "The acquisition of Synova is a concrete proof of our commitment to developing plastic recycling. It reinforces the activities we already carry out in recycling and contributes to Total’s ambition to be the responsible energy major."

As MRC informed earlier, in April 2015, Total announced that its proposed new ethane cracker near its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, is being designed to have a capacity of 1 million tpy.

Total S.A. is a French multinational oil and gas company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world with business in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. The company's petrochemical products cover two main groups: base chemicals and the consumer polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) that are derived from them.
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