Carbios and TechnipFMC to build demonstration plant for depolymerization of waste PET plastics to monomers

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Carbios (Euronext Growth Paris: ALCRB) and TechnipFMC, announced that TechnipFMC’s operating center in Lyon, France will be assisting Carbios to build a plant that demonstrates Carbios’ Enzymatic Recycling Process, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The technology uses proprietary enzymes to recycle waste PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastics into monomers ready for repolymerization into PET with the same technical and physical properties as virgin PET. This collaboration is an important step in the demonstration of the technology and potential future commercialization.
TechnipFMC will provide advisory, engineering, procurement and construction supervision services for this plant, which will be located close to Lyon. Construction will start later this year with first operations expected to begin in 2021.

Alain Francois, Managing Director of TechnipFMC’s Lyon office, said "We are pleased to work with Carbios to demonstrate their plastic recycling technology. This collaboration recognizes our technological know-how and leading-edge approach to commercializing new processes, as well as underlining our ambition to provide services in the field of sustainability and the circular economy."

Jean-Claude Lumaret, CEO of Carbios, noted “Carbios’ collaboration with TechnipFMC has been very successful over the past few years and we are delighted to extend this valuable partnership to the construction of our demonstration plant. This agreement, which will leverage both parties’ expertise, supports our common vision to enhance the sustainability of the plastic industry. Carbios’ technology has proven to be a superior process that efficiently recycles all PET-based plastics. To ensure its implementation at large-scale, it is key for operators to gain insights into operational conditions. Our collaboration with TechnipFMC aims to address this need through a demonstration plant."

As per MRC's ScanPlast report, the estimated PET consumption in Russia increased in January 2020 by 9% year on year. Totally, Russia recycled 55,390 tonnes of PET chips in January (excluding shipments of Russian material to the countries of the Customs Union). Russia's PET chips production totalled 43,200 tonnes in January 2020.
MRC

Sinopec boosts refineries Apr crude run by 8% from March

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China's Sinopec increased its April utilization rate by about eight percentage points from March as more and more of its refineries raised crude runs to levels that were reported prior to the spread of COVID-19, a survey by S&P Global showed.

As a result, China's throughput is likely to hit 12.5 million b/d in April, or 90% of the level achieved in January, after falling by about 3.3 million b/d in February, Platts data showed.

The survey saw 16 refineries - accounting for 68% of Sinopec's total refining capacity - lift their combination run rate to 80% in April, from the 72% polled in March and 64% in February, closing in on January's rate of about 89% when the country had yet to be put under complete lockdown following the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Seven of the polled Sinopec refineries raised their April operating rates to the level recorded in January and December. In contrast, only two had done so in March.

Except for the Zangzhou refinery in central China, the rest of these seven refineries are along the developed coastal regions in the south and east of China, where demand rose at a faster pace than in the north and the landlocked west, where PetroChina's refineries are located.

Almost all the surveyed refineries saw an increase in April planned throughput, than in March, as gasoil and gasoline demand rose with the resumption of economic activity and as the number of fresh COVID-19 cases plateaued in China.

Even the 260,000 b/d Gaoqiao Petrochemical in Shanghai, which had shut its No.3 FCC in April for maintenance, lifted its planned crude run slightly to 73% in April from 72% in March.

Meanwhile, the 170,000 b/d Sinopec-SK Wuhan Petrochemical hiked its utilization rate by two percentage points on the month to 61% in April as Wuhan city is no longer under lockdown since early this month.

Only the flagship 460,000 b/d Zhenhai Petrochemical in eastern China Ningbo reduced its April crude run to 65.6%, from 75% in March, as it has shut a 160,000 b/d CDU for maintenance.

However, throughput recovery is likely to be capped as the outlets for export of oil products are limited in light of lockdowns across the world, which has sapped global demand, a Shandong-based Sinopec refiner said.

Its peer, PetroChina, has cut a combination run rate in six refineries to 60% in April from 63.3% in March and 65% in February, with the heaviest reductions from the exporting PetroChina plants, Platts report previously.

