MOL Group enters recycled plastic compounding by acquiring Aurora Group

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Hungary-based MOL Group has announced that it has signed a sales-purchase agreement to acquire Aurora, a recycled plastic compounder with production plants located nearby automotive manufacturing and plastics conversion clusters in Baden-Wu?rttemberg, Germany, as per Eppm.

Aurora is a medium-size German company, headquartered in Neuenstein, with a unique and lean closed loop concept assuming collection of post-industrial plastic waste, regrinding and compounding. The company’s portfolio largely consists of engineering plastics and polypropylene recyclate-based compounds.

With this investment, MOL will be able to offer a wide range of high-quality polyamide, polypropylene and other recyclate-based compounds, complementing its existing portfolio of virgin polypropylene and polyethylene. Leveraging on Aurora’s knowhow and loop logistic system, MOL will enable customers to reach higher recycled material contents in their products.

Ferenc Horvath, MOL Group Executive Vice President of Downstream, said: “In line with our MOL 2030 strategy, we have reached yet another milestone on our transformational journey to become the leading chemical player in the CEE region. This partnership will enable us to grow and add value to our petrochemical business as well as to increase our footprint in the automotive supplier market. As an established polymer player, we plan to use the strength of our integrated business model, while keeping the flexibility of Aurora as an independent compounder. At the same time, Aurora’s operations profile complements our initiatives in the recycling sector and reaffirm our commitment to sustainability and circular economy."

Gerhard Schweinle, Founder and Member of the Management Board of Aurora, added: “In MOL Group, we have found a partner with the same drive for sustainable development and innovation. We are confident that MOL is the ideal partner for our company to advance our ambitious goals with regard to sustainability and environmental protection, even more intensively than before… Aurora will continue to expand its expertise in the processing of engineering plastics."

One of the cornerstones of MOL Group 2030 strategy is to expand the company’s petrochemicals value chain. Compounding and recycling are among the key areas defined in MOL’s 2030 Strategy and the automotive industry is a strategic sector, where both MOL and Aurora recognise a growing demand for recycled materials.

The transaction is subject to the relevant merger control approvals.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- GEA has received an order from thomas zement for a turnkey plant for the reduction of NOx in flue gas, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The order comprises two new reactors for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) including handling of the flue gas transport by induced draft (ID) fans and integration into the Erwitte production site. The contract also includes engineering services as well as the supply, installation and commissioning of steel structures, SCR catalysts, ID fans, heating circuits, duct connection and adaptation of NH3 injection from existing storage tanks. Production can continue during the installation of the SCR unit. Another very important advantage for the customer: Only a short changeover time is required.

With this investment, thomas zement is supplementing the existing non-catalytic technology. After installation, this will create one of the most environmentally friendly cement production plants in Europe.

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is a technique for the reduction of nitrogen oxides in exhaust gases from industrial plants. The chemical reaction at the SCR catalyst is selective. This means that the nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) are preferably reduced, while undesirable side reactions such as the oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide are largely suppressed. SCR technology reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) in the the catalyst passing gas flow upto 95 percent. The core is the catalyst, which makes it possible to reduce the reaction temperature from around 1000°C to a range of 230°C to 400°C. High reduction rates can thus be achieved with a minimum of ammonia slip.

Due to an adequate low sulfur concentration and a sufficient temperature level, the SCR unit is installed low-dust behind the existing fabric filters. This arrangement has already proven itself in three successfully operated plants with the lowest NOx and NH3 emissions. Analyses of catalyst samples consistently show no loss of the high reactivity of the selected material and thus a long catalyst life.

GEA has more than 120 years of experience in exhaust gas purification for industrial applications such as cement, glass, iron and steel, non-ferrous and chemical industries and is a world leader in the provision of process technology, equipment and services.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- A fire broke out at a refinery of Russian oil producer Lukoil in Russia’s Urals region of Perm on Sunday but has been extinguished, reported Reuters with reference to local emergency services' statement.

There were no injuries, they said.

