INEOS Styrolution and Trinseo select Recycling Technologies as partner for first PS recycling plant in Europe

MOSCOW (MRC) -- INEOS Styrolution, Recycling Technologies and Trinseo have announced that they have reached a significant milestone in their plans to build commercial polystyrene (PS) recycling plants in Europe. Recycling Technologies has been selected as the technology partner, as per Trinseo's press release.

These three companies all share the same vision of making PS a circular material through depolymerisation. The unique properties of PS allow for full circularity where PS waste is returned to its chemical building blocks before being polymerised again. The recycled PS will have identical properties with virgin PS. Life cycle assessment calculations show significant decreases in greenhouse gas emissions when compared with PS production from naphtha.

Following a detailed assessment of technology options, Recycling Technologies was selected to join INEOS Styrolution and Trinseo as the technology provider for commercial scale recycling of PS. Recycling Technologies’ solution provided the highest yields in the conversion of PS to styrene monomer and provided the most scalable solution due to the company’s fluidised bed reactor combined with expertise of a highly skilled technical team.

Prior to building the commercial scale recycling plants, a PS recycling pilot plant will be built in the UK in 2022, and the technology will be further developed jointly by the three parties. The pilot plant will provide information and data related to chemical recycling and operations to support future development of the commercial scale recycling plants.

INEOS Styrolution plans to build its full commercial scale recycling facility in Wingles, France. Trinseo announces its plan to build its own plant in Tessenderlo, Belgium, which is expected to be operational in 2023. Each plant would aim to convert 15kT/y of PS waste into recycled styrene.

As MRC reported earlier, in February 2021, Ineos Styrolution, the styrenics subsidiary of Ineos, said it was collaborating with Polystyvert (Montreal, Canada) to convert post-consumer PS into recycled PS resin using Polystyvert’s dissolution technology. The companies signed a joint development agreement for the dissolution process to convert waste PS into recycled resin. The process takes solid PS waste and dissolves it in a solvent, before processing and then separating the end-product from the solvent as a polymer for reuse, it says.

Besides, earlier this month, Trinseo, a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex binders and synthetic rubber, and BASF, the world's largest petrochemical company, announced the intention to expand their businesses with the production of styrene monomer (SM) based on circular feedstock. The enhanced collaboration between Trinseo and BASF aims to increase efforts by both companies in the development and management of SM featuring an improved environmental profile.

Trinseo is a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber. Trinseo's technology is used by customers in industries such as home appliances, automotive, building & construction, carpet, consumer electronics, consumer goods, electrical & lighting, medical, packaging, paper & paperboard, rubber goods and tires. Formerly known as Styron, Trinseo completed its renaming process in 1Q 2015. Trinseo had approximately USD3.0 billion in net sales in 2020, with 17 manufacturing sites around the world, and approximately 2,600 employees.

INEOS Styrolution is the leading global styrenics supplier, with a focus on styrene monomer, polystyrene, ABS Standard and styrenic specialties. With world-class production facilities and more than 90 years of experience, INEOS Styrolution helps its customers succeed by offering solutions, designed to give them a competitive edge in their markets. At the same time, these innovative and sustainable best-in-class solutions help make the circular economy for styrenics a reality. The company provides styrenic applications for many everyday products across a broad range of industries, including automotive, electronics, household, construction, healthcare, packaging and toys/sports/leisure. In 2020, sales were at 4 billion euros. INEOS Styrolution employs approximately 3,600 people and operates 20 production sites in ten countries.
MRC

BPCL dispathces first batch of acrylic acid from Kochi refinery

MOSCOW (MRC) -- India’s Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) has shipped the first consignment of acrylic acid from its Propylene Derivative Petrochemical (PDP) complex at Kochi Refinery, according to Kemicalinfo.

Acrylic Acid is one of the six niche petrochemical products produced in the new PDP Complex at Kochi Refinery.

Built at the cost of Rs 6,000 crore (~USD805 million), the complex utilises 250,000 metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) of Propylene and produce 180,000 mtpa Butyl Acrylate, 10,000 mtpa 2-Ethyl Hexyl Acrylate, 47,000 mtpa Acrylic Acid, 47,000 mtpa 2-Ethyl Hexanol and 38,000 mtpa nButanol.

“The first supplies of acrylic acid, which is used in hygienic medical products, detergents, and wastewater treatment chemicals, plastics, coatings, adhesives, elastomers, paints, and polishes, etc, were made to Rossari Biotech and Visen Industries,” the company said in a statement.

In the next few weeks, production of Oxo Alcohols and Acrylates is also expected to commence.

Acrylic acid unit is the largest single-train unit in the world with a capacity of 160,000 tonnes per annum. Technology for these products has been sourced from Air Liquide Global E & C solutions, Germany, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Japan & Johnson Matthey Davy Process Technologies, United Kingdom.

Commenting on this milestone, S Jena, ED (Industrial & Commercial), BPCL said products from the complex would replace almost 90 per cent of the country’s imports in this segment.

