Clariant joins the European Circular Plastics Alliance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland), a focused, sustainable and innovative specialty chemical company, has officially joined the EU Circular Plastics Alliance, which is part of the company's active support for the transition towards a more circular plastics economy, as per the company's press release.

The alliance aims to enhance plastics recycling in line with the objectives of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and the Green Deal program.

Clariant is committed to the Alliance’s goal to boost the EU market for recycled plastics to 10 million tons by 2025. The company’s focus is on addressing the obstacles that are hampering a higher circularity of products within the plastics value chain, in line with the waste hierarchy principles. Clariant’s strategy is based on a smart combination of design for reduction, recycling, and reuse options, as well as solutions for mechanical or chemical recycling.

“Specialty chemicals can act as enablers for new solutions that enhance circularity of plastics by maintaining the value of products, materials and resources in the economy for as long as possible, and by minimizing the generation of waste. Clariant aims to be a leading provider of specialty chemicals that are indispensable to transform a one-way plastics value chain into a circular plastics economy,” said Richard Haldimann, Head of Sustainability Transformation.

Back in 2019, Clariant also established EcoCircle, a company-wide initiative that goes beyond a product focus, looking at the entire value chain, identifying the most sustainable and viable solutions for a circular plastics economy. “With EcoCircle we have the right platform and competencies to identify solutions for closing the loop and to engage with key stakeholders to accelerate plastics circularity,” added Richard Haldimann.

As MRC wrote previously, earlier this month, Clariant and India Glycols Limited (IGL), a leading company in the manufacturing of green technology-based chemicals, announced a strategic partnership to establish a 51-49% joint venture (JV) in renewable ethylene oxide (EO) derivatives.

And in October 2020, Clariant 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.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 241,030 tonnes in January 2021 versus 217,890 tonnes a year earlier. Only shipments of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 141,870 tonnes in January 2021 versus 123,520 tonnes a year earlier. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Spanish oil refiner Petronor, majority-owned by Repsol, has offered a furlough scheme for one third of its 900 employees in response to a major reduction in fuel demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The refinery in Bilbao, northern Spain, with a capacity of 220,000 barrels of crude oil per day has been processing crude at 60% capacity for 271 days, the company said on Monday, during which time it offered training to keep employees active.

Unable to keep this up, the company said it would now start negotiations with labour representatives to decide on temporary layoffs until the end of 2021.

"The current uncertainty about a return to mobility, primarily depending on the vaccination process, makes it impossible to predict when the refinery can go back to functioning normally," the statement said.

Petronor said it thought the situation was temporary and it was continuing to work towards a future in the low-carbon energy industry.

As MRC reported earlier, Spain's Repsol is seeking European pandemic recovery funds to support projects including new biofuel plants and 'green' hydrogen production made from renewable sources in a pivot away from oil and gas to supplying low-carbon energy.

We remind that Repsol's refinery at Puertollano in central Spain has carried out an upgrade of its olefins unit. The modernization was a part of planned maintenance of the cracker and chemical derivative plants at the end of 2020.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 241,030 tonnes in January 2021 versus 217,890 tonnes a year earlier. Only shipments of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 141,870 tonnes in January 2021 versus 123,520 tonnes a year earlier. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.

Repsol S.A is an integrated Spanish oil and gas company with operations in 28 countries. The bulk of its assets are located in Spain.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), rose 1.2% in March on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis, following a 1.0% increase in February, said ACC.

On a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis, the barometer rose 5.5% in March.

The unadjusted data show a 1.2% gain in March following a 0.9% gain in February, ACC said. The diffusion index rebounded to 82% in March, well above the long-term average of 58%. The diffusion index marks the number of positive contributors relative to the total number of indicators monitored. The CAB reading for February was revised upward by 0.18 points and the reading for January was revised downward by 0.57 points. The March data are provisional and subject to revision.

In March, production-related indicators were positive. Trends in construction-related resins and related performance chemistry were solid and suggest further expansion past the weak February home sales and housing starts. Resins and chemistry used in other durable goods were strong. Plastic resins used in packaging and for consumer and institutional applications were positive. Performance chemistry for industry was mixed. U.S. exports were positive, while equity prices showed further gains. Product and input prices were positive, as were inventory and other supply chain indicators.

As it was written earlier, Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), rose 1.0% in February on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 1.8% increase in January. On a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis, the barometer rose 1.3% in February.

We remind, that Russia's output of chemical products rose in February 2021 by 5.3% year on year. Thus, production of basic chemicals increased year on year by 7.5% in the first two months of 2021. According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, mineral fertilizers accounted for the greatest increase in the January-February output. Production of benzene dropped to 113,000 tonnes in February 2021, compared to 120,000 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of this product reached 241,000 tonnes over the stated period, down by 7.5% year on year.

