Mammoet completes final PTC lifts at petrochemical plant in Pennsylvania

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mammoet’s team completed several lifts using the PTC 200-DS in Potter Township, Pennsylvania last year. Originally there were ten scheduled lifts to be executed at a radius of 146m (480ft), with the heaviest two pieces weighing in at over 663.4t (1.4m lbs.) each, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

In order to maximize construction efficiency and because of its reach and centralized location, Mammoet’s PTC was proposed as an option to complete other lifts on site as necessary. Ultimately, a further 137 lifts, not previously included in the PTC’s scope, were executed within the crane’s 205m (673ft) working radius.

By combining lifting capacity - up to 4,535t (5,000 US) tons - with its long reach and flexible configuration, Mammoet’s PTC provided an ideal solution on site. Because the counterweight is positioned on the ring, cranes such as the PTC don’t need any additional space to slew, allowing an efficient use of available space while still providing an extended lifting range.

Additionally, Mammoet’s crew set six steel pre-assemblies over existing purge bins inside the plant. These maneuvers needed to be made approximately 91m (300ft) above ground level, with use of tag lines. By setting this steel in pre-assembled sections, the amount of work performed at elevation was greatly reduced.

A hydraulic swivel was used to help steady the load because using tag lines alone would have been infeasible for controlling the orientation of each piece. With the assistance of the remote-controlled hydraulic swivel, the pre-assemblies were able to be precisely positioned. This was a necessity due to a clearance of less than 5cm (2in) at times between the pre-assemblies and the purge bins. The facility is the first major U.S. project of its kind to be built outside of the Gulf Coast region in 20 years. Once operational, the complex will include four processing units, including an ethane cracker and three polyethylene units and is expected to employ up to 600 workers. In early 2019, Mammoet’s MSG80 successfully lifted a 1,814t (2,000 US ton) quench tower into position, which was the tallest and heaviest lift scheduled at this location.

As MRC informed earlier, Mammoet has safely completed a critical lift at Shell’s Pennsylvania Chemicals Project in Potter Township, utilizing its MSG80 to hoist a 2,000 ton quench tower into position. The facility is the first major US project of its kind to be built outside of the Gulf Coast region in 20 years. Once operational, the facility will boast an ethane cracker and three polyethylene units, and is expected to employ up to 600 employees. As part of its heavy lift scope, Mammoet recently lifted the tallest and heaviest piece, a quench tower, into place using its specialized MSG80 crane.

We remind that PetroChina has nearly doubled the amount of Russian crude being processed at its refinery in Dalian, the company's biggest, since January 2018, as a new supply agreement had come into effect. The Dalian Petrochemical Corp, located in the northeast port city of Dalian, was expected to process 13 million tonnes, or 260,000 bpd of Russian pipeline crude in 2018, up by about 85 to 90 percent from the previous year's level. Dalian has the capacity to process about 410,000 bpd of crude. The increase follows an agreement worked out between the Russian and Chinese governments under which Russia's top oil producer Rosneft was to supply 30 million tonnes of ESPO Blend crude to PetroChina in 2018, or about 600,000 bpd. That would have represented an increase of 50 percent over 2017 volumes.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing 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.
MRC

Solvay to use renewable gas to power cyclopentanone unit at Melle, France

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay says it has agreed to buy renewable gas to power the production of cyclopentanone at its plant in Melle, France, as part of a wider decarbonization drive, reporte Chemweek.

The company has committed to use biomethane gas to power the cyclopentanone unit at Melle for the next 15 years from an 18-gigawatt hours/year waste biomass facility built by an agricultural cooperative.

“Since cyclopentanone is used as a building block for so many fragrance applications, such as jasmine, we are committed to producing it in the most sustainable way,” says Guillaume Meunier, global market director/flavor and fragrance at Solvay's aroma performance business. The commitment to power the plant with renewable gas is part of the company’s initiative to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26% by 2030, he says.

Solvay commercializes two grades of cyclopentanone, one for the fragrance market and another ultra-high-purity version for the electronics market. Both are manufactured at the Melle facility.

As MRC reported earlier, in August, 2020, through the acquisition of the Solvay polyamide (PA) business, BASF enhanced its R&D capabilities in Asia Pacific with new technologies, technical expertise, and upgraded material and part testing services. BASF is planning to integrate the R&D centers from Solvay into its R&D existing facilities in Shanghai, China, and Seoul, Korea. The enhanced capabilities will boost BASF’s position as a solution provider to develop advanced material solutions for key industries.

We remind that BASF-YPC, a 50-50 joint venture of BASF and Sinopec, undertook a planned shutdown at its naphtha cracker on 30 April 2020. The company initially planned to start turnaround at the cracker on April 5, 2020. The plant remained under maintenance unitl 18 June, 2020. Located in Jiangsu, China, the cracker has an ethylene capacity of 750,000 mt/year and propylene capacity of 400,000 mt/year.

