TPC is not going to conduct turnaround at its LDPE plant in Singapore in 2021

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Polyolefins Company (TPC) has decided not to shut its low denisty polyethylene (LDPE) plant in Jurong Island, Singapore in mid-July 2021 for maintenance, according to CommoPlast with reference to market sources.

The turnaround at this plant with a capacity of 260,000 mt/year of LDPE was initially expected to last for 45 days.

TPC last conducted maintenance at its LDPE plant in Jurong Island in July 2018.

The company also operated polypropylene (PP) plant with the combined capacty of all lines of 680,000 mt/year of PP at the same site, where a major 45-day overhaul was scheduled to begin in mid-July. Only part of this plant would be shut during the time, according to a source close to the producer. Affected grades might include PP random copolymers and terpolymer, wherease the homo-PP line would remain operating.

The company's polyolefins plants in Singapore receive feedstock from No. 2 cracker of the Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (PCS), which was also to be shut for 30 days of repairs in July.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, May estimated LDPE consumption in Russia grew to 47,730 tonnes from 37,630 tonnes a month earlier. Russian producers increased their LDPE shipments to the domestic market by reducing exports. Russia's estimated LDPE consumption totalled about 235,610 tonnes in the first five months of 2021, up by only 1% year on year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China's June diesel exports rebounded from May and more than doubled from the same period last year, as refiners shipped out more surplus barrels amid record refinery production, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Diesel shipments last month reached 2.36 million tons, versus 1.68 million tons in May and 1.04 million tons in June 2020, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Sunday.

Chinese refineries processed at record rates in June as plants returned from maintenance and due to the start-up of a new crude unit at private mega refiner Zhejiang Petrochemical Corp in April.

Traders also rushed to bring in earlier booked cargoes of blending fuels - light cycle oil and mixed aromatic - before a new tax came into effect, adding to a domestic fuel surplus.

Jet kerosene exports also increased in June to 910,000 tons, the highest level since April 2020 and compared with 770,000 tons a year earlier. June gasoline exports were 1.45 million tons, down from 1.55 million tons in May but up 91% from June 2020.

For the first half of this year, diesel exports totalled 13.01 million tons, up 14.6% from the same period last year, while gasoline exports rose 21.3% to 9.56 million tons Sunday's data also showed China's June LNG imports were 6.72 million tonnes, easing from 7.03 million tons in May.

Imports in the first six months rose 27.8% on the year to 39.78 million tons, as companies extended strong purchases even after the peak-demand heating season ends in mid-March, helping push up Asian spot prices of the super-chilled fuel.

As MRC reported earlier, in April, 2021, Zhejiang Petrochemical Co Ltd (ZPC) started up its No. 2 cracker in Zhoushan, China, which is part of the company's phase 2 petrochemical project in the cournty. Thus, the cracker with an annual capacity of 1.4 million tons/year of ethylene and 700,000 tons/year of propylene began trial runs last week.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 953,400 tonnes in the first five months of 2021, which virtually corresponded to the same figure a year earlier. High denisty polyethylene (HDPE) shipments decreased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 607,8900 tonnes in January-May 2021, up by 33% year on year. Shipments of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas deliveries of PP random copolymers decreased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Specialty colourant supplier Chroma Color Corp. has appointed Shruti Singhal as its new CEO and member of the company board of directors, said Canplastics.

Singhal replaces outgoing Chroma CEO Tom Bolger, who served in the position for the past 16 years. "We have been fortunate to have Tom Bolger’s leadership throughout our investment which has seen the company deliver record breaking growth, the completion of seven acquisitions and the integration of those businesses which has expanded Chroma’s footprint and broadened offerings to our customers,” Chroma board chairman George Abd said. “While we will miss Tom’s leadership day to day, he will continue to work with Shruti and the company as we move forward."

Singhal has worked in North America and Europe, and has held positions of increasing management and executive responsibility with multinational companies including Henkel, Cognis (now BASF), Rohm & Haas, The Dow Chemical Co., Ashland, Solenis, and General Cable. Prior to joining Chroma, he most recently served as president for the DSM’s engineering materials business. He holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Drexel University, a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, and also completed the Global Marketing Management Program at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

As per MRC, in a move to expand its product offerings, specialty colour and additive concentrate supplier Chroma Color Corp. has acquired Polymer Concentrates Inc. (PCI) of Clinton, Mass. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed. PCI develops and manufactures colour concentrates for the international plastics industry.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 953,400 tonnes in the first five months of 2021, which virtually corresponded to the same figure a year earlier. High denisty polyethylene (HDPE) shipments decreased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 607,8900 tonnes in January-May 2021, up by 33% year on year. Shipments of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas deliveries of PP random copolymers decreased.