Independent refineries in Shandong province raised their average run rate to over 60% this week and are expected to up this to 70% by the end of this month, Platts reported.

Platts will publish the final April throughput survey for about 19 of Sinopec's refineries, 17 of PetroChina's and one CNOOC refinery later this month.

We remind that, as MRC wrote before, Sinopec Qilu Petrochemical, a subsidiary of Sinopec Corporation, plans to shut the cracker unit in Tianjin in northeast China for scheduled repairs on 15 June, 2020. This cracking unit with a capacity of 900,000 tonnes of ethylene per year and 480,000 tonnes of propylene tons per year will be closed for scheduled repairs until 24 June, 2020.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, 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.

Sinopec corp. is one of the world's largest integrated energy and chemical companies. Business Sinopec Corp. includes oil and gas exploration, production and transportation of oil and gas, oil refining, petrochemical production, production of mineral fertilizers and other chemical products. In terms of refining capacity, Sinopec Corp. ranks second in the world, in terms of ethylene capacity - fourth.
MRC

ExxonMobil operates Baton Rouge refinery at low capacity utilisation due to weak demand

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Exxon Mobil Corp operates it 502,500 barrel-per-day Baton Rouge, Louisiana, refinery at low capacity utilisation as poor demand has pushed up inventories and filled storage tanks, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing with reference to sources familiar with plant operations.

The number of contract workers at the Baton Rouge refinery was cut by 1,800 people as Exxon begun informing service companies of planned spending cuts.

The refinery’s production was cut to about 440,000 bpd, the sources said.

The number of contract workers at the refinery is usually 2,000 and increases when major overhauls are underway, the sources familiar with operations said.

Contract workers are employed by the third-party service companies that Exxon has been informing of its spending plans.

Social distancing and working from home to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus in the United States has reduced demand for motor fuel across the country. At least three refineries in California have cut production as well.

Exxon’s Baton Rouge refinery restored full production on March 9 after it was shut by a Feb. 12 fire.

The Baton Rouge refinery is the second-largest in Louisiana and Exxon’s second-largest in the United States.

As MRC informed before, in September 2019, ExxonMobil announced plans to spend GBP140 million over the next two years in an additional investment program at its Fife ethylene plant, which has a capacity of more than 800,000 t/y.

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.

ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
MRC

PVC exports from Russia down by 4% in Jan-Mar 2020, imports up by 29%

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Exports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) from Russia totalled 45,600 tonnes in the first three months of 2020, down by 4% year on year. Imports increased, but still remained at a low level, according to MRC's DataScope report.


Last month's exports of Russian suspension (excluding shipments to the countries of the Customs Union ) were about 12,500 tonnes, compared to 15,900 tonnes in February. Some producers slightly reduced their exports in March due to weaker demand for resin in foreign markets. Thus, overall exports totalled 45,400 tonnes in the first three months of 2020 versus 47,300 tonnes a year earlier.

Indian buyers were the main foreign importers of Russian resin this year. Overall sales of resin exceeded 20,000 tonnes over the stated period. Belarus and Poland with shipments of 8,000 tonnes and 5,000 tonnes, respectively, occupied the second and third positions.


July 2019 accounted for the peak of imports of resin because of scheduled shutdowns for maintenance at SayanskKhimPlast and Bashkir Soda Company' production capacities, and shipments totalled 13,700 tonnes. Overall imports of resin were 2,600 tonnes in January-March 2020, up by 29% year on year. At the same time, quantities were still insignificant, despite the increase in imports.

MRC

COVID-19 - News digest as of 15.04.2020

1. Sasol undetakes further actions in response to fast-developing coronavirus

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Following Sasol’s (Johannesburg) announcement on 17 March of steps it is taking to overcome its financial problems, the company has informed the Johannesburg stock exchange that it is taking further actions in response to the fast-developing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, reported Chemweek. The company said that “a small number of Sasol employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and are receiving full support.”


MRC