Ercros expands its production capacity in Tortosa to meet the market demand

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Ercros factory in Tortosa has launched an expansion of its production capacity of polyols in order to meet the growing demand that this product range has in the market, said the company.

The polyols manufactured in Tortosa are pentaerythritol and dipentaerythritol, which are used to make paints and varnishes, high performance synthetic lubricants and printing inks; and sodium formate, which is used as deicing in airports and in the tanning industry.

The combined capacity of the pentaerythritol and dipentaerythritol plants has increased by 5,000 t/year, which represents an increase of 17%, reaching a total capacity of 35,000 t/year; in the case of the sodium formate plant, the increase has been by 3,000 t/year, also a 17%, reaching 23,000 t/year.

The investment carried out to expand the capacity of these plants comes together with technological improvements in the manufacturing processes and a greater energy efficiency, improving, as a result, the competitive position of this particular factory and of Ercros, in general.

As MRC informed earlier, The Ercros factory in Cerdanyola has expanded the production capacity of moulding compounds by 3,000 t/year, which represents an increase of 14% to reach 25,000 t/year. The thermostable moulding compounds manufactured in Cerdanyola have applications in very diverse sectors; can be used in the manufacture of electrical appliances, such as switches and plugs; of toilet seats and covers and other sanitary accessories; caps for the cosmetics and perfume industry; of buttons, tableware and trays, etc.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Royal Dutch Shell plc announced that its affiliates formerly operating under the CRI, Criterion and Shell Global Solutions tradenames will now operate under the new tradename of Shell Catalysts & Technologies for the delivery of catalyst, licensing and technical services for all of its customers worldwide, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Together these companies will provide the energy and petrochemical industries with integrated and simpler interfaces, to take advantage of the superior offerings and services delivered across the businesses’ portfolios.

"By combining our innovative products, services and people into the rebranded Shell Catalysts & Technologies, we will continue to power progress together to provide more and cleaner energy solutions in a more efficient way," says Andy Gosse, President Shell Catalysts & Technologies. "We will continue to work closely with our customers to assess their specific needs and to support their overall business goals."

Shell Catalysts & Technologies provides access to leading technologies including catalysts and process technologies, as well as services and expertise all under one roof. Customers have been informed about the launch of the new organization over the last months to ensure a smooth transition. A new website will be launched today with more detailed information.

As MRC wrote before, in May 2018, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and Shell Nanhai B.V. (Shell) announced the official start-up of the second ethylene cracker at their Nanhai petrochemicals complex in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China.

Royal Dutch Shell plc is an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the biggest company in the world in terms of revenue and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors". Shell is vertically integrated and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay Peroxides’ plant in Portugal has partnered with a local biotech company for the on-site production of microalgae that will capture the equivalent of all its CO2 emissions, said the company.

The ALGATEC Eco Business Park project has been designed to produce and harvest microalgae for various products and applications, with the enormous benefit that, in the process, the harvested microalgae capture and use CO2. The Portuguese Algae for Future (A4F) biotech company and investor LusoAmoreiras initiated this project, which is under development at Solvay’s Peroxides site in Povoa (Portugal).

This is good news for Solvay, and in particular for the Group’s commitment on greenhouse gas emissions. Today, Solvay’s Povoa site emits carbon dioxide via its steam generator. When the ALGATEC project will be fully up and running, the microalgae production is expected to capture about 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide, which will correspond to more than Povoa’s total emissions. Therefore, as early as 2020, the Povoa plant is set to become a CO2-neutral installation.

“The impact of the ALGATEC project’s co-localization with Solvay’s operations in Povoa is great,” says Arlindo Carvalho, Solvay Povoa’s Production & Energy Manager. “The microalgae production platform adds quite innovative technologies, generates highly qualified jobs and enhances synergies. Even more relevant, though, is having a partner company capable of capturing and using all of our direct CO2 emissions. This is a wonderful example of collaboration at work, enabling Povoa to become a zero-CO2 emission site."

ALGATEC is currently exploring an initial area of 4,000 square meters, which corresponds to about 30 cubic meters of culture of a species of microalgae called Nannochloropsis. At project completion in August 2020, the 14 ha production area, microbiology laboratory and industrial biorefinery will become the largest microalgae production platform in Europe.

As MRC informed earlier, Solvay announces that its subsidiary Solvay Finance SA will exercise its first call option on its EUR700 million hybrid bond after having notified the Luxembourg Stock Exchange where the bond is listed.

Solvay is an advanced materials and specialty chemicals company, committed to developing chemistry that addresses key societal challenges. Solvay innovates and partners with customers worldwide in many diverse end-markets. Its products are used in planes, cars, batteries, smart and medical devices, as well as in mineral and oil and gas extraction, enhancing efficiency and sustainability. Its lightweighting materials promote cleaner mobility, its formulations optimize the use of resources, and its performance chemicals improve air and water quality.
Solvay is headquartered in Brussels with around 27,000 employees in 62 countries. Net sales were EUR10.3 billion in 2018, with 90% from activities where Solvay ranks among the world's top 3 leaders, resulting in an EBITDA margin of 22%.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) concluded a significant long-term sales agreement with the Xiamen Sinolook Oil Co. Ltd., of China, for its high-quality base oil, ADbase, reported Reuters with reference to the company's statement.

ADNOC Refining, an ADNOC subsidiary, produces up to 500,000 metric tons per year of the Group III base oil, at its Ruwais refining and petrochemicals complex.

Murban, Abu Dhabi’s light, high paraffinic crude, is used as feedstock for ADNOC’s Base Oil plant in Ruwais.

Xiamen Sinolook Oil Co. Ltd. is one of China’s biggest importers and distributors of base oils, with a 5 percent share of the 7.17 million tonnes per annum market.

As MRC informed before, in September 2018, ADNOC Refining, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), reached full production of polymer-grade propylene from its newly commissioned Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH) unit, located in the Ruwais integrated refining and petrochemical hub. The PDH unit processes propane from two major sources, ADNOC Gas Processing and Ruwais Refinery West, to produce half a million tons per year of polymer-grade propylene. The standalone unit is part of the recently commissioned Carbon Black and Delayed Coker project.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Negotiations over prices of European polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for April shipments to the CIS markets have begun this week. Higher feedstock prices made European producers raise their export prices further, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

The April contract price of ethylene was agreed up by EUR30/tonne from March, which presupposes the increase in PVC production costs in the region by EUR15/tonne. On the back of this, European producers announced an increase in export prices of suspensions for April shipments to the CIS countries, while discussing price increases that are not proportional to the increase in the price of ethylene.

Demand for PVC has remained weak from the main consumers in the CIS countries for several months due to seasonal factors and sufficient supply of resin by national producers.

Some European producers still have had restrictions on export shipments since March because of the upcoming shutdowns for maintenance, but such restrictions are not critical, given the current weak demand.

Deals for April shipments of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) to the CIS markets were negotiated in the range of €715-785/tonne FCA, whereas last month's deals were done in the range of €710-765/tonne FCA.
MRC