We remin that as MRC reported previously, Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL), also known as the Assam gas cracker project, has unexpectedly shut down its high density polyethylene (HDPE)/linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) swing plant. Thus, this plant was taken off-stream on 12 April 2021 due to technical glitches. Based in Lepetkata, Assam, India, the plant has a production capacity of 220,000 mt/year. It resumed operations early last week.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated polyethylene (PE) consumption totalled 356,370 tonnes in the first two month of 2021, down by 9% year on year. Shipments of exclusively low density polyethylene (LDPE) increased.
MRC

Joint large investment projects of TAIF and SIBUR may receive state support

MOSCOW (MRC) - Large investment projects in the oil and gas chemical complex of Tatarstan can receive state support through the mechanism for concluding investment protection agreements (SPIC), Realnoe Vremya reports, citing the words of Tatneftekhiminvest Holding CEO Rafinat Yarullin.

He believes that it is necessary to actively participate in federal initiatives. "TAIF, in synergy with SIBUR, plans to implement more than 30 projects, their cost will be determined, also somewhere around 1 trillion," he said.

The volume of investments of the Tatneft group under the strategy program until 2030 will amount to 1.2 trillion rubles. Ammonia will invest heavily in diversifying its production to ensure carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability. "You can get support for these projects through the conclusion of contracts in the SPIC," Yarullin said.

Earlier it was reported that TAIF together with SIBUR will spend more than 1 trillion rubles. for the implementation of joint projects. In total, the companies plan to implement over 30 projects.

The companies previously signed a legally binding asset pooling agreement. The deal involves the exchange of a minimum controlling stake in TAIF for a 15% stake in SIBUR. To complete the transaction, SIBUR will conduct an additional share issue. The merged enterprise will have an option to buy out the remaining stake in TAIF, and TAIF shareholders will also have the right to activate this option.

After the completion of all investment projects underway - the Amur Mining and Chemical Combine and the construction of a new pyrolysis facility at Nizhnekamskneftekhim, the combined company will enter the TOP-5 global leaders in the production of polyolefins and rubbers, whose combined capacity will amount to 8 million tons of polyolefins and 1.2 million tonnes of rubbers.

Earlier it was reported that SIBUR increased its sales of polypropylene and polyethylene last year amid growing utilization of the ZapSibNeftekhim complex. This led to an increase in the company's revenue in the olefins and polyolefins segment by 77.1% to Rb187.3 bn. This growth was mainly due to an increase in sales of polypropylene and polyethylene as a result of increased utilization of the ZapSibNeftekhim complex and was partially offset by a decrease in prices for these types of products.

SIBUR is the largest vertically integrated gas processing and petrochemical company in Russia, uniting a number of production sites in various regions of the Russian Federation. The company sells products to consumers in the fuel and energy complex, automotive, construction, consumer goods, chemical and other industries in more than 80 countries around the world.

PSC "TAIF" was established in 1995, is the parent company of the group of the same name, which includes enterprises structured in four business areas: oil and gas processing, chemistry and petrochemistry (energy); investment and financial services; building; telecommunications and complex services, including trade. TAIF Group of Companies is a large Russian holding that controls 96% of the chemical, petrochemical and oil and gas processing industries in Tatarstan. The most important of its directions is the "Chemistry, Petrochemistry and Oil and Gas Processing" division, which includes the leading Russian polymer producers Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Kazanorgsintez.
MRC

ExxonMobil and USW agree to an orderly transfer of Beaumont refinery to temporary workers in case of lockout

MOSCOW (MRC) -- ExxonMobil and the United Steelworkers union (USW) have agreed to an orderly transfer of the company's Beaumont, Texas, refinery to temporary workers if a threatened lockout begins on Saturday, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing with reference to people familiar with the talks.

The two sides have been in negotiations since January but have been unable to agree on a new union labor contract for the plant, Exxon's third-largest US refinery by capacity. If Exxon locks out the union workers, it would be the first time since 1988 that the Beaumont plant workers have gone off the job in a labour dispute.

Exxon told refinery workers in an email that it wants the union to hold a vote on its latest offer, according to an email viewed by Reuters. It has declined to hold further talks without the vote, the people said.

"We hope the union allows employees to vote on our offer and reach an agreement before May 1," Exxon spokeswoman Julie King said.

Neither side has disclosed details of the proposals for the contract that will replace a six-year pact reached in 2015.

The union rejected Exxon's last proposal and counter offered with a one-year extension. After that rejection, Exxon gave the union notice it planned to lock out hourly employees on Saturday.

USW Local 13-243 represents 650 hourly workers at the 369,024 barrel-per-day (bpd) oil refinery and adjoining lubricants blending and packaging plant.

Exxon has trained managers and engineers from around the United States to operate refinery units. It plans to bring in temporary replacement workers on a unit-by-unit basis beginning Saturday, according to people familiar with the talks. The oil company this week began soliciting former employees and others with at least two years’ experience as process operators to staff units between May 10 and August.

