AquaChemie breaks ground on new petchems terminal in UAE

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Chemical services company AquaChemie Middle East, part of the UAE-based AquaChemie Group, today broke ground on its petrochemical terminal in DP World’s flagship, Jebel Ali Port, Dubai, said Chemweek.

The specialized bulk storage terminal will have a total envisaged capacity of around 40,000 CBM, out of which 35,000 CBM will be in bulk storage tanks and about 5,000 CBM in ISO tanks and drums. The $40 million project aims to boost the growing petrochemical trade between manufacturers and end-users in the Middle East and the world, while also addressing the acute shortage of storage facilities for redistribution and lease for bulk chemicals in Jebel Ali Port.

Scheduled for construction completion by early Q2 2022, the terminal is designed to store flammable chemicals, up to NFPA Class 1B. Over 100 chemicals of UN Class3 hazardous classification or non-hazardous chemicals can be stored in the facility’s nitrogen blanketed tanks. AquaChemie Middle East targets revenue of around USD400 million from the petrochemical terminal business in the next 7 years. Matt MacDonald, global engineering, management, and development consultancy, is responsible for the design, engineering, and project management.

“The entire AquaChemie team and I are eagerly waiting for this project to come into reality in the next 16-18 months’ time. This terminal project is a huge step for AquaChemie; to become one of the prominent players in the petrochemical business in the region,” V. Anandkumar, Partner and Director at AquaChemie Middle East said.

“Being associated with the petrochemicals industry for over three decades, I am excited to soon play a direct role in the distribution of additional 100-150 KTA (Kilo tonnes per annum) of over 50 petrochemicals globally,” Subrato Saha, Co-Founder and Director of AquaChemie Middle East, said.

According to Saha, the new terminal will serve as a one-stop solution for sourcing raw materials and processing chemicals for several industries and is poised to service sectors like oil and gas downstream, fine chemicals, fertilizer plants, paints and coatings, pharma, agrochemicals, textiles, and other industrial products.

As MRC informed earlier, Japanese multinational, through its subsidiary Kurita Europe GmbH, an international leader in waterprocess specialty chemicals, and UAE-based AquaChemie DMCC, a leading regional process industry player, have signed a strategic agreement to set up a joint venture company, under the name of Kurita AquaChemie.

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, excluding producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer.

AquaChemie was established in Dubai, UAE, in late 2008. Since then, it has expanded its operation all across the GCC region, with a strategic presence in Hong Kong. AquaChemie DMCC is its flagship company, managing the chemicals business. AquaChemie is into specialty chemicals manufacturing, sales, distribution, services, and bulk terminal operation. It has corporate offices, manufacturing facilities, bulk storage terminal, warehouses, a fleet of ISO tanks, and operation skids in GCC countries. With a team of over 120 people, driven by expertise, experience, and ethics, AquaChemie is one of the fastest-growing chemicals companies in the Middle East.
MRC

Cabot beats estimates, sees strong auto and tire demand

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Cabot Corp. (Boston, Massachusetts) reports a fiscal fourth-quarter net loss of USD272 million, down from income of USD33 million in the year-ago period. Sales totaled USD659 million, down 20% year-over-year (YOY) from USD827 million, according to Chemweek.

The loss includes USD310 million in after-tax charges, mainly related to the sale and asset impairment of the company’s lignite mine in Texas. Adjusted earnings per share came to USD0.68, down 35% YOY from USD1.05, but well ahead of the average analyst estimate of USD0.58 as compiled by Zacks Investment Research.

“I am very pleased to see the strong sequential demand momentum in the fourth quarter largely driven by an improving global economy and steady improvement in the tire and automotive sectors,” says president and CEO Sean Keohane. “At the segment level, we experienced a significant sequential improvement in demand in reinforcement materials this quarter as customers increased their production levels. In performance chemicals, we saw a modest sequential improvement in volumes as key end markets begin to recover, and in purification solutions, we executed the next step in our transformation plan by selling our lignite mine in Marshall, Texas, and entering into a long-term supply agreement for activated carbon from ADES.”

Keohane says he is encouraged by the pace of recovery in automotive and tires, and Cabot expects both YOY and sequential EBIT improvement in the first quarter of fiscal 2021, which began in October. “Reinforcement materials is expected to benefit from improved margins, particularly in Asia, and we anticipate that performance chemicals will benefit in both volumes and product mix from a strengthening automotive end market,” says the CEO.

Cabot forecasts adjusted earnings per share in the first fiscal quarter of USD0.80-0.90.

The reinforcement materials segment reported EBIT of USD59 million, down USD12 million YOY. Sales totaled USD325 million, down USD127 million, or 28%. An 11% volume decline was partially offset by improved pricing.

