Dragon Special Resins to shut PET plant in Fujian province on 20 December

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dragon Special Resins is likely to undertake a planned shutdown at its polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plant in Fujian province, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company has planned to start turnaround at the plant on December 20, 2019. The plant is expected to remain off-line for about 10 days.

Located in Xiamen, Fujian province of China, the plant has a production capacity of 240,000 mt/year.

As MRC reported earlier, Jiangyin Chengxing Industrial Groups restarted its PET plant in China following a maintenance turnaround in mid-February, 2019. The plant was shut on December 27, 2018 for maintenance. Located at Jiangyin, Jiangsu province in China, the plant has a production capacity of 600,000 mt/year.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's overall estimated PET consumption reached 42,020 tonnes in October 2019, down by 32% year on year. At the same time, the estimated PET consumption in Russia increased to 593,480 tonnes in January-October 2019, up by 5% year on year.
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Olin announces facility closures

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Olin Corporation announced that it plans to permanently shut down a chlor alkali plant with a capacity of 230,000 tons and its Vinylidene Chloride (VDC) production facility, both in Freeport, Texas, said the company.

These closures are expected to be completed before the end of 2020. When completed, these actions are forecast to reduce Olin's annual operating costs by approximately $35 million. Olin's fourth quarter 2019 results will contain approximately $65 million of pretax non-cash restructuring charges, representing asset impairment charges, associated with these plans.

"With today's announcement we have taken necessary steps to reduce our annual fixed costs, align our production capacity with the current needs of the marketplace and focus on the chlorine derivatives that generate the most value for the organization," said John E. Fischer, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Major US phenol producers are INEOS Phenol, Altivia, AdvanSix, Shell Chemicals, SABIC and Olin.

Phenol is the main feedstock component for the production of bisphenol A (BPA), which, in its turn, is used to produce polycarbonate (PC).

According to ICIS-MRC Price report, Russia's estimated consumption of polycarbonate (PC) 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.

Olin Corporation is a leading vertically-integrated global manufacturer and distributor of chemical products and a leading U.S. manufacturer of ammunition. The chemical products produced include chlorine and caustic soda, vinyls, epoxies, chlorinated organics, bleach and hydrochloric acid. Winchester's principal manufacturing facilities produce and distribute sporting ammunition, law enforcement ammunition, reloading components, small caliber military ammunition and components, and industrial cartridges.

MRC

New Zealand plans initiatives to eliminate single-use plastics

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Government of New Zealand has decided to implement a number of initiatives to eliminate single-use plastics and reduce waste, said Packaging-gateway.

The decision follows a successful implementation of the single-use plastic bag ban earlier this year. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: “Our ban on plastic bags has already made a difference as we confront our enormous long-term challenge to tackle plastic waste. "Many New Zealanders, including many children, write to me about plastic, concerned with its proliferation over the past decade and the mounting waste ending up in our oceans.

"I share this concern for our natural environment, one that sustains our tourism, trade and our national identity." The country’s primary goal will be to eliminate single-use packaging and beverage containers made from hard-to-recycle polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene, including polystyrene meat trays, cups and takeaway food containers.

Collaboration with the local government and industry will be intensified to promote reliable kerbside collection of recyclables. The development of a labelling scheme for packaging, including plastics, will continue in collaboration with the industry.

Ardern added: “We will work towards ensuring that these are made of high-value alternatives like PET, HDPE and polypropylene, which can be recycled and reprocessed. “We can ensure that New Zealand’s future is not full of throw-aways but of smart innovations and practical steps to reduce, reuse and recycle."

Prime minister’s Chief Science Advisor professor Juliet Gerrard released the Rethinking Plastics in Aotearoa New Zealand report. The main recommendations in the report include implementing a national plastics action plan, plastics data collection improvement, developing and enabling consistency in design, use and disposal, embedding Rethinking Plastics in the government agenda, as well as innovating, amplifying and mitigating environmental and health impact of plastics.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PET consumption dropped in September 2019 by 10% year on year, totalling 58,210 tonnes. Overall, 551,320 tonnes of PET was processed in Russia in the first nine months of 2019, up 9% year on year.
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DuPont acquires reverse osmosis company

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DuPont has reached a deal to acquire reverse osmosis company Desalitech, it said on Wednesday without disclosing financial terms, said the company.

The acquisition, expected to close in January, would strengthen DuPont's portfolio with “a compelling offering” to further reduce the lifecycle cost of water purification and reuse, it said.

