AkzoNobel wraps up Mapaero deal to strengthen aerospace coatings business

MOSCOW (MRC) -- AkzoNobel N.V. completed the acquisition of French aerospace coatings manufacturer Mapaero, which was first announced in July, said the company.

The deal will strengthen AkzoNobel’s global position in aerospace coatings, notably in the structural and cabin coating sub-segments. Combining the world class product ranges from both companies will also enable AkzoNobel to provide customers with a much wider portfolio of innovative and sustainable solutions – as well as contributing directly to its Winning together: 15 by 20 strategy.

As it was written before, AkzoNobel finalized the acquisition of BASF’s global Industrial Coatings business, which supplies a range of products for industries including construction, domestic appliances, wind energy and commercial transport, strengthening its position as the global number one supplier in coil coatings.

As MRC informed earlier, BASF would expand the capacity of ethylene oxide and ethylene oxide derivatives at its Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium. The total investment adds about 400 000 tpy to BASF’s production capacity for the corresponding products with an expected investment amount exceeding EUR500 million.

Ethylene is a feedstock for producing polyethylene (PE).

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.

Akzo Nobel N.V., trading as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational, active in the fields of decorative paints, performance coatings and specialty chemicals. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 55,000 people.

Established in 1992 and specializing in sustainable water-based and advanced eco-friendly products, Mapaero operates a production facility in France and has around 140 employees.
MRC

PP unit brought on-stream by Sinopec Zhenhai Refining

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sinopec Zhenhai Refining and Chemical (ZRCC, part of Sinopec) has restarted its Polypropylene (PP) unit following an unplanned outage, according to Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company has resumed operations at the unit on November 10, 2019. The unit was shut owing to technical issues on November 7, 2019.

Located at Ningbo, China, the PP unit has a production capacity of 200,000 mt/year.

As MRC reported earlier, LyondellBasell (LBI), one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, has recently announced that China Petrochemical International Co., Ltd (Sinopec International) has selected LyondellBasell’s world-leading polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) technologies for a new facility. The plants will be built at the ZRCC complex in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, P. R. China. The complex will comprise of a 300 KTA polypropylene plant that will utilize LyondellBasell’s Spherizone PP process technology and a 300 KTA high-density polyethylene plant which will utilize LyondellBasell’s Hostalen ACP process technology.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, the estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 976,790 tonnes in January-September 2019, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.

Sinopec Corp. is one of the largest scale integrated energy and chemical company with upstream, midstream and downstream operations. Its principal business includes: exploring, developing, producing and trading crude oil and natural gas; producing, storing, transporting and distributing and marketing petroleum products, petrochemical products, synthetic fiber, fertilizer and other chemical products. Its refining capacity and ethylene capacity rank No.2 and No.4 globally. Sinopec listed in Hong Kong, New York, London and Shanghai in August 2001. Sinopec Group, the parent company of Sinopec Corp., is ranked the 5th in Fortune Global 500 in 2012.
MRC

PC imports to Russia up almost by 2 times in Jan-Oct 2019

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of PC granules to Russia (excluding shipments from Belarus) rose in the first ten months of 2019 almost by 2 times year on year to 16,200 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

Imports of material into the country were 8,900 tonnes in January-October 2018.

At the same time, imports of material, excluding Belarusian deliveries were 2,000 tonnes last month versus 1,500 tonnes in October 2018. Imports of material into the country reached 2,800 tonnes in September 2019. Extrusion grade PC accounted for 60% (9,700 tonnes) of the total shipments to the Russian Federation.
Covestro (with the share of 58%) and Sabic Innovative Plastics (31%) were the main import suppliers of PC granules. Both producers significantly increased their shipments in the first ten months of 2019. Thus, imports of Covestro's material grew more that two-fold: from 4,200 tonnes (47% of the total imports) in January-October 2018 to 9,400 tonnes (58% of the total imports). Sabic's shipments also rose significantly to 5,000 tonnes from 2,140 tonnes (excluding Belarusian imports) a year earlier.

