Brenntag completes conversion to new legal form

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Brenntag, the market leader in chemical and ingredients distribution, has completed the process of changing from a German Aktiengesellschaft (AG), or stock corporation, to a European company, or Societas Europaea (SE), according to Chemweek.

The company says it is now doing business as Brenntag SE. The conversion, which was announced by the company's management and supervisory boards in 2019 and approved at its 2020 annual shareholders' meeting, came into force when it was entered into the commercial register on 1 February 2021.

Brenntag SE will keep its headquarters in Essen, Germany, and continue under the dual management of its management and supervisory boards. The conversion will not affect the responsibilities or composition of either board, the company says.

“Almost 17,500 people from more than 100 countries work for Brenntag, around 90% of them outside Germany," says Christian Kohlpaintner, chairman of Brenntag SE’s management board. "The SE is a supranational, up-to-date legal form that suits today’s corporate culture; it will strengthen our position and help drive Brenntag’s development.”

As MRC informed earlier, in April 2020, Brenntag sai it had acquired the operating assets of Suffolk Solutions’ (Suffolk, Virginia) caustic soda distribution business. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

We remind that November production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) in Russia were 111,000 tonnes (100% of the basic substance) versus 108,000 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of caustic soda totalled 1,165,600 tonnes in the first eleven months of 2020, down by 1.3% year on year.
MRC

Marathon-Teamsters talks stall as lockout continues

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Talks between Marathon Petroleum Corp and union workers at their St. Paul Park, Minnesota, refinery have stalled, with about 200 workers locked out following a 24-hour strike in January, the local Teamsters union said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

No talks have been scheduled after the latest talks last Monday, according to Scott Kroona, business manager of the Teamsters Local 120. “We remain willing and available to meet with union representatives to discuss a new contract and are committed to reaching an agreement that is satisfactory to all parties,” said a Marathon spokesman.

The workers have been locked out since Jan. 22 following a 24-hour strike at the refinery. Marathon said the refinery is being operated by “trained and qualified Marathon Petroleum personnel.” It does not anticipate supply disruptions in Minnesota or the Midwest region and expects to continue meeting customer commitments, it added.

Union carriers such as Barton Oil and Praxair and certain building trades are not crossing the picket line at the plant, and the refinery is running at lower-than-normal rates, Kroona said. Teamsters representatives said they continued to oppose Marathon’s proposal to cut union positions at the refinery.

As MRC reported earlier, US refiner Marathon Petroleum Corp is delaying all maintenance projects at its 102,000 barrel-per-day St. Paul Park, Minnesota, refinery for 2020 amid concerns related to the spread of the novel coronavirus. Several refiners have delayed planned maintenance at their plants this year due to concerns around the spread of the coronavirus among workers, or as part of capital and operational expense cuts.

Besides, Marathon Petroleum Corp idled its 166,000 barrel-per-day (bpd)refinery in Martinez, California beginning April 27 in response to the coronavirus pandemic’s hit to demand for refined products.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,220,640 tonnes in 2020, up by 2% year on year. Only shipments of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) increased. At the same time, polypropylene (PP) shipments to the Russian market reached 1 240,000 tonnes in 2020 (calculated using the formula: production, minus exports, plus imports, exluding producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020).
MRC

Clariant & Casale develop new ammonia catalyst for sustainable CO2 reduction

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Meet AmoMax-Casale: the sustainable, award-winning new ammonia synthesis catalyst jointly developed by Clariant and Casale. Thanks to significantly higher activity than previous catalysts, AmoMax-Casale makes ammonia production more efficient and less polluting than ever before, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Producing ammonia (NH3) creates more carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than any other chemical synthesis process. That’s why Clariant works relentlessly to enhance its ammonia synthesis catalysts, leading to step changes like the industry proven AmoMax 10, which changed the game of ammonia synthesis from magnetite-based to wustite-based catalysts. Now, there’s a solution that even surpasses the past generation AmoMax.

Born of Clariant’s catalyst expertise and Casale’s ammonia converter design know-how, AmoMax-Casale delivers an up to 30 percent higher efficiency factor, also thanks to a larger active surface area than previous generations of AmoMax. This striking performance surge significantly lowers the energy consumption of an ammonia plant, such leading to a major reduction in CO2 emissions.

