Hengli Petrochemical completes maintenance at propylene unit

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Hengli Petrochemical, has resumed operations at its propylene unit following a planned outage, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that, the company has restarted the unit on March 9, 2020. The unit remained under turnaround for about one week.

Located in Liaoning, China, the propylene unit has a production capacity of 450,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed before, Hengli started up the 450,000 tons/year Phase I polypropylene (PP) plant in May 2019 and launched its Phase II PP plant by end of November 2019.

Propylene is the main feedstock for the production of PP.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, the estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,260,400 tonnes in January-December 2019, up by 4% year on year. Supply of almost all grades of propylene polymers increased, except for statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Chester, N.S.-based GN Thermoforming Equipment has appointed Alberto Capodicasa as its new sales manager for Mexico and Central and South America, said Canplastics.

Based in Nova Scotia, Capodicasa is a native of Venezuela and fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian, has many years of experience in various sales positions, most recently as regional sales manager with LED Roadway Lighting Ltd.

"Alberto will travel extensively and work on the ground with our local agencies in the Mexican, Central and South American markets,” said Paul Phillips, GN’s sales and marketing manager. “GN has a lot of thermoforming machines in the region and Alberto is well equipped to support our agents and customers as we continue to grow."

As MRC informed earlier, extrusion machinery maker Davis-Standard LLC has acquired Thermoforming Systems LLC (TSL), a manufacturer of thermoforming equipment for the North American food packaging industry. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

As per MRC' DataScope, overall imports of PC granules to Russia (excluding shipments from Belarus) grew in the first month of 2020 more than by 3 times year on year to 2,590 tonnes. Imports of material into the country were 740 tonnes in January 2019. December 2019 imports of material to Belarus reached 2,850 tonnes. Extrusion grade PC accounted for the greatest increase in January imports. Their share rose significantly in the total imports of material into the Russian Federation to 82% (2,100 tonnes) from 44% (32,000 tonnes) in January 2019.

GN manufactures roll-fed thermoformers for the production of high-quality plastic packaging, and has installed more than 1,500 thermoformers in total. The company’s operation also includes a technical service and sales centre in Jihlava, Czech Republic.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- US Kraton Corporation completed the sale of its Cariflex business to South Korean-based Daelim Industrial, said the company.

The sale was completed for USD530m in cash. The divestment, announced in October, follows a strategic review Kraton announced last February.

The company produces specialty polymers and biobased products derived from pine wood. It signed the agreement to sell its Cariflex business last October.

Kraton’s polymers are used in several applications such as adhesives, consumer and personal care products, coatings, medical, packaging, automotive, sealants and lubricants, paving and roofing applications.

Its pine-based specialty products are sold to the adhesives, roads, construction and tyre markets.

Kraton produces and sells a wide range of performance chemicals to markets such as fuel additives, oilfield chemicals, coatings, metalworking fluids and lubricants, inks, flavours, fragrances and mining.

Kraton president and CEO Kevin M Fogarty said: “We are pleased to announce that we have completed the sale of our Cariflex business to Daelim Industrial. We believe Daelim is well-positioned to invest in and grow the Cariflex franchise as it continues to expand its global business.

“We thank the Cariflex team for their significant contributions, not only for developing Cariflex, but for continuing to grow the business over the years, and we wish them continued success in the future.

“As previously communicated, we intend to use the net proceeds from the Cariflex sale principally for debt reduction. Following the closing of this important transaction, we remain committed to continuing to improve our overall capital structure, and this sale is an important step in that regard.”

JP Morgan Securities served as financial advisor to Kraton, while Baker McKenzie was the legal advisor.

UBS Securities served as financial advisor to Daelim and Paul Hastings served as legal advisor.

As MRC informed earlier, Kraton Performance Polymers, a leading global manufacturer of styrene block copolymers (SBC) and other complex polymer products, has announced that it has changed its name to Kraton Corporation.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,093,260 tonnes in 2019, up by 6% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. PE shipments rose from both domestic producers and foreign suppliers. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,260,400 tonnes in January-December 2019, up by 4% year on year. Supply of almost all grades of propylene polymers increased, except for statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Finnish refining and renewable fuels company Neste has acquired a minority stake in Sunfire, a German developer and supplier of high-temperature electrolysers and electrolysis technology, said the company.

Electrolysis is the key technology in the power-to-X platform, enabling the production of emission-free renewable hydrogen and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuels, chemicals and materials.

"Sunfire’s highly efficient technology and world-class expertise in power-to-X, together with our proven track record in commercialising new sustainable technologies, provides an excellent basis for further development of the power-to-X solutions," said Neste’s CEO, Peter Vanacker.

In addition to the equity investment, Neste will work with Sunfire on a project designed to demonstrate the production of renewable hydrogen, using Sunfire’s high-temperature electrolyser, Neste added.

Financial details were not disclosed.

Dresden, Germany-based Sunfire develops and produces high-temperature electrolysers and high-temperature fuel cells based on solid oxide cell technology.

As MRC informed earlier, Neste, together with several European Union Member States and forerunner companies representing different parts of the European plastics sector, have signed the European Plastics Pact in Brussels, Belgium. The European Plastics Pact aims to accelerate cross-border exchange and collaboration on a pan-European scale to supplement and support the already existing European and global commitments as well as the existing national and company initiatives on the circularity of plastics value chain.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,093,260 tonnes in 2019, up by 6% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. PE shipments rose from both domestic producers and foreign suppliers. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,260,400 tonnes in January-December 2019, up by 4% year on year. Supply of almost all grades of propylene polymers increased, except for statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The upcoming Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRSE), scheduled to take place from March 25-26 at the RAI Amsterdam, has been postponed due to concerns over the worldwide coronavirus outbreak, said Canplastics.

The announcement was made on March 10 by show organizers Crain Communications Inc. and PRE, the European association for plastics recyclers.

"The decision was made following consultations with exhibitors, speakers, pre-registered visitors and the venue, and considering the significant impact of international travel at this time,” the organizers said in a statement on the show’s website. “Our first consideration under these difficult circumstances must be for the health and well-being of all stakeholders involved in the event while national governments seek to contain the spread of this disease."

The organizers said they are “currently liaising with our exhibitors and other stakeholders to arrange alternative dates for PRSE."

A further announcement will be made as soon as dates are confirmed, they added.

As MRC informed earlier, global stocks plunged on Monday and prices for crude oil tumbled as much as 33% after Saudi Arabia launched a price war with Russia, sending investors already worried by the coronavirus fleeing for the safety of bonds and the yen.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,093,260 tonnes in 2019, up by 6% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. PE shipments rose from both domestic producers and foreign suppliers. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,260,400 tonnes in January-December 2019, up by 4% year on year. Supply of almost all grades of propylene polymers increased, except for statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers).
MRC