SOCAR Turkey Energy to lay foundation of Mercury petrochemical complex in Turkey in H1 2020

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SOCAR Turkey Energy, which is a subsidiary of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), plans to lay the foundation of the Mercury petrochemical complex in Turkey in H1-2020, as per Plastemart.

The plant will be located in Aliaga district, next to the Petkim petrochemical complex and the STAR refinery. With the commissioning of this plant, Turkey will settle the matter with the import of purified terephthalic acid (PTA).

As MRC reported before, in October 2018, SOCAR, the largest direct foreign investor in Turkey, launched its USD6.3-billion SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery - STAR Refinery, which provides a large portion of oil products demand in the local market with 10 million tons of annual oil processing capacity.

We also remind that in the first half of March 2018, Petkim shut its cracher in Turkey owing to a technical glitch. Located at Aliaga in Turkey, the cracker has an ethylene production capacity of 585,000 mt/year and propylene production capacity of 240,000 mt/year.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polyprolypele (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,255,800 tonnes in the first seven months of 2019, up by 9% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, the estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 796,120 tonnes in January-July 2019, up by 11% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.

SOCAR, which is keen on expanding operations in the retail oil products market abroad, is involved in exploring oil and gas fields, producing, processing, and transporting oil, gas, and gas condensate, marketing petroleum and petrochemical products in the domestic and international markets, and supplying natural gas to industry and the public in Azerbaijan.

Petkim is the leading petrochemical company of Turkey. Specializing in petrochemical manufacturing, the company produces ethylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene and other chemical building blocks for use in the manufacture of plastics, textiles, and other consumer and industrial products.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant is taking proactive steps in addressing the problem of plastic pollution with new solutions for diverse industry sectors, from packaging – the main use of plastics – to textile floorings and consumer electronics, said the producer.

Complementing its “fit for reuse” solutions announced August 21 where Clariant demonstrated how its additives are recyclable, it now showcases the next level, turning the spotlight on how its additives can make it easier to recycle post-production and post-consumer plastic waste while keeping the material’s performance properties.

Increasing manufacturing waste reuse in packaging films. Newly-developed AddWorks PKG 906 Circle for polyolefin films is a prime example of enabling plastic packaging producers to achieve some of their critical sustainability and business goals: waste reduction, less consumption of virgin resin, lower costs and increased production efficiency. The addition of this polymer stabilizer allows producers to significantly increase the reuse of waste materials in their polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) films, recycling their own reground scrap, without any loss of performance or processing efficiency.

Clariant also offers more additives allowing recyclate-use to be increased. On the processing side, high performing lubricants can be added to recycled polymers to improve the flow and mold release properties of recyclates. A recycler of post-consumer electronic waste for example is cooperating with Clariant, using its Licolub® H 12 to modify the recyclate’s rheology at low dosages to achieve melt flow improvement during processing and ultimately help transform components that have reached their end of life into high-quality new products. Clariant is also at an advanced stage in being able to market its compatibilizer range for use in recycling to help overcome the problem of utilizing post-consumer or post-industrial mixed plastic waste streams, so that plastics from plastic-rich waste streams can be efficiently reintroduced into the primary cycle.

Stephan Lynen, Head of BU Additives, Clariant comments: “300 million tons of plastic waste are generated every year and only 2% are effectively recycled. Closing the loop for plastics starts with designing materials that are easier and economically efficient to recycle. We’re therefore very proud that we are able to innovate additives which can help plastic manufacturers to become part of the solution in the transition to a circular economy. Our support for the packaging, carpet and electronic industries are great examples of how advanced innovation can divert waste materials from landfill or incineration and make them recyclable. Our additives can help to increase recycling yields, and avoid degradation, odor and discoloration. We will continue to develop additives that increase the reuse potential of industrial and consumer waste. Our commitment is without alternative."
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of Chinese bottle grade PET chips to Ukraine have almost halved to the lowest level since the beginning of the year, according to a DataScope review of Market Report.

August imports of Chinese bottle grade PET chips to Ukraine were 5,700 tonnes, compared to 10,900 tonnes a month earlier. In August of the previous year, shipments of PET chips were 10,400 tonnes.

Deliveries of Chinese bottle grade PET in August accounted for 52% from total imports against a share of 75% in July and 71% in August last year.
It was earlier said that August imports of bottle grade PET chips to the country decreased by a quarter and amounted to 10,900 tonnes against 14,700 tonnes a month earlier. In August of the previous year, shipments of PET chips were 14,600 tonnes.

Import deliveries of bottle grade PET chips to Ukraine decreased by 2% in January-August compared to the same period last year and amounted to 102,200 tonnes. Ukraine's imports of bottle grade PET chips in January-August last year amounted to 104,700 tonnes.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Shipments of general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) from Iran to Russia increased in August almost by four times from the previous month, totalling 920 tonnes versus 240 tonnes in July, according to MRC's DataScope report.

Imports from Iran were 420 tonnes in August 2018.

Producers Artan Petro and Petropaak with the share of 62% and 35%, respectively, accounted for the bulk of shipments from Iran.

At present, Iran is the third largest country supplying polystyrene (PS) to Russia after Belgium and South Korea. Thus, the share of Iranian material was 14% in January-August 2019, whereas that of Belgium was 37% and of South Korean - 22%.

PS shipments from Iran to the Russian market grew by 89% year on year in January-August 2019 to 5,040 tonnes from 2,670 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC