Ineos Styrolution, Trinseo advance plans for polystyrene recycling plant in France

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Material suppliers Ineos Styrolution and Trinseo are advancing their plans to build what’s being called a "first-of-its-kind" polystyrene (PS) recycling in Wingles, northern France, said the company.

The planned full commercial scale recycling facility will be capable of processing up to 50 tons-per-day of post-consumer PS feedstock, the companies said in a Sept. 17 statement, and is expected to be fully operational by mid-2023.

The companies said they will evaluate two different technology pyrolysis-based concepts during the conceptual design phase, one from Agilyx Corp. and the other from Swindon, England-based Recycling Technologies Ltd., in terms of quality, efficiency, and adaptation to different waste streams.

When completed, the plant will use the depolymerization process. "In previous project milestones, the depolymerisation of PS has proven to be an ideal recycling process showcasing polystyrene’s unique intrinsic capability for full circularity,” the statement said. “The plastics-to-plastics depolymerisation technology converts PS food packaging waste directly back into its original liquid monomer, which then can be repolymerised into recycled polystyrene for the same high-quality end applications, including food contact applications much like virgin PS."

"We are excited to move to the next phase of engineering of this plant, as we are well on track to deploy the game-changing depolymerisation technology with the construction of this recycling plant in France,” said Nicolas Joly, vice president, plastics & feedstocks at Trinseo. “This plant will be part of establishing a novel recycling infrastructure for styrenics in Europe together with key players from across the entire value chain, which will mark a step change in PS recycling."

"Our collaboration between Trinseo…is a significant commitment of capital and resources and a major milestone in truly closing the loop with food grade recycled content,” said Sven Riechers, vice president, business management, standard products EMEA at Ineos. “It forms part of Ineos’ and Trinseo’s commitments to use, on average, 30 per cent recycled content in products destined for PS packaging in Europe by 2025."

As it was written earlier, AmSty, INEOS Styrolution and Trinseo signed Joint Development Agreement to advance the circularity of polystyrene.

As per ICIS-MRC Price Report, the high impact polystyrene (HIPS) and general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) market
participants in Russia said demand for material remained strong amid its shortage. Large buyers were generally provided with material according to their needs, whereas small ones could not fully meet their needs, as there were no free quantities of Nizhnekamskneftekhim's polystyrene (PS) for injection moulding, extrusion and production of XPS-boards at the beginning of autumn.

Ineos Styrolution is the leading global styrenics supplier, with a focus on styrene monomer, polystyrene, ABS Standard and styrenic specialties. With world-class production facilities and more than 90 years of experience, INEOS Styrolution helps its customers succeed by offering innovative and sustainable best-in-class solutions, designed to give them a competitive edge in their markets, and at the same time, help make the circular economy for styrenics a reality. The company provides styrenic applications for many everyday products across a broad range of industries, including automotive, electronics, household, construction, healthcare, packaging and toys/sports/leisure.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Italy’s Eni has proposed building bio-refineries in Abu Dhabi, reported Reuters with reference to the energy group’s chief executive Claudio Descalzi.

The Italian oil major has been focusing on developing new clean technologies in recent years as it steps up preparations for a decarbonized future.

“Technology becomes a bargaining chip to speak a different language...in areas that are oil and gas,” Descalzi said in an online conference.

Eni has recently made a series of oil and gas agreements in Abu Dhabi, including buying a 20% stake in ADNOC Refining.

As MRC informed before, Eni has been present in the UAE upstream sector since March 2018 when it was awarded a 10 percent interest in ADNOC’s Umm Shaif and Nasr concession and a 5 percent interest in the Lower Zakum concession, followed in November 2018 by the award of a 25 percent interest in the Ghasha Concession, ADNOC’s mega offshore sour gas project. On 12 January this year Eni was awarded a 70 percent interest in offshore exploration blocks 1 and 2. In addition to the United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East Eni is also present in Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon and Iraq.

We remind that oil major Chevron is in talks with Italy's Eni over the possibility of selling its stake in the Indonesia Deepwater Development project in offshore East Kalimantan in Southeast Asia.

We also remind that US-based Phillips 66 remains open to developing another ethane cracker for its Chevron Phillips Chemical (CP Chem) joint venture, the refiner's CEO said in March 2018.

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.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Injection molding machine maker Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery is nearing the end of its relocation project to move from its plant in Strongsville, Ohio, to a 30,750-square-foot facility in Cleveland, Ohio that will be a dedicated centre for the company’s USD10 million replacement parts inventory and machine rebuilding service, said Canplastics.

Suwanee, Ga.-based Sumitomo Demag said the new Cleveland plant is strategically located adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport with immediate access to a full range of shipping and transport services. Sumitomo Demag had occupied the Strongsville plant since 1969.