The CAB is a leading economic indicator derived from a composite index of chemical industry activity. Due to its early position in the supply chain, chemical industry activity has been found to consistently lead the U.S. economy’s business cycle, and the barometer can be used to determine turning points and likely trends in the broader economy. Month-to-month movements can be volatile, so a three-month moving average of the CAB reading is provided. This provides a more consistent and illustrative picture of national economic trends.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Toyota has started up a solar-powered hydrogen production facility in Melbourne, Australia, said Reuters.

The facility will produce up to 80kg/day of hydrogen, for use in commercial and passenger fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). The hydrogen is produced by a 200kW electrolyser that uses solar-based electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen components.

The automaker is bringing in 20 of its Mirai hydrogen fuel cell cars to Australia in April, placing them in fleets to gain feedback on how they run. The site west of Melbourne is also its biggest globally in terms of producing, storing and dispensing hydrogen.

It is the second such fuel station in Australia after ActewAGL last week began selling hydrogen produced by France’s Neoen in a trial for 20 Hyundai Nexo sport utility vehicles owned by the Australian Capital Territory government. Fuel cell vehicles remain a niche segment globally amid concerns about a lack of fuelling stations, resale values and the risk of hydrogen explosions.

Toyota has sold some 10,000 Mirai vehicles, mostly in Japan and the United States. “Here in Australia, refuelling infrastructure has been the biggest challenge, and still is, to introducing pioneering vehicles like the Mirai. So this is an important step forward to rectifying that,” said Matthew MacLeod, Toyota Australia’s manager of future technologies and mobility.

Australia is seen as a laggard in the global drive to cut carbon emissions from the transport sector, with no targets or subsidies for cleaner vehicles - even for hybrid or battery electric vehicles, in stark contrast to most other rich nations.

As per MRC, Enel Green Power (EGP), the renewable energy subsidiary of Italy’s Enel Group, and Maire Tecnimont (Rome, Italy) have agreed to work together on the development and construction of a green hydrogen production plant in the US. A specific location has not been given.

As per MRC, Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. announced that its subsidiaries Tecnimont S.p.A. and KT - Kinetics Technology S.p.A. have signed with SOCAR’s subsidiary Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery two Engineering, Procurement and Construction contracts, as part of the Modernization and Reconstruction of Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery in Baku, Azerbaijan. SOCAR is the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic. The overall contracts’ value equals to approximately USD 160 million.

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, excluding producers" inventories as of 1 January, 2020).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LANXESS will enter the battery chemistry business with electrolyte production for lithium-ion batteries at its site in Leverkusen, Germany, beginning next year, said the company.

The German chemicals company will produce electrolyte formulations for lithium-ion batteries "under the authorisation" of Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology, a Chinese producer of battery materials that aims to become a regional supplier for battery cell manufacturers in Europe.

The upswing in e-mobility offers “great opportunities” for LANXESS, said Anno Borkowsky, a member of the company’s management board. “We already produce many raw materials for battery manufacturing. The cooperation with Tinci is another step in establishing ourselves in this market," he said.

LANXESS produces hydrofluoric acid and phosphorous chemicals, which are both raw materials for the production of the high-purity conductive salt lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6). In the US, the company is working on the commercial extraction of battery-grade lithium from brine.

As per MRC, LANXESS announced a global price increase for iron oxide and chrome oxide pigments with immediate effect. The company’s inorganic pigments business unit is the world’s largest manufacturer of synthetic iron oxides and a leading producer of inorganic chrome oxides. Prices for iron oxide pigments have been hiked by EUR110/metric ton (USD132), with chrome oxide pigment prices rising by EUR220/metric ton. Customers will be contacted individually regarding the specifics of the measure as it applies to their products or regions, it says.

As per MRC, Russia's output of chemical products rose in February 2021 by 5.3% year on year. Thus, production of basic chemicals increased year on year by 7.5% in the first two months of 2021. According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, mineral fertilizers accounted for the greatest increase in the January-February output. Production of benzene dropped to 113,000 tonnes in February 2021, compared to 120,000 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of this product reached 241,000 tonnes over the stated period, down by 7.5% year on year.

LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with about 19,200 employees in 25 countries. The company is currently represented at 74 production sites worldwide. The core business of Lanxess is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and plastics. Through Arlanxeo, the joint venture with Saudi Aramco, Lanxess is also a leading supplier of synthetic rubber.
MRC