The performance chemicals segment reported EBIT of USD25 million, down USD16 million YOY, owing mainly to a less favorable product mix in the specialty carbons and fumed metal oxides, and by a more competitive pricing in fumed metal oxides. Sales totaled USD226 million, down USD33 million, or 13%. Volumes decreased by 9% in the formulated solutions business, driven by declines in specialty compounds and inkjet product lines. Volumes increased 2% in performance additives, driven by the recent energy materials acquisition.

The purification solutions segment reported EBIT of breakeven, down USD3 million YOY. Sales totaled USD67 million, down USD1 million, or 1.5%.

As MRC informed before, Cabot Corporation (Boston, Massachusetts) reports a fiscal third-quarter net loss of USD6 million, down from income of USD32 million in the year-ago quarter. Net sales totaled USD518 million, down 39% year-over-year (YOY) from USD845 million. The company attributes the results to the sharp decline in the automotive and tire sectors. Adjusted earnings per share came to a 7-cent loss, down from profit of USD1.00 in the year-ago period, and short of the average analyst estimate of a 2-cent loss as compiled by Refinitiv (New York).

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 year on year by 6.1% 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. September production of primary polymers decreased to 852,000 tonnes against 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.

Cabot Corporation is an American specialty chemicals and performance materials company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company operates in over 20 countries with 36 manufacturing plants, eight research and development facilities and 28 sales offices.
MRC

Henkel expands partnership with US 3D-printing firm

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Henkel has had four of its Loctite photopolymer materials validated on EnvisionTEC’s latest 3D printing platforms after the pair agreed to expand their partnership, said Chemweek.

For two years, the companies had focused on the development of applications, in industries such as the medical sector, but now are working to support the volume production of end-use components by expanding the range of materials available to EnvisionTEC users. Through this alliance, EnvisionTEC’s patented continuous Digital Light Manufacturing (cDLM) High Temperature (HT) platform will be included within Henkel’s broad 3D printing ecosystem, with Loctite branded formulation being validated for use on EnvisionTEC’s cDLM HT and XtremeDLP platforms.

Among the materials initially validated for use on these EnvisionTEC systems are Loctite 3D 3955 HDT280 FST, a halogen free material boasting flame retardant properties and a high heat deflection temperature, while being the first 3D photopolymer to pass vertical burn and aerospace FST standards; Loctite 3D IND406 HDT100 High Elongation, which is a tough material with good dimensional stability that is said to be suitable for tooling, interior and machinery parts; Loctite 3D 3843 HDT60 High Toughness, a high impact resin with excellent surface finish that is said to be ideal for durable parts production, tooling and low temperature moulding applications; and Loctite 3D IND402 A70 High Rebound, which is a material that does not require thermal post-processing and is able to produce lattice structures for parts like midsoles and soft inserts.

By teaming these materials with EnvisionTEC’s cDLM Digital Light Processing technology, the partners believe DLP adoption for industrial production means will be accelerated taking the technology to ‘the next level’. “We are thrilled to expand our partnership with EnvisionTEC and their innovative cDLM technology,” commented Dr Simon Mawson, Senior Vice President and Global Head of 3D Printing at Henkel. “EnvisionTEC’s new E1 High Temp printer allows Henkel to move beyond the boundaries of viscosity limitations by enabling highly viscous or solid resins, such as Loctite 3955 FST, the first 3D photopolymer that passes vertical burn and aerospace FST standards and Loctite IND402, a single component elastomer material with high resilience and tensile strength, to be heated and printed under controlled conditions. These new generation Loctite materials combined with EnvisionTEC E1 High Temp printers will accelerate the adoption of industrial additive manufacturing."

“For 19 years EnvisionTEC has focused on delivering not just equipment or materials, but true solutions,” commented EnvisionTEC CEO Al Siblani. “We are pleased that our hard work and collaboration with Henkel over the past two years has resulted in the ability to now offer practical solutions to high-volume manufacturing applications that will disrupt traditional processes while offering a solid ROI."

As MRC informed earlier, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Dusseldorf, Germany) announced that Henkel Adhesives Technologies has officially inaugurated its new production facility in Kurkumbh, India.

Henkel are also partnering with Borealis and plastics solutions company Borouge to develop flexible packaging solutions for detergents containing both virgin polyethylene (PE) and high amounts of post-consumer recyclate (PCR) in efforts to increase sustainability.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,496,500 tonnes in the first eight months of 2020, up by 5% year on year. Shipments of all ethylene polymers increased, except for linear low desnity polyethylene (LLDPE). At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 767,2900 tonnes in the eight months of 2020 (calculated using the formula - production minus exports plus imports - and not counting producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer.
MRC

SABIC expands post-consumer recycled engineering thermoplastics for consumer electronics and E&E applications

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Responding to calls from major brands in the consumer electronics business and electrics and electronics (E&E) industry as a whole for more sustainable materials, SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, announced that its engineering thermoplastics business is expanding its portfolio of CYCOLOY and LEXAN resins containing high levels of post-consumer recycled material (PCR), as per the company's press release.