As MRC informed previously, Sinopec Engineering (Group) and ExxonMobil (Huizhou) Chemical (EMHCC) have just entered into a BEPC (basic design, engineering, procurement and construction) contract for the proposed Huizhou Chemical Complex Project (Phase I). The main units of the project include a 1.6 million tonnes/year ethylene flexible feed steam cracker, downstream polymer and derivative units and utilities. The main product units include two performance polyethylene (PE) lines and two differentiated performance polypropylene (PP) lines.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated polyethylene (PE) consumption totalled 356,370 tonnes in the first two month of 2021, down by 9% year on year. Shipments of exclusively low density polyethylene (LDPE) increased. At the same time, polypropylene (PP) shipments to the Russian market was 246,870 tonnes in January-February 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.

ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world"s oil and about 2% of the world"s energy.
MRC

Tatneftekhiminvest-holding recorded a record revenue in Q1

MOSCOW (MRC) - The enterprises of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding in the first quarter of this year recorded a record revenue of 500 billion rubles, and the total tax payments of enterprises to the consolidated budget of the Republic of Tatarstan grew 1.7 times, Business Gazeta reports citing data announced on meeting of the board of directors of the company.

At the same time, it is noted that the volume of production has been reduced for almost all companies, and it is still far from the results of the dock 2019 in many areas. So, if you look in the context of industries, then negative dynamics was recorded in the field of oil production and processing, polyethylene production. On the other hand, record volumes of diesel fuel, mineral fertilizers, detergents, polycarbonates and carbon black were produced.

"World prices for most types of products were higher than last year due to recovery after coronacrisis," R. Yarullin said. An abnormal cold snap in the United States led to a reduction in oil and gas production and a halt in chemical production in the south of the country. Together with the growing demand in China, problems at European factories, this led to a shortage of most types of basic plastics, and the prices of fertilizers rose sharply. The profitability of the processing of polymers and rubbers has decreased, and the limitation of the possibility of price increases under concluded contracts and tenders has affected. In the consumer sector, the situation is complicated by the decline in the population's income: the total number of unemployed in the country has grown by 21%. "

In January - March, production volumes in the oil and gas chemical complex of the Republic of Tatarstan decreased by 3% compared to the first quarter of 2020, at basic enterprises - by 6%.

Among other things, it was noted that Nizhnekamskneftekhim increased production by 9%. "The production of polyethylene in the Russian Federation by 2030 will grow at least 1.9 times, the transition to heavier raw materials can become a competitive advantage, because it will provide an opportunity for the development of low-tonnage chemistry," R. Yarullin said.

Kazanorgsintez increased its quarterly plastic output to 25 thousand tons, which is 7% more than last year. Polyethylene output at KOS decreased by 8%, at NKNK - by 5%. The main reason is the lack of raw materials. The reduction in oil production also led to a reduction in the supply of associated gas and ethane from Tatneft; moreover, after the accident at Ufaorgsintez, the supply of ethylene temporarily decreased.

Earlier it was reported that TAIF together with SIBUR will spend more than 1 trillion rubles. for the implementation of joint projects, Kommersant reports with reference to the words of the general director of the company Rafinat Yarullin during a meeting of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding.

It is noted that the companies plan to implement over 30 projects in total. The companies previously signed a legally binding asset pooling agreement. The deal involves the exchange of a minimum controlling stake in TAIF for a 15% stake in SIBUR. To complete the transaction, SIBUR will conduct an additional share issue. The merged enterprise will have an option to buy out the remaining stake in TAIF, and TAIF shareholders will also have the right to activate this option.

SIBUR increased sales of polypropylene and polyethylene last year amid growing utilization of the ZapSibNeftekhim complex. This led to an increase in the company's revenue in the olefins and polyolefins segment by 77.1% to RUB 187.3 billion. This growth was mainly due to an increase in sales of polypropylene and polyethylene as a result of increased utilization of the ZapSibNeftekhim complex and was partially offset by a decrease in prices for these types of products.

SIBUR is the largest vertically integrated gas processing and petrochemical company in Russia, uniting a number of production sites in various regions of the Russian Federation. The company sells products to consumers in the fuel and energy complex, automotive, construction, consumer goods, chemical and other industries in more than 80 countries around the world.

PSC "TAIF" was established in 1995, is the parent company of the group of the same name, which includes enterprises structured in four business areas: oil and gas processing, chemistry and petrochemistry (energy); investment and financial services; building; telecommunications and complex services, including trade. TAIF Group of Companies is a large Russian holding that controls 96% of the chemical, petrochemical and oil and gas processing industries in Tatarstan. The most important of its directions is the "Chemistry, Petrochemistry and Oil and Gas Processing" division, which includes the leading Russian polymer producers Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Kazanorgsintez.

Tatneftekhiminvest-holding was established in September 1994 as an industrial and financial company uniting the largest enterprises of the oil and gas chemical complex of Tatarstan. The main shareholders are Svyazinvestneftekhim, Tatneft, Nizhnekamskneftekhim, Kazanorgsintez, Nizhnekamskshina, Tatnefteproduct.
MRC