Penoplex raises October EPS prices for Russian market

MOSCOW (Market Report) -- Penoplex, Russia's largest producer of foaming polystyrene (PS), has raised its October selling prices of general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) by Rb2,000/tonne for the Russian market, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

Thus, the company's prices for October shipments rose to Rb96,000-98,000/tonne, CPT Moscow, including VAT.

Demand for material is currently strong in the Russian market, and all available October quantities were quickly allocated among buyers within one-two days.

As reported earlier, Penoplex resumed GPPS production at its Kirishi plant on 13-14 September. This plant with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes of GPPS per year was shut for maintenance on 5 August 2019.

Penoplex is a large Russian producer of polymer-based building and decorative materials. The company began its activity in 1998 with the launch of Russia's first line for the production of heat-insulating materials from extruded polystyrene foam under the PENOPLEX trademark. The company has eight production sites, seven of which are located in Russia and one - in the Republic of Kazakhstan (Almaty region), with a total production capacity of 4 million cubic metres.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SIBUR-Khimprom has generally reduced its expandable polystyrene (EPS) for October shipments to Russian customers by Rb1,500/tonne, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

Thus, October prices of material were at Rb105,000-110,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT, for the Russian market this month.

Meantime, the Russian producer maintained its September EPS prices at the level of August - Rb106,500-111,500/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.

At the same time, demand for EPS increased in the domestic market, but overall, it was weaker year on year.

SIBUR-Khimprom (part of SIBUR Holding) specializes in the processing of liquid hydrocarbons and is one of the leading Russian producers of a number of the most important petrochemical products. The company has three main production capacities: production of butyl alcohols and 2-ethylhexanol with a capacity of 160,000 tonnes per year, production of ethylbenzene (220,000 tonnes per year), styrene monomer (SM) production (135,000 tonnes per year) and polystyrene (PS) production (100,000 tonnes per year), ethylene and propylene unit, production of eco-friendly plasticizer DOTF (100,000 tonnes per year).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's overall production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) exceeded 720,500 tonnes in the first nine months of 2019, up by 3% year on year. At the same time, not all Russian producers raised their output, according to MRC's ScanPlast report.

September total production of unmixed PVC was about 89,400 tonnes versus 77,400 tonnes a month earlier, SayanskKhimPlast and Bashkir Soda Company increased their capacity utilisation last month. Thus, overall PVC production exceeded 720,000 tonnes in January-September 2019, compared to 669,900 tonnes a year earlier. The increase in RusVinyl and SayanskKhimPlast's output did not allow to offset Kaustik's (Volgograd) lower production.

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

RusVinyl produced 30,700 tonnes of PVC in September, with emulsion polyvinyl chloride (EPVC) accounting for 2,700 tonnes, compared to 30,100 tonnes a month earlier. RusVinyl's overall PVC production reached 257,100 tonnes in January-September 2019, up by 6% year on year. Such a major increase in production was primarily caused by the absence of a long shutdown for maintenance this year.

SayanskKhimPlast produced 28,200 tonnes of suspension PVC (SPVC) last month, whereas this figure was 18,700 tonnes in August. The Sayansk plant managed to produce 213,200 tonnes of resin in January-September 2019, compared to 197,200 tonnes a year earlier.

Baskhir Soda Company produced 23,200 tonnes of SPVC in September versus 21,100 tonnes a month earlier. Baskhir Soda Company's overall SPVC production reached 192,400 tonnes in January-September 2019, compared to 190,000 tonnes a year earlier.

Kaustik (Volgograd) produced 7,300 tonnes of SPVC last month, whereas this figure was 7,500 tonnes in August. The plant's overall output of resin reached 57,900 tonnes in the first nine months of 2019 versus 69,500 tonnes a year earlier. The Volgograd's lower production was caused by a shutdown for maintenance in May-June.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- JG Summit Petrochemical, a major petrochemical producer in the Philippines, has started maintenance at its polyethylene (PE) unit at Batangas, reported NCT with reference to the sources.

The company produces 325,000 tons/year of high density polyethylene (HDPE)/linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) at its facility.

The plant is expected to be offline for two months from October to the end of November.

As MRC wrote previously, in November 2017, JG Summit Olefins Corp. awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract to Posco Engineering & Construction to expand an existing naphtha cracker and build a hydrogenation unit in Simlong, Batangas, Philippines.

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.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Spain’s Repsol will shut down its cracker in Tarragona (Spain) for maintenance in the fourth quarter of 2019, reported Hellenic Shipping News.

The turnaround at this steam cracker, which produces 702,000 mt/year of ethylene and 372,000 mt/year of propylene, was pushed back from Q3 2019. The exact dates of maintenance works are not disclosed.

Besides, Repsol 2019 maintenance plans include partial works at Puertollano in October and November, as the company is carrying out an extensive digitalization upgrade at the plant this year and will carry out turnarounds at the cracker and chemical derivative plants at the end of 2020.

As MRC wrote previously, in Q1 2016, Repsol completed the construction work of its new metallocene polyethelene plant at its Tarragona site. Repsol started up the plant and began production and marketing of this new product during Q2 2016.

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.

Repsol S.A is an integrated Spanish oil and gas company with operations in 28 countries. The bulk of its assets are located in Spain.
MRC