Braskem starts commercial production at new Texas PP plant

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Brazilian petrochemical producer Braskem's 450,000 mt/year polypropylene (PP) plant in LaPorte, Texas, along the Houston Ship Channel completed its initial commercial production, reported S&P Global with reference to the company's statement as of Sept. 10.

"The launch of commercial production at our new world-class polypropylene production line in La Porte clearly affirms Braskem's position as the North American polypropylene market leader," Braskem America CEO Mark Nikolich said in a statement.

With a USD750 million investment, the new PP plant's construction started in October 2017 and was completed in June, 2020.

Braskem had expected the plant to start-up in July but widened that target to encompass the entire third quarter.

The unit is able to produce homopolymer, impact copolymer, and random copolymers.

On June 1, Braskem announced it would establish an export hub in Charleston, South Carolina, with packaging and warehouse provider Frontier Logistics, that is set to open in the third quarter of this year as well.

The Global Export Hub is expected to export shipments of up to 204,000 mt/year of PP and specialty polymers.

Braskem operates five other US PP plants in Texas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, with a cumulative capacity of 1.57 million mt/year that the company acquired. The new plant in La Porte, Texas, is Braskem America's first PP new build.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, overall PP production in Russia increased in January-July 2020 by 24% year on year to 1,063,700 tonne. ZapSibNeftekhim accounted for the main increase in the output.

Braskem S.A. produces petrochemicals and generates electricity. The Company produces ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, xylenes, butadiene, butene, isoprene, dicyclopentediene, MTBE, caprolactam, ammonium sulfate, cyclohexene, polyethylene theraphtalat, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DuPont says it has divested its trichlorosilane (TCS) business as well as its stake in the Hemlock Semiconductor joint venture to Hemlock for USD725 million, said Chemweek.

The deal has received regulatory approval and was closed at signing. DuPont received pre-tax cash proceeds of USD550 million at closing and expects to receive additional pre-tax cash consideration of USD175 million over the next 36 months from the settlement of an existing supply agreement dispute with Hemlock.

Based in Midland, Michigan, the TCS business supplies the key raw material to Hemlock Semiconductor (Saginaw County, Michigan) to use as raw material to manufacture high-purity polysilicon and other industrial chemicals for the semiconductor and solar panel industries.

"This transaction is consistent with our commitment to refine our portfolio and sharpen our focus on growth opportunities where DuPont’s unique innovation capabilities can create greater shareholder value,” says Ed Breen, DuPont executive chairman and CEO. “We have a defined strategy of active portfolio management to further align the company’s resources to deliver higher margins and returns, aligned with our disciplined approach to capital allocation."

Ownership structure before the deal was 40.25% Corning, 40.25% DuPont and 19.5% Shin-Etsu. Updated terms were not immediately available.

As MRC informed earlier, DuPont has launched “Operation Airbridge,” with the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and FedEx to speed production and delivery of medical garments made from DuPont’s Tyvek material. Operation Airbridge will enable expedited shipping of Tyvek garments critical to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) relief via air, instead of sea. FedEx Express will transport Tyvek roll goods from DuPont’s Richmond, Virginia, production plant to garment manufacturers in Vietnam. They will then return to the US with finished Tyvek garments to be added to the US Strategic National Stockpile.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company, and a global leader in vinyl acetate ethylene (EVA) emulsions, has announced an increase in its prices of vinyl acetate-based emulsions sold in China, as per the company's press release.

Thus, the company's prices of EVA emulsions rose by CNY200/mt for China, effective August 26, 2020, or as contracts otherwise allow.

The price increases above are for orders shipped immediately, or as contracts otherwise allow, and are incremental to any previously announced rises.

According to MRC's DataScope report, June EVA imports to Russia fell by 22,5% year on year to 2,940 tonnes from 3,800 tonnes a year earlier, and overall imports of this grade of ethylene copolymer into the Russian Federation dropped in January-June 2020 by 8,16% year on year to 17,440 tonnes (18,980 tonnes a year earlier).