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

According to MRC's DataScope report, PE imports to Russia decreased in January-November 2020 by 17% year on year and reached 569,900 tonnes. High density polyethylene (HDPE) accounted for the greatest reduction in imports. At the same time, PP imports into Russia increased by 21% year on year to about 202,000 tonnes in the first eleven months of 2020. Propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) accounted for the main increase in imports.
MRC

Fire at Rosneft refinery in Russia Far East contained

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A fire at a secondary unit at an oil refinery owned by Rosneft in Russia's far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur has been contained, said Reuters.

The blaze has not caused any injuries and the incident would not have in impact on production plans, said the company's spokesman.

The Komsomolsk refinery processed 7.23 million tonnes of oil in 2019. It produced 567,000 tonnes of gasoline, 1.91 million tonnes of diesel, 2.04 million tonnes of marine fuel and 1.34 million tonnes of heavy petroleum fuel.

As MRC informed earlier, Lummus Technology (Houston) and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) announced multiple technology contracts with PT Pertamina Rosneft Pengolahan dan Petrokimia (PRPP), a joint venture (JV) between Indonesia’s PT Pertamina (Persero) and Russia’s Rosneft Oil Company for a grassroots refinery and petrochemical complex in Tuban, Indonesia.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing 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.
MRC

Highsun invests in new nylon-6 line in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- HSCC, also known as Highsun, is installing a polyamide 6 (PA6) film grade polymer line with a nameplate capacity of more than 70,000 tonnes/year at its site in Fuzhou, Fujian province, said Chemweek.

The line will include an integrated dry-blending system, enabling HSCC to produce a full range of differentiated PA6 polymers targeted at the film market, it said in a statement.

70,000-metric tons/year PA6 production line in Fuzhou will start operations in March 2021.

German chemical engineer Uhde Inventa-Fischer is the project’s technology partner. Financial details were not disclosed.

As it was written earlier, in accordance with the agreement initially announced on June 10, 2019, Air Liquide has closed the sale of its subsidiary Air Liquide Fuzhou to Highsun Holding Group, the parent company of Fujian Shenyuan New Materials Co., Ltd.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing 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.

MRC

Massachusetts, Connecticut low-carbon fuel program draws industry ire

MOSCOW (MRC) - U.S. governors from Massachusetts and Connecticut announced their commitment to a low-carbon transportation program on Monday, but gasoline-related trade groups say it has flaws that will harm, rather than promote, use of fuels that produce fewer pollutants, as per Reuters.

Some oil refiners and energy trade groups have been more supportive this year of low-carbon fuel programs nationwide because the incentives can prove profitable for their industries. The Transportation and Climate Initiative Program, or TCI-P, favored by the states would require large gasoline and diesel suppliers to purchase auctionable "allowances" for the pollution caused by combustion of fuels they sell in participating areas.

Trade groups, including the National Association of Truckstop Operators (NATSO) and the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), argue that TCI-P fails to effectively encourage investment in alternative fuels, and instead only penalizes fuel retailers that sell traditional fuel, according to a letter seen by Reuters addressed to a Massachusetts state official.

Another incentive program, California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, allows refiners to generate tradable credits with production of lower carbon-intensive fuels. "Market-oriented incentive policies have proven to drive private sector investment in clean fuels, but TCI's centralized, punitive structure will make businesses reluctant to embrace alternative fuels," said David Fialkov, counsel to NATSO.

Kathleen Theoharides, secretary for the executive office of energy and environmental affairs in Massachusetts, said that through the program, the market would encourage investment. "This is certainly going to send a market signal that if they make investments in renewable blends, they can pass on a cheaper cost to consumers and outcompete their competitors," Theoharides said.

As MRC informed earlier, during the week ended 19 December, chemical railcar traffic in North America totaled 45,883 carloads, down 1.2% from the previous week and up 0.6% year-over-year (YOY). On a four-week basis, volume was up 6.1% from 2019 and down 4.6% from 2018 (chart). For the year to date, chemical railcar traffic in North America was down 2.8%, even with the previous week and the highest figure since mid-May, when volume for the year to date was down 2.4%.

We remind that Russia"s output of chemical products rose in October 2020 by 7.2% year on year. At the same time, production of basic chemicals grew in the first ten months of 2020 by 6.3% year on year, 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-October output. October production of polymers in primary form grew to 857,000 tonnes from 852,000 tonnes in September. Overall output of polymers in primary form totalled 8,340,000 tonnes over the stated period, up by 17% year on year.

We also remind that Russia's output of products from polymers grew in October 2020 by 6.3% year on year.
However, this figure increased by 1.5% year on year in the first ten months of 2020. According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, October production of unreinforced and non-combined films rose to 124,000 tonnes from 117,600 tonnes a month earlier. Output of films products grew in January-October 2020 by 8.5% year on year to 1 104,900 tonnes.
MRC