"As a global leader in innovative water solutions, we are committed to delivering ways to solve water challenges around the world," said Rose Lee, President, DuPont Safety & Construction. "This acquisition in the high-growth water purification space reinforces our strategic intent to provide a robust portfolio of technologies to meet our customers' current and future challenges while advancing our corporate commitment to sustainability."

As MRC informed earlier, DuPont Teijin Films has launched a new depolymerisation process which upcycles post-consumer PET waste into technically-advanced BOPET films suitable for use in various applications.

As per MRC' DataScope, import deliveries of Chinese injection moulded PET chips to the Russian market decreased in September this year by 72% compared to the same month last year - to 4,430 tonnes. The same indicator in August 2018 amounted to 15,640 tonnes. Shipments from China increased by 15% to 100,000 tonnes in the nine months of this year. The share of imports from China amounted to 90% against 86% for the same period last year. The leading Chinese suppliers to the Russian market were producers Yisheng, Wankai and Sinopec.

DuPont is a leader in water purification and separation technology including ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and ion exchange resins. The FilmTec™ brand is recognized globally and known for consistent and reliable performance. Each of the acquisitions announced this year, including Desalitech, supports our strategy to drive growth and innovation through access to new manufacturing capabilities, geographies and technologies.

Desalitech's globally patented and unique process technology, using standardized design and operated using proprietary software, enhances DuPont's portfolio with a compelling offering to further reduce the lifecycle cost of water purification and reuse. Desalitech has proven the value of these systems to deliver up to 90-98 percent water recovery at more than 200 blue chip customers over the past seven years.
MRC

ADNOC and Reliance Industries to explore development of ethylene dichloride facility in Ruwais

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) signed a Framework Agreement with Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) to explore development of an Ethylene Dichloride facility in Ruwais, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The signing of the agreement was witnessed by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and ADNOC Group CEO, and Mr. Mukesh D. Ambani, RIL Chairman and Managing Director. The agreement was signed by Mr. Abdulaziz Alhajri, Executive Director of ADNOC’s Downstream Directorate, and Mr. Nikhil R. Meswani, RIL Executive Director.

Under the terms of the agreement, ADNOC and RIL will evaluate the potential creation of a facility that manufactures EDC adjacent to ADNOC’s integrated refining and petrochemical site in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi and strengthen the companies’ existing relationship supporting future collaboration in petrochemicals.

ADNOC would supply ethylene to the potential joint venture and provide access to world-class infrastructure at Ruwais, while RIL will deliver operational expertise and entry to the large and growing Indian vinyls market, in which it is a key participant.

EDC is a basic building-block for the manufacture of PVC, a polymer product in increasingly higher demand globally. PVC plays a critical role in the housing and agriculture sectors, and demand for PVC, particularly in the Indian vinyls market, is expected to grow significantly.

"The agreement with Reliance Industries Limited is a product of our strong relationship, spanning over two decades, and a testament to ADNOC’s continued ability to cultivate smart and mutually beneficial international partnerships. We look forward to working closely with RIL to identify opportunities to capitalize on the strengths of the Ruwais ecosystem, while delivering a compelling new commercial platform for satisfying the large Indian PVC market as well as demand for other fast-growing segments in the region," Mr. Abdulaziz Alhajri said.

"This is a significant step towards Reliance’s commitment to pursue backward integration and will pave the way for enhancing PVC capacity in India to cater to the fast growing domestic market. This co-operation ideally combines advantaged feedstock and energy from the UAE with Reliance’s execution capabilities and the growing Indian market," Mr Nikhil Meswani said.

ADNOC’s expansion and new investment in downstream will accelerate the delivery of its 2030 strategy, powered by a USD45 billion investment, and create a more flexible, resilient and diverse energy business, optimizing its performance and stretching the dollar from every barrel of oil it produces. Ruwais’ appeal as a unique feedstock engine, capable of producing the full range of essential building blocks along the petrochemical value chain will see the Ruwais Derivatives and Conversion Parks become a global destination of choice for investors and manufacturers wishing to establish a strategic presence in the UAE. Such investments have the potential to generate numerous specialized local career opportunities, while significantly boosting ADNOC’s in-country value creation.

As MRC informed earlier, A USD3.1 billion project to introduce crude processing flexibility, at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) owned Ruwais oil refinery, was announced in February, 2018.

According to MRC's DataScope report, exports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) from Russia totalled 175,600 tonnes in the first eleven months of 2019, up by 22% year on year. Imports increased more significantly - by 230% year on year to 48,500 tonnes.

Reliance Industries is one of the world's largest producers of polymers. Thus, the company produces among others polypropylene, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride.
MRC