DSM completes acquisition of Erber Group

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, today announces the completion of its acquisition of Erber Group for an enterprise value of EUR980 million, said the company.

The transaction - which excludes two smaller units in the Erber Group - is expected to be earnings enhancing in the first year upon completion. The acquisition of Erber Group was first announced on 12 June 2020.

DSM acquired Erber Group’s Biomin and Romer Labs. Erber Group’s specialty animal nutrition and health business Biomin specializes primarily in mycotoxin risk management and gut health performance management, whereas the Romer Labs business focuses on food and feed safety diagnostic solutions. Both expand DSM’s range of higher value-add specialty solutions.

The acquisition of Erber Group’s Biomin further strengthens DSM’s expertise and reputation as a leading provider of animal health and nutrition solutions for farm productivity and sustainability, with an emphasis on emissions reduction, feed consumption efficiency, and better use of water and land. It is therefore very much aligned with DSM’s focus to make animal farming more sustainable from both an ecological and economical perspective. Romer Labs also complements DSM’s human nutrition and health offering to customers in the food & beverages market segments.

As MRC informed earlier, Royal DSM (Netherlands) announced an agreement to sell its resin and functional materials business units and related businesses DSM Resins & Functional Materials (RFM) to Covestro AG (Germany) for EUR1.6 billion.

As MRC informed earlier, DSM formed a 50/50 joint venture (JV) with VDL Groep (Eindhoven, Netherlands), called Dutch PPE Solutions, to produce medical facemasks and establish the first permanent production of critical facemask components in the Netherlands. The companies are investing several million euros to purchase manufacturing equipment and build manufacturing facilities to produce meltblown polypropylene (PP), the critical material layer in medical facemasks that filters viruses, and make medical masks.

We remind that Russia's output of chemical products rose in September 2020 by 6.7% year on year. At the same time, production of basic chemicals increased by 6.1% year on year in the first nine months of 2020, according to Rosstat's data. According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, polymers in primary form accounted for the greatest increase in the January-September output. Last month's production of primary polymers decreased to 852,000 tonnes from 888,000 tonnes in August due to shutdowns in Tomsk, Ufa and Kazan. Overall output of polymers in primary form totalled 7,480,000 tonnes over the stated period, up by 16.4% year on year.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- CCL Industries Inc. today announced plans for a strategic new capacity investment at its Innovia Films extrusion site in Plock, Poland. A new six-metre multi-layer co-extrusion line will be installed to produce EcoFloat shrink sleeve material, said Packagingeurope.

This hybrid polyolefin film facilitates easy separation of labels from PET bottles and other types of plastic containers in the recycling process with the aim of enabling bottle-to-bottle circularity, an important goal for global food and beverage brand owners. The capacity will come online in early 2022 with most of the capital deployed in 2021.

“CCL developed a floatable polyolefin shrink film to meet the new market demands and to help brand owners reach their sustainability and recycling targets set by the EU. We see this as the sustainable decoration solution of the future – for a whole range of packaging in the beverage, dairy, home care and other industries,” says Guenther Birkner, president of Innovia and CCL’s food and beverage business.

“This is why we have decided to invest in new capacities in Europe to be in an ideal position to supply the growing demand we expect in the future." Alongside the investment into extrusion, CCL has also secured a raw material supply agreement with its partner Polyplastics, a global supplier of cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) under the TOPAS brand.

Birkner concludes: “Our investment is part of our commitment to boost plastic recycling and take steps towards a circular economy as stated when we signed the Global Commitment of the New Plastics Economy led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation earlier this year. In the future, the EU will set a target for the recycling rate in municipal waste.

"Reaching these will not be feasible without investing in new technologies for packaging materials that support ‘Design for Recycling’. As a floatable, low-density polyolefin film, EcoFloat fulfills the requirements for sleeves as defined in packaging design guidelines."

As MRC informed earlier, Innovia Films is launching the first of its new range of transparent high barrier packaging films, Propafilm Strata SL.. The film has been designed to be a standalone monofilmic solution, to be used in laminate constructions to be recycle ready, or recyclable in countries which have the infrastructure to recycle polypropylene films.

We remind, Innovia Films (Innovia) recognises that today’s competitive market place demands packaging films that perform on a variety of machines, at the highest possible speeds. As overall production costs are scrutinized, achieving high efficiencies is becoming increasingly vital. In response to these trends, Innovia is pleased to introduce its latest high speed Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) film - Propafilm REF.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,594,510 tonnes in the first nine months of 2020, up by 1% year on year. Only high denstiy polyethylene (HDPE) shipments increased.

Innovia Films is a leading global manufacturer of two 'families' of speciality products supplied into the packaging, labels, tobacco overwrap and securities markets - Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) and Cellulose based films. With a turnover in excess of EUR400m, its total annual film production capacity currently stands at more than 120,000 tonnes.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Croda International (Goole, UK) says it has entered a partnership with Sentient Science (Buffalo, New York), an asset management and software services company, for the recommended use of Croda’s Rewitec additives for wind turbine gearboxes and main bearings, said Chremweek.

Croda says that Sentient will calculate and demonstrate durability improvements imparted through using Croda’s Rewitec technology, to extend the lifetime of wind-turbine assets instead of costly part replacements.

“The competitive energy market is forcing energy producers to optimize maintenance practices and reduce operational expenses,” says Scott Gardiner, business development specialist/energy technologies at Croda. “Major correctives are the largest cost drivers in the wind energy market, specifically gearbox or main shaft replacement. The cost of this replacement can completely change the asset’s profitability during its lifetime."

