Celanese ethylene-based VAM technology listed as green technology by China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global chemical and specialty materials company, has announced that its ethylene-based VAM technology has been awarded the designation as a "Green Technology" in China for its low carbon emissions, low energy consumption, low content of heavy components and high product quality, as per the company's press release.

The designation was announced recently at a press event in Beijing by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF) in the Directory for Petrochemical Green Technology (2019 edition).

Harvey Zhao, senior director of Celanese’s Asia Acetyls business, was invited to attend the press event and award ceremony. As a representative of one of the awarded companies, Zhao delivered a speech on behalf of Celanese and introduced the ethylene-based VAM technology and shared the company’s continuous efforts towards safety and environmental protection. Zhao commented: "Celanese will continue to adhere to our business principles of sustainable product development and will work together with local governments and associations and actively participate in related activities to further contribute to China’s green development."

Celanese is one of the major global producers of ethylene-based VAM (vinyl acetate monomer) that is advancing this green technology used in the production of polymer emulsions of various types, which are base resins for water-based paints, adhesives, paper coatings and textile finishes. VAM can be polymerized in mass, solution, suspension or emulsion.

The Directory for Petrochemical Green Technology was organized, evaluated and compiled by CPCIF under the support and guidance of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of the Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China in 2018. It not only provides guidance for technology selection for new investment and promoting development and application of green technologies, but also plays a positive role in guiding the government and financial institutions in making policies. There are a total of 23 such technologies listed in the Directory. The 2019 revised edition will further contribute to the "Green Petrochemical Industry" in China.

As MRC reported earlier, Celanese raised its January VAM prices in Europe, Middle East and Africa by EUR100/mt.

According to MRC's DataScope report, November EVA imports to Russia dropped by 8,9% year on year to 3,440 tonnes from 3,780 tonnes in November 2018, and overall imports of this grade of ethylene copolymer into the Russian Federation decreased in January-November 2019 by 18,9% year on year to 35,95 tonnes (44,330 tonnes in the first eleven months of 2018).

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs approximately 7,700 employees worldwide and had 2018 net sales of USD7.2 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of PC granules to Russia (excluding shipments from Belarus) rose in 2019 almost by 2 times year on year to 21,300 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

Imports of material into the country were 10,900 tonnes in January-December 2018.

At the same time, imports of material, excluding Belarusian deliveries, were 2,900 tonnes last month versus 900 tonnes in December 2018. Imports of material into the country were 2,300 tonnes in November 2019.

Extrusion grade PC accounted for the greatest increase in imports. These grades accounted for 63% of the total imports of material into the Russian Federation (13,450 tonnes). The share of injection moulding grades was 32% (6,900 tonnes) and that of blow moulding grades - 5% (970 tonnes).

Covestro and Sabic Innovative Plastics were the main import suppliers of PC granules. Both producers significantly increased their shipments last year. Thus, imports of Covestro's material grew by more that two-fold: from 5,400 tonnes (49% of the total imports) in January-December 2018 to 11,700 tonnes (55% of the total imports). Sabic's shipments also rose significantly in 2019 - to 7,500 tonnes (35%) - from 2,300 tonnes (21%, excluding Belarusian imports) in 2018.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Overall imports of general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) to Russia rose in 2019 by 10% year on year to 48,200 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope report.

This figure was 43,800 tonnes in January-December 2018.

At the same time, last month's GPPS and HIPS imports to the Russian market dropped slightly to 3,500 tonnes from 3,600 tonnes in December 2018. Imports of material into the country also were 3,600 tonnes in November 2018.

GPPS imports to Russia grew in 2019 by 23% year on year, totalling 28,100 tonnes. Russian companies increased their imports of material by 2% last month: from 2,400 tonnes in December 2018 to 2,500 tonnes, imports were 2,300 tonnes a month earlier.

HIPS imports to the Russian Federation continued to decline for the fourth month in a row. They were 1,000 tonnes in December 2019 versus 1,200 tonnes a year earlier and 1,300 tonnes in November 2019. Imports of material dropped in 2019 by 4% year on year to 20,100 tonnes.

European material of Styrolution, Versalis and Trinseo accounted for about 90% of HIPS shipments and 62% of GPPS deliveries. Iranian GPPS of Petropaak and Artan Petro accounted for about 17% of the total imports. Iranian GPPS has not been shipped to Russia since October 2019.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Karpatneftekhim (Kalush, Ivano-Frankivsk region), Ukraine's largest petrochemical plant, - increased its output of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) in the Ukrainian market by 15% year on year to 240,400 tonnes, according to MRC's ScanPlast report.

Last month's SPVC production of the Ukrainian producer rose to 23,550 tonnes from 21,700 a month earlier. Overall output of suspension reached 204,400 tonnes in 2019, compared to 209,840 tonnes a year earlier.

Karpatneftekhim is one of the largest enterprises of Ukraine's petrochemical complex. Currently, the plant can produce annually 300,000 tonnes of PVC, 200,000 tonnes of caustic soda, about 180,000 tonnes of chlorine, as well as 250,000 tonnes of ethylene and 100,000 tonnes of polyethylene.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Formosa Plastics USA is planning to shut its 798,000 mt/year polyvinyl chloride plant and an upstream 753,000 mt/year vinyl chloride monomer unit at its Point Comfort, Texas complex for turnarounds in February, reported S&P Global with reference to a source familiar with the company operations.

A company spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The company originally planned to conduct those turnarounds in the fourth quarter of this year, but pushed the work to early 2020.

Market participants said the company was boosting its PVC stocks ahead of the work to ensure contract customers remain supplied as usual, as is typical in the lead-up to a turnaround. However, market sources expect export volume availability to be limited in January and February.

In addition, Westlake Chemical was slated to bring a PVC capacity expansion online by the end of 2019 at its 272,155 mt/year plant in Geismar, Louisiana. The company has not specified how much of a 340,195 mt/year expansion of output at both Geismar and Burghausen, Germany, will be at Geismar, but sources expect the bulk of that new output to be added to the Louisiana plant.

Market sources expect that work to limit Westlake's export volume availability next month as well.

A company spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As MRC informed before, Formosa Plastics' new 1.5 million mt/year cracker in Point Comfort, Texas, has come online and was seen ramping up through January. The company's new 400,000 low density polyethylene (LDPE) plant at Point Comfort "should be ready in February for now," said the source familiar with the company operations.

According to MRC's DataScope report, exports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) from Russia totalled 193,700 tonnes in 2019, up by 11% year on year. Imports increased more significantly - by 217% year on year - to 50,900 tonnes

Formosa Petrochemical is involved primarily in the business of refining crude oil, selling refined petroleum products and producing and selling olefins (including ethylene, propylene, butadiene and BTX) from its naphtha cracking operations. Formosa Petrochemical is also the largest olefins producer in Taiwan and its olefins products are mostly sold to companies within the Formosa Group. Among the company's chemical products are paraxylene (PX), phenyl ethylene, acetone and pure terephthalic acid (PTA). The company's plastic products include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resins, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and panlite (PC).
MRC