MRC

November prices of Iranian PS go down for Ukrainian market by USD20/tonne

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Prices of Iranian polystyrene (PS) dropped for November shipments of material to Ukrainian buyers by an average of USD20/tonne, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

At the same time, Iranian general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) of Tabriz was offered in the domestic market at the same price of UAH39,000-39,500/tonne CPT Kiev, including VAT.

Meanwhile, for December shipments, Iranian Tabriz's GPPS for injection moulding was offered at USD1,065-1,075/tonne last week, and its extrusion grade material - at USD1,095-1,105/tonne CIF Odessa, excluding VAT. Available quantities of high impact polystyrene (HIPS) might appear for Ukrainian buyers at the end of this month.

As reported earlier, Nizhnekamskneftekhim (NKNH, part of the TAIF group) significantly reduced its HIPS and GPPS shipments to the Ukrainian market in November. Thus, some market participants said the plant would not ship HIPS and GPPS to Ukrainian traders. Moreover, a major increase in available quantities for Ukrainian buyers are not expected in December either.
MRC

SABIC first in industry to launch polycarbonate based on certified renewable feedstock

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, has announced the launch of its polycarbonate (PC) based on certified renewable feedstock - a first in the industry, providing SABIC and its direct and ultimate customers with a solution that has the potential to reduce both CO2 emissions and the use of fossil feedstock during production, as per the company's press release.

"SABIC’s market-leading move into the arena of polycarbonate based on certified renewable feedstock - part of our TRUCIRCLE initiative of circular solutions, is linked to the commitments of our customers, who increasingly require sustainable solutions in response to both consumer and regulatory demands", said Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, Executive Vice President Petrochemicals, SABIC. "This major milestone in SABIC’s strategic sustainability pathway now extends our offering beyond polyolefins, where we already have our existing certified circular and certified renewable portfolios", he added.

SABIC’s PC cradle-to-gate LCA study reveals potentially significant reductions in carbon footprint (up to 50%) and fossil depletion impacts (up to 35%) for the production of polycarbonate resin based on the incorporation of renewable feedstock, in comparison to fossil-based polycarbonate production.

Polycarbonate - more specifically LEXAN resin - forms part of SABIC’s extensive engineering thermoplastics (ETP) portfolio. Customers can use the polycarbonate resins that are based on certified, renewable feedstock on their existing equipment, under identical process conditions. Thus potentially contributing to a reduction of the carbon footprint of their products.

"At SABIC we have engaged our value chain and unique position in Europe to produce polycarbonate using second generation renewable feedstocks that are not in competition with the food chain, to make a resin with equal performance to that produced from fossil naphtha," said Lennard Markestein, Director ETP BU Petrochemicals, SABIC.

SABIC worked closely with The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) to provide proof of the incorporation of renewable feedstock in our PC production and the resulting sustainability claims, verified by independent third party auditors. In addition, CEPSA - the Spanish multinational oil and gas company - is a strategic value chain partner in this project, supporting SABIC through the production of renewable intermediates.

SABIC’s polycarbonate based on ISCC PLUS certified feedstock will be produced initially at our manufacturing facilities in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands, with global availability in the future. The certified PC resin may be used for applications in all market segments, such as Automotive, Consumer, Electronics and Electrical, Building & Construction and Healthcare, currently served by our existing PC portfolio.

As MRC reported earlier, in early October 2019, Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), one of the world’s largest petrochemical producers, announced that it had successfully merged two of its wholly owned affiliates, Saudi Petrochemical Company (Sadaf) and Arabian Petrochemical Company (Petrokemya). "The merger was driven by SABIC’s strategy to increase efficiency and competitiveness of its operations.

According to ICIS-MRC Price report, Russia's estimated PC consumption rose in in the first three quarters of 2019 by 11% year on year to 61,000 tonnes (54,800 tonnes a year earlier). Consumption in the injection moulding sector grew in the first nine months of 2019 by 10% year on year to 7,900 tonnes from 7,200 tonnes a year earlier.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) ranks among the world's top petrochemical companies. The company is among the worldпїЅs market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
MRC