Kazanorgsintez to restart 3rd LDPE line at the weekend after maintenance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Kazanorgsintez (part of TAIF Group) plans to resume low density polyethylene (LDPE) production at its third line after a scheduled turnaround, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

Thus, Kazanorgsintez extended maintenance works at the third LDPE line virtually for one week.

Meanwhile, the outage at the second line will last until 20 October.

The plant's overall annual LDPE production capacity is 225,000 tonnes.

As reported earlier, Kazanorgsintez completely took off-stream its LDPE production for the annual scheduled maintenance on 26 September. Besides, the plant's high density polyethylene (HDPE) production capacities were also shut at the same time.

PJSC "Kazanorgsintez" (part of TAIF Group) is one of Russia's largest plants. Kazanorgsintez produces 40% of overall Russian polyethylene (PE) and is the country's largest exporter. To date, the plant produces PE, polycarbonate (PC), PE pipes, phenol, acetone, bisphenol A. Kazanorgsintez is Russia's only PC producer. It manufactures a total of 170 items of products. Kazanorgsintez's annual output is 1.6 million tonnes. The plant is Russia's largest producer of high density polyethylene (HDPE). The plant's annual HDPE production capacity is 540,000 tonnes and its annual LDPE capacity is 225,000 tonnes.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- September sales of expandable polystyrene (EPS) boards increased in the Ukrainian market by 20% from August 2019, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

A major converter said consumption of EPS boards remained seasonally high in the region. September and October is traditionally the period of maximum consumption of finished products in the domestic market.

At the same time, the downward trend of finished products consumption also remained unchanged year on year.

September sales of boards dropped by an average of 4% year on year, and overall, this figure decreased in the first three quarters of 2019 by 15% year on year.

As reported earlier, EPS imports to Ukraine decreased in January-July 2019 by 2% year on year to 19,900 tonnes from 20,300 tonnes a year earlier. July EPS imports into the region were 3,500 tonnes versus 3,600 tonnes a month earlier and 4,500 tonnes in July 2018.

EPS boards are widely used as heat insulating material for thermal insulation of internal and external cladding structure of the building, its foundations, basements, attics, as well as engineering systems.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- MEGlobal announced that its Asian Contract Price (ACP) for monoethylene glycol (MEG) will be USD740/tonne CFR Asian main ports for arrival November 2019, said the producer.

The November 2019 ACP reflects the short term supply/demand situation in the Asian market.

As it was written earlier, MEGlobal announced its October monoethylene glycol (MEG) Asian Contract Price (ACP) at USD730/tonne, up by USD20/tonne from its September nomination.

As MRC informed earlier, MEGlobal inaugurated its 750,000-metric ton/year ethylene glycol (EG) unit at Oyster Creek, Texas on 10 Septmber.

MEG is one of the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

As MRC informed earlier, Plant of New Polymers Senege, one of the Russian producers of PET chips, shut production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for scheduled repairs on 1 October. According to a source in the company, the shutdown will take about a month. The exact date of the completion of the turnaround was not reported.

MEGlobal is a world leader in the manufacture and marketing of merchant monoethylene glycol and diethylene glycol (EG). Established in July 2004, the company is a joint venture between The Dow Chemical Company and Petrochemical Industries Company of Kuwait and is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With approximately 200 employees worldwide, MEGlobal serves customers around the world, and has production facilities in Fort Saskatchewan and Prentiss, Alberta, Canada.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell has arted up a new, fifth production line at its polypropylene compounding plant in Knapsack, Germany capable of producing 25 kt/yr. With this, capacity of the Knapsack facility is over 200 kt/yr, making the site "the world’s largest polypropylene compounding facility", according to Plastemart.

Lightweight polypropylene materials produced by LyondellBasell are used in applications like automobiles and electrical appliances. The company said automotive OEMS are using the materials because it helps them to comply with European Commission rules on reducing CO2 emissions in new vehicle designs.

"Our polypropylene materials are helping to increase fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions by aiding in the light weighting of automobiles," Frank Noeltgen, Senior Director APS Business Europe, said in a statement. "The development of electric vehicles where components are needed for battery packs and under-the-hood applications is expected to support this trend."

The polypropylene compounding plant in Knapsack is operated by LyondellBasell’s Advanced Polymer Solutions (APS) global business. 12 new jobs were created with the opening of the new line.

As MRC informed previously, in late September 2019, LyondellBasell has declared a force majeure on PP supplies from its Carrington, UK facility. The news could not be confirmed directly by the company while the reason for the force majeure was not disclosed at the time of press. LyondellBasell’s Carrington plant is able to produce 210,000 tons/year of PP.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, 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.

LyondellBasell is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its 13,000 employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, and improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road. LyondellBasell sells products into approximately 100 countries and is the world's largest licensor of polyolefin technologies.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Phillips 66 returned the crude distillation unit (CDU) and vacuum distillation unit (VDU) to production at its 253,600-barrel-per-day (bpd) Alliance, Louisiana refinery, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing with reference to sources.

The 250,000-bpd CDU and 65,000-bpd VDU were knocked out of production on Oct. 2 when a pump failed on the CDU, the sources.

Phillips 66 did not reply to a request for comment.

Units supplied by the CDU and VDU are increasing their production levels, the sources said. A return to normal operations has been hindered because crude oil leaked into the refinery’s sewer and drainage systems following the pump failure, according to the sources.

As MRC wrote before, US-based Phillips 66 remains open to developing another ethane cracker for its Chevron Phillips Chemical (CP Chem) joint venture, the refiner's CEO said in March 2018.

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.
MRC