The catalyst’s higher activity allows operation of the ammonia synthesis loop with considerably less pressure. This means the plant consumes less energy to produce ammonia, and hence generates less CO2 emissions.

Higher catalyst activity means higher conversion, so the plant will consume less energy for the recirculation of the process gas in the reactor loop. Again, less CO2 is emitted.

The combination of a higher active catalyst with the Casale design of converter internals makes the difference. This means, a typical ammonia plant producing 1600 tons/day, would save potentially US$ 300,000 annually on energy costs, and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 85,000 tons over the catalyst’s average lifetime of 15 years. Furthermore, AmoMax-Casale is capable of increasing the ammonia production capacity by up to 5%.

The benefits of AmoMax-Casale are not just theoretical. The catalyst has already proven its great performance in its first industrial reference at an ammonia plant in the Americas. The plant was upgraded to a Casale 3-bed interchanger using the AmoMax-Casale catalyst in late 2019 and is already reporting energy savings of 50,000 kcal/MT, which translates to an expected annual reduction of US$700,000 in costs, and 6.148 tons in CO2 emissions.

Casale and Clariant plan to continue to collaborate in further ammonia projects, as well as other future technologies that will help our customers achieve net zero CO2 targets.

As MRC informed earlier, in October 2020, Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland) announced the construction of a new state-of-the-art catalyst production site in China. This project represents a significant investment which further strengthens Clariant’s position in China and enhances its ability to support its customers in the country’s thriving petrochemicals industry.

The new facility will be primarily responsible for producing the Catofin catalyst for propane dehydrogenation, which is used in the production of olefins such as propylene. Thanks to its excellent reliability and productivity, Catofin delivers superior annual production output compared to alternative technologies, resulting in increased overall profitability for propylene producers, says the company. Construction at the Dushan Port Economic Development Zone in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province was scheduled to commence in Q3 2020, and Clariant expects to be at full production capacity by 2022.

Propylene is the main feedstock for the production of polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 1 240,000 tonnes in 2020 (calculated using the formula: production, minus exports, plus imports, exluding producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020).

Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints.
MRC

Quebec waste to biofuels plant secures investment

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Varennes Carbon Recycling, the landmark waste to biofuels plant in Varennes, Quebec, has now reached financial close, with investment agreements signed by Proman and its partners, Shell, Suncor, the Government of Quebec, and Enerkem, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

As part of the investment agreement, Proman will be entitled to market the methanol produced from the plant, which, once the plant is in operation, could make Proman the largest marketer of bio-methanol globally.

The plant is expected to ramp up to a production level of 100,000 tons of bio and circular methanol per year, using Enerkem’s proprietary technology to convert non-recyclable waste into sustainable methanol, which can then be converted to other low-carbon biofuels such as ethanol and gasoline.

This method produces fuels with substantially less carbon intensity when compared to conventional fossil fuels, as well as ensuring that waste materials are recycled rather than being placed into landfill or burned. The bio-methanol produced has a wide range of possible applications in ground transportation, power generation and industry as well as a viable alternative marine fuel.

Proman’s Chief Executive, David Cassidy, said of the project: "Bio-methanol has enormous potential as our economies continue to decarbonise. Proman is committed to using our expertise in the methanol market and our unique integrated value chain to serve our customers’ evolving needs and contribute towards meeting global sustainability targets. Proman’s marketing, logistics, and operational experience is a perfect complement to Enerkem’s world-leading technology, and we look forward to working with all the project partners to making this innovative waste-to-low carbon fuels plant a great success."

The investment in Varennes Carbon Recycling marks Proman’s first investment in Canada. David Cassidy added: “We are excited to be a part of this partnership with the Canadian and Quebec governments and, thanks to Canada’s vision and leadership in sustainable energy, we hope it will be the first of many initiatives for Proman in Canada. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with the public and private sectors in Canada and globally to develop sustainable energy projects and reduce reliance on fossil fuels."