Lukoil did not reply to a Reuters’ request for comment.

As MRC informed before, on 10 May 2017, a fire erupeted at a refinery of Russia's No. 2 oil producer Lukoil in the city of Perm in the Urals region. The fire was localised at around 0300 GMT and an open combustion was extinguished two hours later.

Lukoil is one of the leading vertically integrated oil company in Russia. The main activities of the company include operations for exploration and production of oil and gas, production and sale of petroleum products. Lukoil is the second largest private oil Company worldwide by proven hydrocarbon reserves. In Lukoil structure includes one of the largest Russian and Ukrainian petrochemical industries Stavrolen and Karpatneftekhim.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Consumer packaged goods provider Unilever North America has pledging that its plastic packaging in North America will contain 50 per cent recycled content by the end of this year, as per Canplastics.

The Netherlands-based company’s new three-part plan – unveiled as part of retail giant Walmart Inc.’s sustainability meeting in Bentonville, Ark. – is designed to provide better choices for plastic packaging, add clear recycling instructions on packages, and launch a shopper education program in partnership with Walmart.

"We know that the response from the consumer goods industry is critical in determining the speed that positive change takes place around plastic packaging, and using less, better or no plastics is a priority at Unilever,” Amanda Sourry, president of Unilever North America, said in a statement. “Today, we are significantly accelerating our plastic packaging commitments in North America and are thrilled to be working alongside other industry leaders like Walmart to push these initiatives forward."

In addition to reaching 50 per cent recycled content in plastic packaging this year, the Unilever North America announcements include adding “How2Recycle” labels on all packaging by 2021 as a way to reduce confusion about complex recycling systems; and partnering with Walmart on the “Bring it to the Bin” shopper education program, which incentivizes and educates customers about recycling all packaging, including products used in the bathroom, when it launches later this year.

"These Unilever initiatives are important steps, but we can’t create a circular economy for plastic packing in isolation,” Sourry said. “We need collective action to take the problem at the source."

Unilever is one of the world’s largest suppliers of beauty & personal care, home care, and foods & refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries. In Canada and the U.S., Unilever’s portfolio includes Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Hellmann’s, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Love Beauty and Planet, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond’s, Popsicle, Pure Leaf, Q-tips, Seventh Generation, Simple, Sir Kensington’s, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TAZO, TIGI, TRESemme, and Vaseline.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Roaya Dutch Shell has agreed to sell its stake in the Caesar Tonga field in the Gulf of Mexico for USD965 million in cash to a subsidiary of Israel's energy conglomerate Delek Group, reported The Business Times.

Company unit Shell Offshore will sell its 22.45 per cent non-operated interest in a deal, which is likely to close by the end of the third quarter of 2019, Shell said in a statement.

The oil and gas company has been selling its assets as part of a three-year, USD30 billon divestment plan that began in 2015 after the takeover of BG Group Plc.

Last year, it sold its Danish upstream business to Norwegian Energy in a deal valued at USD1.9 billion.

The Caesar Tonga field has 30 more years of life and assuming no change in the rate of production, Delek's interest reflects 78 million barrels of oil equivalent reserves, Israel's first government-owned gas retailer said.

Chief executive officer of Delek Asaf Bartfeld said the deal, along with the exploration activity in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, would beef up its position in the international energy market. The deal is subject to the right of refusal by Anadarko Petroleum Corp, Equinor ASA and Chevron Corp who own the rest of the field.

As MRC wrote previously, in late 2018, oil major Shell left the upstream sector in Ireland following the sale of its interest in the Corrib gas project. The Corrib natural gas field lies some 83km off the northwest coast of Ireland, approximately 3,000 meters under the seabed and in waters 350 meters deep. The field development started production on December 30, 2015.

Royal Dutch Shell, commonly known as Shell, is an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in the Netherlands and incorporated in the United Kingdom.Created by the merger of Royal Dutch Petroleum and UK-based Shell Transport & Trading, it is the fourth largest company in the world as of 2014, in terms of revenue, and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors".
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