The Strongsville employees performing what the company called “essential operations” have already transitioned to the new facility and will eventually be joined by the ones who are still working remotely. The company has also invested in new equipment at the facility to improve the efficiency of picking, packing. Other services that will be offered at the new facility will include control upgrades, complete barrel assemblies, injection unit repair and rebuilding, manifold rebuilding, electrical cabinet rebuilding, linkage rebuilding, ball screw rebuilding and full assemblies, and OEM legacy and new machine option kits.

The developments in Cleveland cap a busy 12 months for the company, which also opened a new 74,500-square-foot facility in Suwanee, Ga.; a new 15,300-square-foot technology centre outside Chicago in Buffalo Grove, Ill.; and a training and demonstration centre in Anaheim, Calif.

The company had planned on holding a grand opening for the Buffalo Grove site in March with four machine demonstrations, but it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"2019 was a year of extensive U.S. expansion for us," said John F. Martich III, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s U.S. operations. “2020 has focused on investments in infrastructure, logistics and efficiencies. Our Georgia facility, in addition to being the company’s headquarters, has now been improved with the necessary equipment and structural improvements to serve as the centre for our large inventory of U.S.-stocked machines. From a logistics standpoint, the facility is just four hours away from the Port of Savannah which is now the third largest U.S. container port."

As it was written earlier, in July, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery completed the expansion and modernisation of its training centre and embarked on the next phase of its growth strategy by breaking ground on a new 1600 m2 warehouse, both at its site in Schwaig, Germany.

As per MRC, Russia's output of products from polymers grew in July 2020 by 3.1% year on year under the pressure of seasonal factors. However, this figure increased by 1.6% year on year in the first seven months of 2020. According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, July production of unreinforced and non-combined films rose to 118,200 tonnes from 114,700 tonnes a month earlier. Output of films products grew in January-July 2020 by 9.1% year on year to 736,800 tonnes.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ATS Automation Tooling Systems has received a USD20 million order from a medical device manufacturer to design, build, and deliver several automated safety syringe manufacturing systems to meet potential demand related to COVID-19 vaccine production, said Canplastics.

The Cambridge, Ont.-based manufacturer, which specializes in custom and repeat automation in a range of industries including life sciences, is developing the systems for a program related to the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed initiative, which seeks to increase the ability to produce safety needles and syringes in the U.S.

The automated systems will feature ATS’ new Symphoni digital manufacturing technology, which adds to the productivity of automated assembly processes by eliminating non-value-added production time.

In a statement, ATS said the high degree of standardization, modular building blocks and plug-and-play nature means Symphoni systems are multi-purpose production assets, and have the flexibility to adapt to new products and new processes.

Symphoni systems are 100 per cent programmable, so all movements are precisely mapped out and synchronized through a technique known as electronic gearing, resulting in a “symphony of motion." It meets the manufacturing demands of high-volume consumables such as syringes because it assembles them at very high rates in a compact footprint while assuring compliance to the medical device industry’s rigid quality standards.

"Our teams remain focused on helping manufacturers address the critical need for medical equipment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic," said ATS CEO Andrew Hider in the statement.

The program will be completed over the next 10 months.

As MRC informed earlier, European Parliament says that the EU should become more self-sufficient in medicines and medical equipment so that affordable treatments are available at any time. It calls for priority to be given to boosting domestic production of essential and strategic medicines because currently 40% of medicines marketed in the EU originate in non-EU countries and 60-80% of its active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) supplies are produced in China and India.

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.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China’s Hengyi Petrochemical Co Ltd plans to spend USD13.65 billion to build the second phase of a refinery and petrochemical complex in Brunei, it said on Tuesday in a stock filing, said Reuters.

Hengyi, one of the few private Chinese firms operating a refinery outside China, plans to add a 14 million tonne per year (280,000 barrel per day) crude oil refinery and a two million tpy paraxylene unit at its complex in Palau Muara Besar, the company said.

It will also build a 1.65 million tpy ethylene plant and 2.5 million tpy purified terephthalic acid (PTA) facility. Paraxylene and PTA are key materials for making polyester fibre used in textiles and packaging.

Construction will take three years and the investment is expected to bring an additional annual net profit of about USD1.72 billion, the firm said, without giving a date for starting work.

As MRC informed earlier, Hengyi in 2019 started up a 160,000-bpd refinery and petrochemical facilities at the same site at Palau Muara Besar. The company’s phase I project at the same site started commercial operation in November 2019. It has an 8m tonne/year refining capacity and can produce 1.5m tonnes/year of PX, 500,000 tonnes/year of benzene, and 6m tonnes/year of oil products including gasoline, diesel and kerosene.

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.
MRC