Typical applications for the portfolio will include consumer electronics and accessories such as chargers and adapters, printers, copiers and laptop housing.

The new PCR material is blended with the virgin material to create compounds with PCR levels of initially up to 30%. According to an internal SABIC LCA Study, these compounds offer potentially significant reductions in carbon footprint of up to 25% and in energy consumption of up to 30% compared to virgin material.

SABIC hopes to be able to offer materials with PCR content of up to 60% in 2021. The compounds and their properties will be tailored according to different industry requirements.

“The initiative to produce a broader portfolio of engineering thermoplastics with PCR content complements our existing efforts in making base resins from certified renewable feedstock. Together, our circular solutions from our TRUCIRCLE portfolio and services can help to improve plastic recyclability, lower emissions and drive towards closing the loop on used plastic,” said Sergi Monros, Vice President of Performance Polymers & Industry Solutions for Petrochemicals at SABIC. “Our vision of a circular economy requires collaboration across the value chain, and we are committed to working with downstream and upstream partners to drive the transformation needed.”

The extended range of materials will contain PCR polycarbonate coming from applications such as five-gallon water bottles and optical media. “Such products are made with clear polycarbonate, and they are easy to obtain, sort and clean,” continued Monros. “We are also investigating use of PCR polycarbonate from end of life automotive applications such as head-lights and dashboards.”

Within the expanded portfolio, SABIC will also develop materials to meet the various needs of different players in the market, grades with different levels of flame retardance, reaching up to 5VB @ 1.5 mm, targeting various business equipment applications and electrical applications such as internal components. The company will also offer grades with PCR content for applications that require good clarity. The new portfolio will therefore encompass both unfilled grades and grades containing filler.

SABIC has set very strict requirements on the quality of the incoming PCR material, which it will acquire by partnering with approved suppliers who will source feedstock from around the world. SABIC will obtain the PCR material in ready-to-process granular form, to be compliant with China’s policies on plastics waste.

The new PCR materials form part of SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio and services, which showcases the company’s circular innovations and can help to provide manufacturers with access to more sustainable materials. In doing so, SABIC aims to help manufacturers give the end-consumer more confidence about buying products with the knowledge that the material can be recycled and repurposed, or that it has been produced in a way that can help protect our planet’s natural resources. The TRUCIRCLE portfolio spans design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from feedstock recycling of used plastic and certified renewables products from bio-based feedstock.

As MRC informed previously, in early November, 2020, SABIC announced that BOPP film based on the company’s certified circular PP from feedstock recycling of used plastics will be introduced in primary pet food brand packaging by Mars.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, 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.

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

Venture Global LNG awards KBR EPC contract

Venture Global LNG awards KBR EPC contract

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Venture Global LNG announces that KBR has been awarded the EPC contract as lead contractor for Phase 1 of the Plaquemines LNG export project currently under development in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

KBR will integrate highly modularized, owner-furnished equipment for the 10 MMtpy nameplate facility, identical to the systems being successfully delivered and installed at Venture Global LNG’s Calcasieu Pass project.

Mike Sabel, executive co-chairman and CEO stated, “KBR has an exceptional record in the LNG industry, having designed and delivered approximately a third of the liquefaction capacity worldwide. They recognize that our innovation of mid-scale, modular trains manufactured in a factory setting and delivered complete to site is revolutionizing this industry. Plaquemines LNG will deploy Venture Global’s liquefaction trains 19 through 36, identical to the 18 trains currently being fabricated and delivered to our Calcasieu Pass LNG project. This contract with KBR will allow us to bring a second world-class, mechanically complete LNG production facility to the market, on our schedule and budget."

Executive co-chairman Bob Pender added, “KBR brings more than a century of global experience to the Plaquemines LNG project and shares our commitment to on-time, on-budget execution and the safest possible work environment for our employees and partners. As we approach the commencement of early site works for Plaquemines LNG, we are excited to use the experience gained at Calcasieu Pass – where we are already connecting our first liquefaction trains – to further improve upon the successful approach we’ve developed."

The Plaquemines LNG project has received all required regulatory approvals and has signed binding 20-year offtake agreements with PGNiG (2.5 MMtpy) and EDF (1 MMtpy) for (3.5 MMtpy) of the project’s capacity.

As MRC informed earlier, KBR and Johnson Matthey (JM), announced that they have signed an alliance agreement to license a groundbreaking ammonia-methanol co-production process that combines their market-leading ammonia and methanol technologies.

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, excluding producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply increased exclusively of PP random copolymer.

KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and solutions across the asset and program life cycle within the government services and technology sectors. KBR employs approximately 28,000 people worldwide with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long- term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver.
MRC