Axens selected by Sumitomo Chemical for a waste-to-polyolefins project

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sumitomo Chemical and Axens signed a license agreement of ethanol-to-ethylene technology Atol for Sumitomo Chemical’s waste-to-polyolefins project in Japan, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

In the project, to promote circular economy, Axens’ Atol technology will transform ethanol produced from waste into polymer-grade ethylene that will be polymerized in Sumitomo Chemical’s assets into polyolefin, a key product in the petrochemical industry.

At full roll-out, the project will enable the production of waste-based polyolefin at industrial scale, which will represent a leapfrog towards a sustainable economy based on renewable carbon.

Axens Renewables Business Group Director Frederic Balligand said: “This project addresses the waste plastics issue by reusing them as a feedstock in a context of greenhouse gas emission reduction. With its wide portfolio of renewable technologies, Axens is ready to support players in the industry to overcome the challenges of the future. Axens is excited to work with Sumitomo Chemical for this project with Atol technology, accelerating the deployment of circular economy in Japan.”

As MRC reported previously, in early March 2020, Sekisui Chemical and Sumitomo Chemical agreed to form a strategic alliance to deploy technology for manufacturing polyolefin using waste as a raw material. The alliance combines Sekisui's production technology for converting waste into ethanol with Sumitomo's technological know-how in manufacturing polyolefin. Pilot production is scheduled to begin in fiscal 2022, with full-scale market launch of the production method expected in fiscal 2025.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,760,950 tonnes in the first ten months of 2020, up by 3% year on year. Only high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 978,870 tonnes in January-October 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports minus producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply of exclusively of PP random copolymer increased.

Sumitomo Chemical is a Japanese based manufacturer of a diverse range of products, including basic chemicals, petrochemicals and plastics, fine chemicals, agricultural chemicals, IT-related chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
MRC

BASF announces second price rise within a month for neopentylglycol in Europe

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF has increased the price of neopentylglycol (NPG) in Europe with immediate effect or as existing contracts allow, the second price rise for the product within a month, said Chemweek.

The price for NPG has been hiked by EUR200/metric ton (USD242/metric ton). This is in addition to a price rise of EUR150/metric ton in Europe for the same polyalcohol product announced on 10 November, it says. NPG is used in applications such as the production of polyester and alkyd resins for various coatings and plastics.

We remind that BASF restarted its No. 1 steam cracker following a maintenance turnaround on September 30, 2019. The plant was shut for maintenance in mid-August, 2019. Located at Ludwigshafen in Germany, the No. 1 cracker has an ethylene production capacity of 235,000 mt/year and a propylene production capacity of 125,000 mt/year.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,760,950 tonnes in the first ten months of 2020, up by 3% year on year. Only high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 978,870 tonnes in January-October 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports minus producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply of exclusively of PP random copolymer increased.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries.
MRC

Beiersdorf to use Sabic renewable PP for cosmetics packaging

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sabic says that Beiersdorf (Hamburg, Germany), a skin-care specialist, will be using certified renewable polypropylene (PP) from Sabic’s portfolio of second-generation bio-based materials to package its cosmetic products, as per the company's press release.

The new packaging products will be introduced in the market in 2021 and replace fossil-based virgin PP, the company says. Sabic’s certified renewable PP and polyethylene (PE) materials are derived from animal-free and palm-oil-free second-generation renewable feedstock, it says.

“The use of renewable raw materials in our product packaging represents a major lever for us to reduce our carbon emissions and improve our ecological footprint,” says Michael Becker, head/global packaging development at Beiersdorf. The company wants to make its packaging 100% refillable, reusable, or recyclable; increase the share of recycled material in plastic packaging to 30%; and reduce the use of fossil-based virgin plastic by 50% compared with 2019, by 2025, Sabic says.

From sourcing the raw feedstock to producing the polymers, each ton of Sabic’s bio-based PP and PE reduces CO2 emissions by an average of 4 kilograms compared with fossil-based virgin alternatives, the company says. It also cuts fossil depletion by up to 80%, according to a cradle-to-gate life-cycle analysis, Sabic says.

As MRC reported earlier, 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 has announced that its engineering thermoplastics business is expanding its portfolio of CYCOLOY and LEXAN resins containing high levels of post-consumer recycled material (PCR). Typical applications for the portfolio will include consumer electronics and accessories such as chargers and adapters, printers, copiers and laptop housing.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,760,950 tonnes in the first ten months of 2020, up by 3% year on year. Only high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 978,870 tonnes in January-October 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports minus producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply of exclusively of PP random copolymer increased.

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

COVID-19 - News digest as of 14.12.2020

1. U.S. crude stocks soar 15 MMbbls amid record surge in net imports

MOSCOW (MRC) - U.S. crude oil stockpiles last week surged the most since April, jumping more than 15 million barrels, as imports rose and exports plunged, the Energy Information Administration said Reuters. The unexpected supply build and record rise in net imports stunned the oil market, which has been weighed down by low demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. "It defies the math that is in the market, for sure," said Bob Yawger, director of Energy Futures at Mizuho in New York. "Do U.S. refiners, at a time when they're closing refineries, need to increase imports by a million barrels a day? That's ridiculous."


MRC

MEGlobal raises ACP for January 2021 by USD10 per tonne

MOSCOW (MRC) -- MEGlobal has announced its Asian Contract Price (ACP) for monoethylene glycol (MEG) to be shipped in January 2021, according to the company's press release.

Thus, on 11 December, the company said ACP for MEG would be at USD670/MT CFR Asian main ports for arrival in January 2021, up by USD10/MT from December.

The November 2020 ACP reflects the short term supply/demand situation in the Asian market.

As MRC reported earlier, MEGlobal announced its December ACP for MEG at USD660/MT CFR Asian main ports, up by USD10/tonne from November.

MEG is one of the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

According to ICIS-MRC Price report, in Russia, December contract PET prices were in the range of Rb68,100-71,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT. Most producers raised their prices of material last week and expect further price increases by the end of this month.

MEGlobal is a fully integrated supplier of monoethylene glycol (MEG) and diethylene glycol (DEG), collectively known as ethylene glycol (EG).
MRC