As MRC informed earlier, Nexam Chemical has received an order from an existing customer in the area of PET additives for deliveries to the USA. The customer is a market-leading manufacturer of PET foam. It is the single largest order in the United States and also one of the largest ever for Nexam Chemical globally. Nexam Chemical has previously delivered products to this customer and this order confirms good growth in the business. The value of the order is SEK 9 million and applies to deliveries up to and including the spring of 2021.

We remind that Russia's output of chemical products rose in September 2020 by 6.7% year on year. At the same time, production of basic chemicals increased by 6.1% year on year in the first nine months of 2020, according to Rosstat's data. According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, polymers in primary form accounted for the greatest increase in the January-September output. Last month's production of primary polymers decreased to 852,000 tonnes from 888,000 tonnes in August due to shutdowns in Tomsk, Ufa and Kazan. Overall output of polymers in primary form totalled 7,480,000 tonnes over the stated period, up by 16.4% year on year.

Croda acquired Rewitec in 2019 and began to offer to energy technology customers nano- and micro-particle-based additives to increase the durability of machinery by lowering friction and reducing wear, the company says. Prior to the acquisition in 2017, Sentient Science validated Rewitec’s DuraGear gearbox oil additives for use in wind turbine gearboxes, it says.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Eastman (Kingsport, Tennessee) and Gruppo Maip (Turin, Italy) say they have partnered to formulate new sustainable polymer solutions for auto interiors, accoring to Chemweek.

The companies aim to create an exclusive portfolio of biobased and molecular-recycled content solutions employing Eastman's Tritan Renew copolyester and Treva Renew engineering bioplastic.

“Through Eastman’s circular recycling technologies, OEM manufacturers will now be able to specify content and recycled-content plastics in critical Class A components, such as molded-in-color interior trim,” says Eligio Martini, president of Gruppo Maip.

Tritan Renew, which is based on Eastman’s polyester renewal technology, provides up to 50% certified recycled. Treva Renew, an alternative to the engineering plastics polycarbonate, ABS and PC-ABS, provides up to 48% biobased content and 23% recycled content.

As MRC reported earlier, Air Liquide plans to invest over USD160 million in new capacity and upgrades to support a long-term agreement under which the company will supply additional gaseous oxygen, nitrogen, and syngas to Eastman Chemical’s Longview, Texas, facility.

We remind that in 2016, Eastman Chemical's chief executive Mark Costa announced that the company wanted to reduce its surplus ethylene and commodity intermediates, but did not intend to sell its cracker in Longview, Texas.

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

According to MRC"s ScanPlast report, Russia"s estimated PE consumption totalled 1,594,510 tonnes in the first nine months of 2020, up by 1% year on year. Only high denstiy polyethylene (HDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 880,130 tonnes in the nine months of 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports, exluding producers" inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer.

As per MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated consumption of PC granules (excluding imports and exports to/from Belarus) rose in the first three quarters of 2020 by 32% year on year to 75,600 tonnes (57,200 tonnes a year earlier).

Eastman is a global specialty chemical company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With a portfolio of specialty businesses, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. Its market-driven approaches take advantage of world-class technology platforms and leading positions in attractive end-markets such as transportation, building and construction and consumables. Eastman focuses on creating consistent, superior value for all stakeholders. As a globally diverse company, Eastman serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA and employs approximately 14,500 people around the world.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- BP Plc notified officials in Chicago and the state of Illinois of possible layoffs affecting more than 250 salaried employees at the company’s offices, reported Reuters with reference to BP's statement.

BP is also reviewing the organizational structure at its Whiting, Indiana, oil refinery 28 miles (45 km) southeast of Chicago.

BP’s US Pipelines and Logistics office is located in Chicago and the company has a technology campus in the nearby suburb of Naperville, Illinois.

In June, BP chief executive Bernard Looney said the company would cut up to 10,000 jobs, or 15% of its 70,000-person workforce, worldwide.

In October, Reuters reported only 2,500 people had taken voluntary severance packages offered by BP and 7,500 people worldwide would have to be laid off.

As MRC wrote previously, BP Australia plans to shut its 146,000 b/d Kwinana refinery in Western Australia and convert it into a fuel import terminal, according to the company's statment Oct. 30. The continued growth of large scale, export-oriented refineries throughout Asia and the Middle East has structurally changed the Australian market, BP said, adding that regional oversupply and sustained low refining margins mean the Kwinana refinery is no longer economically viable. Converting the refinery into an import terminal will help ensure ongoing security of fuel supply for Western Australia, the company said. Refining activities will wind down over the next six months and conversion works will carry on out to 2022.

We remind that a “technical defect” disrupted production at part of the Gelsenkirchen integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex in Germany, in late October. The company operates plants in the Horst and Scholven districts at Gelsenkirchen, with the defect occurring at Horst. BP sais it was working to resume normal operations as soon as possible. It did not specify which unit has been affected, with sources suggesting it was the fluid catalytic cracker, but this was not confirmed by the company.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,594,510 tonnes in the first nine months of 2020, up by 1% year on year. Only high denstiy polyethylene (HDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 880,130 tonnes in the nine months of 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports, exluding producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer.

BP plc (formerly The British Petroleum Company plc and BP Amoco plc) is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the world's seven oil and gas "supermajors", whose performance in 2012, made it the world's sixth-largest oil and gas company, the sixth-largest energy company by market capitalization and the company with the world's 12th-largest revenue (turnover). It is a vertically integrated company operating in all areas of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, power generation and trading. It also has renewable energy interests in biofuels, wind power, smart grid and solar technology.
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