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 2019 net sales of USD6.3 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- MAN Energy Solutions and Wasco have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote and commercialize Power-to-X (PtX) projects in South-East Asia, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The technology in question converts electricity into carbon-neutral synthetic fuels, gas or liquid, for use as a clean, carbon-neutral energy source. Due to travel restrictions triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, the signing ceremony took place as a digital event with representatives from both companies participating via a live-video stream.

“We see a huge potential for Synthetic Fuels”, said Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions. “To advance decarbonization, climate-neutral fuels are needed in all sectors where direct electrification via batteries is not an option – as is the case with international shipping. Without a doubt, Power-to-X is one of the key technologies needed to generate such synthetic fuels. We are very happy to work in South-East Asia together with Wasco and build on their vast network, tremendous experience, and substantial capabilities in the region."

"Both companies have a strong track record, background, and resources in developing energy projects across Asia. This collaboration with MAN on Power-to-X technology is in line with Wasco's growth ambitions driven by innovation. The signing of the MOU reaffirms our commitment to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to the market, which is the future of the energy sector," said Giancarlo Maccagno, CEO, Wasco Energy Group.

MAN Energy Solutions is a pioneer in the development of Power-to-Gas technology and commissioned Europe’s largest methanization plant to create green methane from hydrogen as far back as 2013. Today, the company offers industrially-scaled 50MW Power-to-Gas and Power-to-X plants as part of its product portfolio.

As MRC informed earlier, MAN Energy Solutions has announced the successful, remote commissioning of a compressor train at Uzbekistan’s largest chemical company, JSC Navoiyazot. This world-first was brought about when installation work for a new nitric-acid plant for fertilizer production was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the MAN Energy Solutions’ commissioning team forced to leave the site due to the impending lockdown and associated travel restrictions within the country. In order to avoid any delays and additional costs for the entire project, MAN and the EPC contractor Casale S.A. – the global provider of integrated solutions for the production of fertilizers and chemicals ­– rapidly put in place an alternative plan to commission the machinery with remote supervision by MAN engineers using the company’s digital technology.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Total has formalized a cooperation with car maker Groupe PSA to develop and manufacture electric vehicle (EV) batteries in Europe by setting up a joint venture (JV) called Automotive Cells Co. (ACC), reported Chemweek.

Total subsidiary Saft and PSA unit Opel are joining forces to create large-scale battery plants with a combined capacity of 48 gigawatt-hours (GWh) at Douvrin, France, and Kaiserslautern, Germany. Production could start as early as 2023, with an initial capacity of 8 GWh at each site, rising later to 24 GWh each.

The ACC partners eye capturing more than one-tenth of Europe's future EV battery market, which they see growing 15-fold to 400 GWh by 2030, given the EU's drive toward climate-neutrality by 2050 and economic value creation closer to home. At full capacity, the plants would produce batteries for 1 million EVs per year.

Work on developing lithium-ion technologies has started in France, at an R&D center at Bordeaux and a pilot plant at Nersac, according to Total. When first presenting the plan in early 2020, the partners had indicated the pilot facility would determine whether the multibillion-euro investment would go ahead.

The French and German authorities are backing the enterprise with EUR1.3 billion (USD1.5 billion) of state funds, since it won the status of an Important Project of Common European Interest. The entire project requires investments of more than EUR5 billion.

As MRC wrote before, Total SA is waiting for the external power supply to be restored at its 225,500 barrrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery before restarting units, reported Reuters with reference to sources familiar with plant operations. The refinery was shut on Aug. 25 when Hurricane Laura’s forecast was included a possible landfall near Port Arthur.

We remind that in November 2019, Total disclosed that itis evaluating construction of a new gas cracker at its Deasan, South Korea, joint venture (JV) with Hanwha Chemical.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's overall PE production totalled 1,712,400 tonnes in the first seven months of 2020, up by 58% year on year. Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) accounted for the greatest increase in the output. At the same time, overall PP production in Russia increased in January-July 2020 by 24% year on year to 1,063,700 tonne. ZapSibNeftekhim accounted for the main increase in the output.

Total S.A. is a French multinational oil and gas company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world with business in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. The company's petrochemical products cover two main groups: base chemicals and the consumer polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) that are derived from them.
MRC