As per MRC, UPM (Helsinki, Finland) says it has started basic engineering and commercial studies for a potential 500,000-metric tons/year biofuels refinery, to be located in either Finland or the Netherlands, and is also under way with construction of a previously announced EUR550-million (USD667 million) biochemicals plant in Leuna, Germany.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,220,640 tonnes in 2020, up by 2% year on year. Only shipments of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) increased. At the same time, polypropylene (PP) shipments to the Russian market reached 1 240,000 tonnes in 2020 (calculated using the formula: production, minus exports, plus imports, exluding producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020).
MRC

Diab selects SABIC new LNP COLORCOMP compound to enhance foams for the core of wind turbine blades

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Diab Group, a world leader in sandwich composite solutions, chose SABIC’s new LNP COLORCOMP compound using nano technology to reduce weight and improve mechanical properties of sandwich structures with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foams, which are used as the core material of wind turbine blades, as per SABIC's press release.

The Swedish converter selected the breakthrough SABIC compound over standard nucleators for production of its Divinycell PY PET foam core series. By reducing the foam’s cell size by a factor of up to two, while maintaining the same density and decreasing the cell size dispersity, LNP COLORCOMP compound helps enable the final part to be lighter and more efficient in use. These improvements to the core foam material can help designers create new, longer blades that address increasingly stringent standards for precision, weight and consistent quality, and contribute to greater overall energy generation.

“Even though PET foam is relatively new to the wind turbine core materials market, as a thermoplastic it offers many advantages and is a good candidate for broader use in turbine blades,” said Magdalena Sandstrom, CTO Diab Group. “We are focused on optimizing the performance of our PET foams to drive industry adoption of a more sustainable solution. SABIC’s new LNP COLORCOMP compound, a material that provides increased control over cell nucleation and growth, is helping us achieve this goal. By leveraging this unique technology, we are developing innovative products that enable the implementation of larger and more-powerful blades.”

“Our collaboration with Diab has opened exciting new opportunities to advance wind energy through higher-performing core materials that enable innovative composite designs,” said Luc Govaerts, director, Formulation & Application Development for SABIC’s Specialties Business. “Our novel compound based on nano technology, together with our formulation and material science expertise, help Diab to innovate, and will give wind turbine manufacturers access to core composite products that are strong, light and recyclable. Working with our customers, SABIC continues to do all we can to promote sustainability efforts across the spectrum, including supporting broader use of renewable energy sources.”

The market for wind power is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 7.9 percent between 2020 and 2025, according to Mordor Intelligence. To support this growth, wind turbine blade designs have increased in size and efficiency to boost energy generating capacity. In Europe, the average length of onshore wind turbine blades is 50 meters (164 feet). In the United States, blades also average 50 meters, but their length is increasing, with some blades measuring up to 80 meters (262 feet). Larger blades demand new designs and improved core materials.

Another challenge is extending the useful lifespan of wind turbines to amortize their capital cost. Thermoplastic materials, such as Diab’s PET foam, deliver strength, stiffness, durability and design freedom that can help increase blade life.

Also, thermoplastics can help improve the sustainability of wind turbine blades. There are growing concerns about how to recycle these massive, complex parts, most of which are currently landfilled. Using thermoplastic PET foams make turbine blades easier to recycle. PET foam solutions offer stable supply, cost-effectiveness, and consistent material properties.

SABIC’s novel LNP COLORCOMP compound features a formulation that typically provides improved nucleation and helps to enhance the efficiency of the foaming process for a wide range of foam densities. By significantly decreasing foam cell size compared to standard nucleating agents such as talc and ensuring uniform cell size distribution, the SABIC product typically helps to reduce resin uptake by the foam during composite manufacture. Less resin contributes to a lighter-weight blade.

Another potential advantage of decreased cell size is the elimination of secondary foam processes or surface treatments that are used to close foam cells and decrease resin absorption. Further, smaller cell size and narrower size distribution can potentially deliver improvements in shear strength/strain properties that are not possible with conventional technologies or lower-density foams.

Beyond wind turbine blade core materials made with PET foams, SABIC’s new LNP COLORCOMP compound typically offers the opportunity to enhance foams used in other applications, such as marine, building & construction and packaging components. SABIC’s LNP COLORCOMP compound is available globally.

As MRC informed earlier, in November 2020, SABIC announced the successful commercialization of LEXAN HP92AF Anti-Fog film, targeted especially at demanding COVID-19 protection equipment such as safety face shields and goggles in front-line work environments.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, overall estimate PET consumption in Russia totalled 71,830 tonnes in December 2020, up by 8% year on year. PET consumption in all sectors (injection moulding, fibers/filaments, films) exceeded the level of 2019 by 17% and amounted to 717,310 tonnes.

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