Sumitomo Bakelite to Invest in new line to produce epoxy encapsulation materials for automotive

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd. announced its intention to open a new manufacturing line to produce epoxy encapsulation composite materials for automotive applications at its Belgian production subsidiary, Vyncolit NV, said the company.

The investment will provide local manufacturing capacity for specialist encapsulation materials in the automotive and new mobility fields in Europe, with the company aiming to reach sales in the encapsulation compound market of ?12 billion (approximately USD111.6 million) by its 2025 fiscal year.

Due to the recent rapid adoption of electric (EV) and hybrid (HV) vehicles, coupled with increasingly complex IT systems in new mobility solutions, Sumitomo Bakelite is expanding its production capacity to meet the increasing demand for epoxy encapsulation materials in automotive applications. According to the company, local production capacity and prototyping facilities will enhance the automotive materials offering and the development of bespoke customer solutions. The new European production line will come online for industrial supply in early 2022, with a production capacity of several thousand tons per year.

"I am delighted to confirm that we will add dedicated epoxy encapsulation material production at our Ghent facility," said general manager and director of Vyncolit NV. “This new capacity, positioned close to our leading European customers, broadens our material portfolio and will allow us to tailor encapsulation solutions specifically for each customer."

As MRC informed earlier, Russia's output of chemical products rose in June 2020 by 2.6% year on year. However, production of basic chemicals increased year on year by 4.9% in the first six months of 2020. According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, polymers in primary form accounted for the greatest increase in the output in January-June. Production of benzene was 106,000 tonnes in June 2020, compared to 110,000 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of this product reached 721,000 tonnes over the stated period, up by 3.9% year on year.

Sumitomo Bakelite’s current epoxy portfolio covers a wide range of applications used in EVs including high-speed permanent magnet rotors, stator insulation and coil impregnation, which help weigh ratio and performance. The producer has been a key supplier of semiconductor encapsulation materials, used in the production of computers, smart-phones and servers. This will enable manufacturing of electronics in the automotive industry, such as overmoulding for small actuators, engine and transmission control units and power modules which allow for tamperproof packaging.
MRC

Huide starts trial of Fujian project

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Huide Science & Technology started trial operation of its first phase polyurethane (PU) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) project at Fuding in Fujian province, said the company.

The first phase can produce 100,000 tonnes/year of PU resin, 20,000 tonnes/year of TPU, 10,000 tonnes/year of modified PU compounds and 5,000 tonnes/year of waterborne PU.

After smooth operation of the first phase, the company will start construction of the second phase, which will have 30,000 tonnes/year of TPU, 10,000 tonnes/year of modified PU compounds and 5,000 tonnes/year of waterborne PU.

The second phase construction is expected to take one year to complete. The second phase will produce TPU, modified PU compounds, and waterborne PU at capacities of 30,000 tonnes/y, 10,000 tonnes/y, and 5000 tonnes/y, respectively.

As MRC informed earlier, China Oil HBP Science & Technology has clinched the bid for a natural gas processing plant project with an annual capacity of 1 billion cubic meters in the Kashagan Oilfield in Kazakhstan at a price of USD242 million.

Shanghai Huide Science & Technology Co.,Ltd manufactures specialty chemical products. The Company produces and sells polyurethane resins, polyester polyol, and other products. Shanghai Huide Science & Technology markets its products worldwide.
MRC

Sinopec SABIC Tianjin successfully expanded ethylene capacity

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sinopec SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical Co. (SSTPC), a 50-50 joint venture of Sinopec and SABIC, has completed the debottlenecking of its ethylene cracker on 11 July 2020, adding another 30,000 tons/year output to its current capacity, reported CommoPlast with reference to market sources.

Followed the expansion, the Tianjin based plant become the country's largest compressor unit, producing 1.3 million tons of ethylene annually.

As MRC wrote before, the cracker was shut for maintenance and debottlenecking on May 9, 2020.

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

According to MRC's DataScope report, PE imports to Russia dropped in January-June 2020 by 7% year on year to 328,000 tonnes. High density polyethylene (HDPE) accounted for the main decrease in imports. At the same time, PP imports into Russia rose in the first six months of 2020 by 21% year on year to 105,300 tonnes. Propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) accounted for the main increase in imports.

