Nuberg EPC wins sulfuric acid plant project

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A global EPC and turnkey project management company, Nuberg EPC has been awarded the prestigious 500 TPD Sulfuric Acid Plant project on EPC & LSTK basis in Egypt, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The project, which was awarded during the pandemic, is owned by Sprea Misr, a leading chemicals and plastics manufacturer in Ramadan City, Egypt. Nuberg EPC will be the single-point solution company responsible from concept to commissioning of the project. It is also the globally recognized Sulfuric Acid technology supplier.

The 500 TPD Sulfuric Acid Plant project will be based on the latest Double Contact Double Absorption (DCDA) process technology. The Double contact process is used for the production of sulfuric acid in high concentrations which is required for industrial purposes. The project also incorporates a 5MW turbine with a steam-based power generation plant with a complete bypass arrangement. This is the first time that Nuberg EPC is building a turbine unit for electricity production. Sulfuric Acid produced in the plants will be provided to the agriculture industry for the production of urea and other fertilizers.

This project comes as another milestone for Nuberg EPC, the Sulfuric Acid technology licensor, in Egypt, as it is the fourth turnkey project for the company. Nuberg has also completed three other turnkey projects in Egypt namely, a Caustic Soda plant for the Egyptian Petrochemical Company in Alexandria, a Calcium Chloride plant for TCI Sanmar Chemicals in Port Said, and a Sulfuric Acid plant for AGROCHEM in Alexandria.

Signing the contract amidst the pandemic is yet another achievement for Nuberg EPC. In the Middle East, Nuberg EPC has successfully delivered over fifteen turnkey projects in countries like Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE. This has positioned Nuberg EPC as one of the top EPC companies in the region.

On being awarded the project, Mr. A. K. Tyagi, MD, Nuberg Engineering commented, "We are thankful to Sprea Misr for entrusting our turnkey project engineering capabilities and our EPC services and solutions with its Sulfuric Acid plant. We are excited to partner with them and strengthen our relationship even further. Armed with competent, qualified, and professional engineers along with advancements in sulfuric acid plant technology, we are committed to commission the project by the first quarter of 2022 faster than the industry average of 16 months."

He further stated, "Nuberg EPC's scope of services for this project includes Process Design & Technology including Product and Technology Development, Process Know-how & Licensing, Basic Engineering, Front End Engineering Design (FEED), Construction Management, Operation & Maintenance, Detailed Engineering, Project Management, Commissioning, EPC & LSTK Solutions, Heavy Fabrication, and start-up of the plant."

As MRC informed previously, oil producers face an unprecedented challenge to balance supply and demand as factors including the pace and response to COVID-19 vaccines cloud the outlook, according to an official with International Energy Agency's (IEA) statement.

We remind that the COVID-19 outbreak has led to an unprecedented decline in demand affecting all sections of the Russian economy, which has impacted the demand for petrochemicals in the short-term. However, the pandemic triggered an increase in the demand for polymers in food packaging, and cleaning and hygiene products, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. With Russian petrochemical companies having the advantage of access to low-cost feedstock, and proximity to demand-rich Asian (primarily China) and European markets for the supply of petrochemical products, these companies appear to be well-positioned to derive full benefits from an improving market environment and global economy post-COVID-19, says GlobalData.

We also remind that in December 2020, Sibur, Gazprom Neft, and Uzbekneftegaz agreed to cooperate on potential investments in Uzbekistan including a major expansion of Uzbekneftegaz’s existing Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex (SGCC) and the proposed construction of a new gas chemicals facility. The signed cooperation agreement for the projects includes “the creation of a gas chemical complex using methanol-to-olefins (MTO) technology, and the expansion of the production capacity of the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex”.

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.

Nuberg EPC has been providing plant design, engineering, technology, and turnkey solutions to the sulphuric acid industry for 25 years. Nuberg EPC has its own technology specially designed and developed to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Sulphuric Acid plants. The company is a global leader for not only executing turnkey Chemical and Fertilizer projects worldwide but also serves Hydrocarbon, Steel, and Nuclear & Defense industries globally.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Bayer’s supervisory board has announced the appointment of Sarena Lin to the company’s management board as chief transformation and talent officer, effective 1 February, according to Chemweek.

She will be responsible for human resources, strategy, and business consulting and “drive the accelerated transformation of Bayer,” the company says. She will also serve as labor director. Lin will be based at Bayer’s Leverkusen, Germany, headquarters.

Lin will join Bayer from Elanco Animal Health, where she is a member of the executive committee, responsible for transformation and technology. She was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and previously worked in senior positions at McKinsey and Cargill, among other companies.

Elanco acquired Bayer’s animal health business in 2020.

As MRC reported earlier, Covestro closed the sale of its European polycarbonates (PC) sheets business to the Munich-based Serafin Group effective January 2, 2020. This includes key management and sales functions throughout Europe as well as production sites in Belgium and Italy.

Covestro (formerly Bayer MaterialScience) is an independent subgroup within Bayer. It was created as part of the restructuring of Bayer AG from the former business group Bayer Polymers, with certain of its activities being spun off to Lanxess AG. Covestro manufactures and develops materials such as coatings, adhesives and sealants, polycarbonates (CDs, DVDs), polyurethanes (automotive seating, insulation for refrigerating appliances) etc.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated consumption of PC granules (excluding imports and exports to\\from Belarus) rose in January-November 2020 by 18% year on year to 83,600 tonnes (70,600 tonnes a year earlier).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Inovyn (London, U.K.) has been selected by Koyuncu Group to supply chlor alkali technology as part of a EUR16 million investment at a new production facility in Konya province, Turkey, said Chemweek.

