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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Western New York
Energy, New York's first and largest operational ethanol facility, has adapted
operations to supply distillers, manufacturing, technology, and personal care
corporations across the Northeast and Canada with ethanol to produce 80%
antiseptic alcohol sanitizer amidst the COVID pandemic, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.
The
plant is producing over 100,000 gallons a day of tech-grade ethanol for
businesses that halted operations to meet the urgent sanitizer needs of
hospitals and at-risk communities. WNY Energy generates over 60-million
gallons of biofuel annually, using 20-million bushels of corn. The
USD90-million facility was the first biofuel company in the northeastern
US.
Tim Winters, WNYE President & CEO, said, "Along with New York's
corn growers, WNY Energy has been proud to supply ethanol to the distilleries
and companies that first responded to the alarming lack of sanitizer due to
COVID-19. And while many upstream chemicals used in sanitizer products are
manufactured in China, WNYE has also established a manufacturing and
distribution network that will exponentially increase the production of
antiseptic sanitizers made from our farmers' corn. All the sanitizer
and sanitizer products will be made in Western New York and the United
States." Winters emphasized, "We could do none of this without support
from farmers, our partners for the past 13 years. Corn ethanol is the key
ingredient in making 80% antiseptic sanitizer. Farmers are as essential to
WNYE's operation as they are to America's food supply - their contributions
sustain this nation."
Colleen Klein, NY Corn and Soybean Growers
Association Executive Director, said, "WNY Energy is a respected industry
partner and a critically important, reliable market for our corn growers.
In usual circumstances, our crop is used in the Medina facility to make clean,
renewable fuel but these are not usual circumstances. We applaud WNYE's ability
to pivot and provide needed sanitation resources while maintaining the market
for our growers during uncertain times."
Jim Whipple, Orleans County IDA
CEO, said, "WNY Energy has become one of the most important industries in
Orleans County and NY State. The economics tied to the operation not only
support local farmers but WNYE is the largest taxpayer in Orleans County.
It's important that products made in farm communities be given purchasing
priority in times like this."
Winters and 50 employees produce ethanol
24/7 using hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls. The renewable energy
reduces the GHG footprint for every gallon, earning WNYE an EP3 designation from
the EPA. Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO, said, "With virtually
all WNYE's 5-megawatt electric load being met with hydropower from the Niagara
Power Project. We, at NYPA applaud WNYE's ingenuity in adapting its
business to fit the needs of New Yorkers during this horrific
pandemic."
Klein added, "New York farmers are going to show up to do
their part -whatever it takes. We're happy to have a friend in WNYE who shares
this mentality. Whether you're farm tough, New York City tough, or
anywhere in between - we're all stronger together."
We remind that as MRC
informed
earlier, employees at Valero Energy Corp’s Port Arthur, Texas, refinery
expressed worries about the company’s slow response to keep the coronavirus from
spreading there after two workers tested positive. Valero, the nation’s
second-largest refiner, started to cut non-essential work and related
contractors only last week after starting temperature checks last week - much
later than other major US refiners, according to the people. Valero spokeswoman
Lillian Riojas said the company maintains the privacy of employee health
information and as such would “not publicize individual cases of
COVID-19.”
We also remind that Valero Energy Corp restarted the
small CDU at its Port Arthur refinery after repairing a valve on 25 September
2019. And in late October 2019, Valero Energy Corp shut the small crude
distillation unit (CDU) at its Port Arthur refinery. The 75,000-bpd AVU 147 CDU
was shut to repair a heat exchanger.
Ethylene and propylene are
feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene
(PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report,
Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 383,760 tonnes in the first two month
of 2020, up by 14% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low
density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased due to the increased capacity
utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian
market were 192,760 tonnes in January-February 2020, down by 6% year on year.
Homopolymer PP accounted for the main decrease in imports. |