Headquartered in McHenry, Ill., Chroma makes colour concentrates based on a variety of resins for several markets. The firm employs about 400 and has annual sales of more than US$160 million. In mid-2018, investment firm Arsenal Capital Partners combined Chroma with materials firms Carolina Color, Breen Color Concentrates, and Breen’s Hudson Color unit – which were all owned by Arsenal – to create the current Chromo firm.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Protective packaging maker Pregis LLC is making a USD80 million investment in a new, state-of-the-art blown film extrusion facility in Anderson, S.C., said Canplasrics.

In a July 19 news release, the Deerfield, Ill.-based company says the 168,000 square foot facility will feature multiple newly-installed lines will be producing the latest engineered films that be used downstream to manufacture performance-oriented, packaging solutions for food, CPG and medical device applications. The plant will also include a world-class film laboratory to develop and test materials, the company said.

“We believe that this new facility will be the most technologically-advanced extrusion facility in North America,” said Pregis president and CEO Kevin Baudhuin.

In keeping with Pregis’ previously announced 2K30 environmental goals, the Anderson facility will also feature the latest in energy-efficiency in manufacturing and other plant functions, Pregis said. “[The] objective is to run in the most sustainable manner possible, so that it improves its carbon footprint, reduces environmental impact, while making significant, positive contributions to people and society," the news release said.

The facility will create 120 new jobs for workers in the Greenville area and is expected to be operational in September.

As per MRC, French waste management and recycling major Paprec is planning to build a new mixed-plastic waste sorting facility in Chalon-Sur-Saone. Construction will start in the next few months for completion at the end of 2021. The facility will sort mixed-coloured waste by material and colour and is expected to have a capacity of approximately 30,000 tonnes/year.

According to the ScanPlast survey of MRC, PP supplies to the Russian market in January-May this year amounted to 607,890 tonnes, which is 33% more than the same indicator a year earlier. The supply of propylene homopolymer (PP-homo) and propylene block copolymer (PP-block) also increased. The supply of stat-copolymer propylene (PP-random) has declined.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Turkey has imposed an import ban on ethylene polymer plastic waste as environmental groups sound the alarm on the world’s plastic consumption and lack of effective recycling, said Apnews.

In an amendment published in Turkey’s Official Gazette on Tuesday, the Trade Ministry added ethylene polymer plastics to its list of waste materials that are illegal to import. The ban will take effect in 45 days. The environmental group Greenpeace Mediterranean welcomed the news, calling it a “very important step towards the goal of zero waste importation” as set out by Turkey’s Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. The group said 74% of the plastic waste imported by Turkey last year will now be on the banned list.

In a visual investigation published this week, Greenpeace said plastic waste like shopping bags and packaging from the U.K. and Germany were being dumped and burned in southern Turkey. “Around 241 truckloads of plastic waste come to Turkey every day from across Europe and it overwhelms us. As far as we can see from the data and the field, we continue to be Europe’s largest plastic waste dump,” said Nihan Temiz Atas, the biodiversity projects head of Greenpeace Mediterranean.

The environment minister, Murat Kurum, said 152 waste facilities were audited in southern Adana province after “undesirable images were revealed.” Twenty-nine of them shut down, 32 were fined and criminal complaints filed against businesses that were causing pollution. He said Wednesday monitoring would continue in all recycling processes.

Kurum added Turkey didn’t import garbage and added that the import of mixed plastic waste was outlawed in 2021. Companies importing recyclable plastics to process into raw materials for use in Turkey are required to hold an identification code that allows for monitoring. "Our goal is a national industry that can get a 100% of its raw materials from the domestic market and end imports of waste from the world and a very clean Turkey," he said.

The Turkish Plastics Industrialists’ Association criticized the ban, saying the ministry had not consulted with industry representatives. “The ban puts our country’s plastics sector into a deadlock,” the group’s President Selcuk Gulsun said, calling for the measure to be withdrawn. Polyethylene plastics are one of the most widely produced plastics in the world.

As it was written earlier, German Bundestag has decided that supermarkets will no longer offer plastic bags to customers from 2022. The German government has prepared a corresponding bill in November last year.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 953,400 tonnes in the first five months of 2021, which virtually corresponded to the same figure a year earlier. High density polyethylene (HDPE) shipments decreased.
MRC