China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) is a super-large petroleum and petrochemical enterprise group established in July 1998 on the basis of the former China Petrochemical Corporation. Sinopec Group"s key business activities include the exploration and production of oil and natural gas, petrochemicals and other chemical products, oil refining.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) ranks among the world"s top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world"s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
MRC

BP invests USD5 mln in US firm Satelytics

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BP’s venture affiliate is investing USD5m in Satelytics, a US cloud-based geospatial analytics software company that uses advanced spectral imagery and machine learning to monitor environmental changes such as methane emissions, said the company.

Satelytics collects high resolution spectral imagery from the planet’s surface using satellites, drones, and planes. Its technology combines these images with proprietary algorithms to create unique electromagnetic signatures that can be used to detect environmental changes, including releases or leaks. Its software visualises these data sets on interactive displays that give end-users a clear and actionable picture of operations, and alert them to facility risks, like methane leaks.

Bp’s USD5 million investment will enable Satelytics to develop its technology further and scale its applications throughout the oil and gas sector. Use of the technology has the potential to be part of bp’s aim to install methane measurement at all major oil and gas processing sites by 2023, publish the data and then drive a 50% reduction in methane intensity of its operations.

Morag Watson, bp senior vice president of digital science and engineering, said: "Satelytics is modernising the energy sector by making data about physical assets more accessible and digestible, leading to better decision making. We are excited to work closely alongside their unique team of scientists and technologists to help them evolve their technology and to continue to move the needle on industry digitalisation."

Sean Donegan, chief executive of Satelytics, said: "Bp’s early use of our detection and quantification software has inspired us to expand our capabilities. bp’s investment marks an inflexion point for Satelytics, which will assist us in expanding our technological capabilities and fuel future innovation."

Through its venturing business, bp is making strategic investments in innovative, game-changing technologies and businesses that can help it reimagine the global energy system.

As MRC informed earlier, BP and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) have announced the start of their new Indian fuels and mobility joint venture, Reliance BP Mobility Limited (RBML). Following initial agreements in 2019, BP and RIL teams have worked closely over the past few months in a challenging environment to complete the transaction as planned. BP has paid RIL USD1 billion for a 49% stake in the joint venture, with RIL holding 51%.

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

According to MRC's DataScope report, PE imports to Russia dropped in January-June 2020 by 7% year on year to 328,000 tonnes. High density polyethylene (HDPE) accounted for the main decrease in imports. At the same time, PP imports into Russia rose in the first six months of 2020 by 21% year on year to 105,300 tonnes. Propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) accounted for the main increase in imports.
MRC

Sinopec Zhongyuan starts turnaround at MTO plant in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sinopec Zhongyuan Petrochemical, part of Sinopec Group, has taken off-stream its methanol-to-olefins (MTO) plant, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company halted operations at the plant on July 24, 2020 for a maintenance turnaround. The plant is likely to remain off-line till early-November, 2020.

Located at Henan in China, the MTO plant has an ethylene and propylene capacity of 100,000 mt/year each.

As MRC reported earlier, Sinopec SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical Co. (SSTPC), a 50-50 joint venture of Sinopec and SABIC, has shut its naphtha cracker in Tianjin on 1 May 2020 for routine maintenance work. The cracker is expected to remain off-line until early July 2020. The naphtha cracker is designed to produce 1 million tons/year of ethylene, which supplies several local buyers in the Tianjin area.

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

According to MRC's DataScope report, PE imports to Russia dropped in January-June 2020 by 7% year on year to 328,000 tonnes. High density polyethylene (HDPE) accounted for the main decrease in imports. At the same time, PP imports into Russia rose in the first six months of 2020 by 21% year on year to 105,300 tonnes. Propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) accounted for the main increase in imports.

China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) is a super-large petroleum and petrochemical enterprise group established in July 1998 on the basis of the former China Petrochemical Corporation. Sinopec Group"s key business activities include the exploration and production of oil and natural gas, petrochemicals and other chemical products, oil refining.
MRC