Inovyn will provide BICHLOR bipolar electrolyzers for a new 33,000-m2 facility that will produce chlorine, caustic, sodium hypochlorite and hydrochloric acid. The new facility will have an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons, with potential for further investment in the production of derivatives in the future.

Engineering, construction and start-up for the project will be provided by Vespro A.S., an experienced supplier of process equipment for chemical and industrial plants, both domestically and internationally. The project duration is 15 months and production is planned to start by the beginning of 2022.

Ibrahim Koyunco, Chairman of the Executive Board of Koyuncu Group, states: “When selecting the technologies for our investment, choosing environmentally friendly, sustainable and energy efficient cutting-edge technology was essential."

Terry Healy, Business Manager for INOVYN Electrochemical Technology, said: “We are pleased to be recognized as electrochemical experts and a trusted partner with a significant track record for high-quality products. We look forward to a successful project with Vespro and Koyuncu, delivering on our commitment to reducing the overall lifecycle cost for our customers."

As MRC reported earlier, the November production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) in Russia amounted to 111 thousand tons (100% of the main substance) against 108 thousand tons a month earlier. For eleven months of the year, the total production of caustic soda amounted to 1,165.6 thousand tons, which is 1.3% less than the same indicator of the previous year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lotte Chemical has recently completed its due diligence on potential acquisition of JSR’s elastomers business, according to Chemweek with reference to a local press report from Business Korea.

Lotte Chemical has selected Nomura Securities as its lead manager for the acquisition, says the report.

JSR’s elastomers unit produces emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR), solution styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR), polybutadiene rubber, and isoprene rubber. IHS Markit data says that JSR is the largest producer of SBR in Japan, accounting for a combined capacity of 210,000 metric tons.

Lotte Chemical established a joint venture (JV) with Versalis (Milan), the chemicals arm of Eni (Rome), and has been operating 100,000-metric tons/year S-SBR facilities for high-performance tires since 2017.

The press report says that the JV has been making losses in this business. It is not easy for new companies to enter the S-SBR sector due to difficult quality certification procedures set by existing customers such as automakers, adds the report. The report says that the acquisition will help Lotte Chemical to meet product standards required by global tire manufacturers.

Lotte’s flagship products include butadiene and styrene monomer, used as raw materials for synthetic rubber. Lotte will be able to enjoy huge synergies by absorbing the elastomers division from JSR, says the report.

It says that JSR plans to sell its elastomers business for a price of up to 1 trillion South Korean won (USD908 million). Press reports quoting industry experts say that JSR’s elastomers business suffered a loss in the aftermath of COVID-19 in 2020, a factor that will be reflected in price calculation.

As MRC reported before, South Korea’s Lotte Chemical has restarted its fire-hit naphtha-fed steam cracker in Daesan. Thus, the facility begins trial runs of naphtha on 7 December, 2020, and the company achieved commercial production on 8 December. The cracker was shut on March 4, 2020m following an explosion, which injured more than 30 people.

Lotte Chemical runs two naphtha crackers in South Korea. One cracker is located in Daesan county in Seosan which can produce 1.1 million tonnes per year of ethylene with the other 1.2 million tonnes per year cracker in the southwestern city of Yeosu.

Styrene is the main feedstock for the production of polystyrene (PS).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated consumption of PS and styrene plastics totalled 454,990 tonnes in the first eleven months of 2020, which corresponds to the last year's figure. November estimated consumption of PS and styrene plastics grew by 4% year on year to 45,830 tonnes.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ineos Styrolution, the styrenics subsidiary of Ineos, says it will build a demonstration plant at its manufacturing site in Antwerp, Belgium, to test production of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastic from recycled feedstock, said Chemweek.

The demo plant will complement another demo unit planned by Styrolution’s ‘ABSolutely Circular’ project partner Indaver (Mechelen, Belgium), a waste management company. Both plants are part of the ABS circular recycling project, which is supported by the EU’s LIFE program.

The company “is still open for new partners to start working with us on the demonstration plant,” says Styrolution’s Bart van der Zee, technical R&D project lead. “I invite technology providers to join us on our mission,” he says.

Styrolution and Indaver announced in December 2020 they would collaborate as technology partners for the four-year project to produce ABS from recycled feedstock, and that they would be funded by the LIFE program, the EU’s funding instrument for environment and resource efficiency.

The two companies also linked up mid-2019 for the chemical recycling of post-consumer polystyrene (PS) waste. Indaver has large-scale treatment facilities in Antwerp, with plans for a 15,000-metric tons/year demonstration chemical-recycling installation to be operational in 2021.

As MRC informed earlier, Ineos Styrolution plans to raise prices for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) by 7 cents per pound (USD154 per tonne) from February 1. The company also sought a similar increase in ABS prices from December 15 by two of its brands. The intention to raise prices stems from rising raw materials and logistics costs associated with the production and supply of ABS, the letter said.

According to the ICIS-MRC Price Report, ABS imports to Russia grew by 4% in the first ten months of this year compared to the same period last year and amounted to 29,100 tonnes against 28,000 tonnes. The share of South Korean supplies amounted to 62% (18,200 tonnes) against 57% (16,100 tonnes) in January-October 2019.
MRC