Polymer supplier Vinmar launches European distribution unit, Axia Plastics

MOSCOW (MRC) -- On the heels of expanding its Canadian representation, Vinmar International Ltd., a Houston, Tex.-based plastics and chemicals marketing and distribution company, is now launching a new European distribution company, Axia Plastics Europe, as per Canplastics.

In a statement, Vinmar said that Axia Plastics will offer a “full-service distribution model with warehouses in several countries and industry-leading technical service and application development support to its customers."

Axia Plastics will initially have local sales, technical and customer service teams servicing the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland, the statement said, but plans to rapidly expand into other geographies and add more products and services.

Vinmar is an official distribution company for ExxonMobil, bringing products such as Exceed XP, Exceed, Enable, and Vistamaxx performance polymers and Escor specialty copolymers to its customers.

In April, Vinmar named Cole McGuffin as its national account manager for Canada. He is based out of the company’s office in Mississauga, Ont.

As MRC informed earlier, Vinmar Polymers America (VPA) has named a new commercial director for Canada. The firm has appointed industry veteran Daniel Peretz to the role.

VPA was founded in August 2018 as a unit of Houston-based petrochemical marketing company Vinmar International.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Germany-based injection molding machine maker Arburg has opened new premises in Samutprakarn, Thailand, as per Canplastics.

“We are very proud to have the largest Arburg showroom in Southeast Asia because of the new premises,” said Ratree Boonsay, managing director of Arburg Thailand.

Arburg in Thailand was initially managed by a representative office of Arburg Pte Ltd, In 2001 Boonsay took over the management of the newly founded subsidiary.

Samutprakarn is one of Thailand’s leading industrial regions, Arburg said.

On May 10, a traditional blessing ceremony with nine Buddhist monks took place, intended to bring luck to Arburg Thailand and its employees. Guests at the official opening on May 17 were able to see Allrounder injection moulding machines “live” with two packaging applications. A hybrid Allrounder 570 H with a clamping force of 2,000 kN produced two 500-ml containers in a cycle time of around six seconds. The second exhibit, an electric Allrounder 470 E Golden Electric with a clamping force of 1,000 kN, produced two stacking boxes in a cycle time of around 18 seconds.

As MRC informed earlier, Arburg has reached another milestone by achieving ISO 50001 certification from TUV Sud. The certification commits the company to make efficient energy usage in all its business areas. The achievement enables the company to move forward in terms of environmental protection and efficient use of resources and energy.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's overall polypropylene (PP) production decreased in the first four months of 2019 by 4.5% year on year to 474,000 tonnes. Four producers out of seven reduced the capacity utilisation, according to MRC's ScanPlast report.

April PP output dropped to 128,000 tonnes from 133,300 tonnes a month, earlier, SIBUR Tobolsk and Nizhnekamskneftekhim reduced their capacity utilisation. Russia's overall PP production reached 474,000 tonnes in January-April 2019, compared to 496,100 tonnes a year earlier. Four producers out of seven, namely, Nizhnekamskneftekhim, Poliom, SIBUR Tobolsk and Stavrolen, reduced their output.

The structure of PP production by plants looked the following way over the stated period.

SIBUR Tobolsk reduced its capacity utilisation in April, its total production fell to 48,200 tonnes from 50,600 tonnes a month earlier. The Tobolsk plant's total PP production reached 157,100 tonnes in January-April 2019, down by 9% year on year.

Poliom (Titan Group) produced 18,600 tonnes of PP last month, compared to 19,000 tonnes in March. Overall, the Omsk plant produced 71,500 tonnes of PP over the stated period, down by 2% year on year.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim produced 15,200 tonnes of propylene polymers in April versus 18,300 tonnes a month earlier. The Nizhnekamsk plant's overall output of polymer exceeded 68,800 tonnes in the first four months of 2019, compared to 69,600 tonnes a year earlier.

Tomskneftekhim produced 12,400 tonnes of propylene polymers last month versus 12,800 tonnes in March. The Tomsk plant's PP output reached 49,400 tonnes over the stated period, up by 1% year on year.

Ufaorgsintez's total PP production was 11,100 tonnes in April versus 11,300 tonnes a month earlier. The Ufa plant's overall output of polymer reached 44,800 tonnes in January-April 2019, which virtually corresponded to the last year's figure.

Neftekhimiya (Kapotnya) produced 12,200 tonnes last month, compared to 12,800 tonnes in March. The plant's overall PP output reached 48,700 tonnes over the stated period, up by 8% year on year.

Stavrolen (LUKOIL) increased its capacity utilisation in April, the total production of propylene polymers was 10,100 tonnes versus 8,500 tonnes a month earlier. The Budenovsk plant's overall output of propylene polymers decreased to 33,800 tonnes in the first four months of 2019 from 41,000 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sika is starting operations at a plant in Doha, Qatar, for the production of concrete admixtures. The country on the east coast of the Arabian peninsula is an attractive market thanks to large-scale infrastructure investment and a number of mega projects, both ongoing and planned, said the company.

Following the establishment of the national subsidiary in 2012, Sika is expanding its presence in Qatar with its own production facility, thereby positioning itself as a provider of high-performance product technologies that are now manufactured on a local basis and close to customers. Alongside production lines for concrete-admixture manufacturing, the main office and a central storage facility will be located at the site.

Ivo Schadler, EMEA Regional Manager: "The optimization of our supply chain will enable us to play an even greater role in major construction projects in Qatar. Having our own production capacities available locally makes it possible for us to lower transportation costs and enhance proximity to customers."

In December 2018, Sika opened a new production plant in Central America, located in Palin in the metropolitan area of Guatemala City.

Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry. Sika has subsidiaries in 101 countries around the world and manufactures in over 200 factories. Its more than 20,000 employees generated annual sales of CHF 7.09 billion in 2018.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Chevron Lummus Global LLC (CLG) announced that it has been awarded a contract by HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd. (HRRL) for the license and extended basic engineering design of a 2,400 KTA delayed coking plant at its planned grassroots refinery in Barmer District, Rajasthan, India, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The plant will use CLG’s proprietary delayed coking technology which maximizes valuable liquid products from vacuum residue stream.

As MRC informed before, in Marchl 2019, Nghi Son Refinery & Petrochemical LLC (NSRP) - a joint venture between PetroVietnam, Idemitsu Kosan, Kuwait Petroleum Europe, and Mitsui Chemicals - started up a large residuum hydrodesulfurization (RHDS) unit at its new 200,000 barrels per day refinery in Thanh Hoa Province in northern Vietnam. The 105,000 barrels per day RHDS unit started up in May 2018 and passed performance guarantees in December 2018. The unit is based on CLG’s proprietary RDS technology and was included in the new refinery configuration to process Kuwaiti crude oil into products to help meet Vietnam’s rising demand for transportation fuels and petrochemicals.

Chevron Lummus Global LLC (CLG), a joint venture between Chevron USA. Inc. and McDermott, is a leading process technology licensor for refining hydroprocessing technologies and alternative source fuels, as well as a global leader in catalyst system supply.
MRC