Greiner Packaging produces first cup prototypes made of PP

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Greiner Packaging is for the first time incorporating renewable resources in the production of food cups made of polypropylene (PP) with in-mold labeling (IML) as the decoration technology, said the company.

Initial prototypes of the cups are available now. The new premium polyolefins designed for circularity by Borealis offer a host of advantages: manufactured using second-generation feedstocks not based on fossil fuels, same performance as virgin materials; drop-in solution, approved for food contact, ISCC PLUS certification, based on the mass balance approach, carbon footprint reduced by up to 120%.

Greiner Packaging is pursuing various approaches to make its packaging solutions as sustainable as possible. One course of action is to use so-called circular materials – that is, renewable, non-fossil fuel feedstocks. For the first time, the packaging manufacturer has now produced a food cup made of premium polyolefins obtained exclusively from waste and residue streams. The Bornewables line of products is manufactured by Borealis, a leading supplier of polyolefins based in Vienna, Austria.

Unlike renewable raw materials produced with agricultural crops grown for food and livestock feed, the Bornewables products are made from second-generation (i.e., renewably sourced) feedstocks derived solely from waste and residue streams: from vegetable oil production as well as oil waste and residues, from the timber industry, or from the food industry – for instance, used cooking oil.

The Bornewables offer the same characteristics as virgin polyolefin materials while boasting a substantially reduced carbon footprint. “The Bornewables portfolio represents a key step in our efforts to offer products decoupled from traditional feedstock, with the aim of providing a solution to the CO2 challenge. Through this product range, we are helping our customers and the value chain achieve their own sustainability targets, maintain their existing quality standards, and provide packaging solutions that are approved for food contact. We focus on the needs of our customers and the value chain as we work to drive the transition to a circular economy for plastics,” says Trevor Davis, Head of Marketing, Consumer Products at Borealis.

As per MRC, plastic packaging manufacturer Greiner Packaging partnered with Russian plastic packaging manufacturer Plastic System to create a joint venture called Greiner Packaging System. This enterprise, located in the city of Noginsk, Moscow Region, will focus on the production of containers by injection molding (IML) and printed products, as well as large-sized packaging for consumers of the food and non-food industries in the Russian Federation.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP deliveries to the Russian market were 523,900 tonnes in January-April 2021, up by 55% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased.

Greiner Packaging is one of the leading manufacturers of food and non-food plastic packaging in Europe. It has operating enterprises in 19 countries of the world. The company includes the Packaging divisions of the K and Kavo groups as well as the Assistec division.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The FCC plant of the Mineraloelraffinerie Oberrhein (MiRO) in Germany received a new FCC reactor head as part of a major scheduled turnaround, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

During the preparatory phase of the turnaround, Mammoet already unloaded this new reactor head at port and transported it by SPMT to the pre-assembly area in the refinery. There, the heaviest and largest single component, weighing 270t, was temporarily stored on a pre-assembly rack until it was finally to be replaced.

Since 2018, Mammoet had worked in close cooperation with the client MAN Energy Solutions SE und MiRO to establish the feasibility of the project, and the smoothest execution method. The reactor head was to be pre-assembled as far as possible to save time during the turnaround.

The engineering concept was as follows. A CC6800 crawler crane would be used in continuous day and night shifts to replace the pre-assembled reactor head. It would also be used for all other heavy lifts in the FCC plant. Due to the confined conditions on site, the crawler crane had to be assembled before the start of the turnaround, as the only access road to the FCC plant could not be closed. However, sudden wintry weather delayed the erection of the crane. Nevertheless, through joint efforts on site, the deadline for lift standby was met.

Four weeks later, the new reactor head was moved in the same manner from the pre-assembly area to the FCC plant, rigged with the COGAS winch, lifted into place and installed.

During the turnaround, a storm came up. The wind speed was so high that the boom of the crawler crane would need to be lowered. However, this would have blocked the only access road to the FCC plant, which would have meant an interruption to all other work. Thus, another solution had to be found.

Despite the challenging weather conditions, and the additional complicating restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, the overall schedule was met.

As MRC wrote previously, tasked by company Grupa Azoty (Tarnow, Poland), one of the main players on the European fertilizer and chemical market, Mammoet has recently completed the first scope of work that will lead to the construction of the propane dehydrogenation and polypropylene (PDH/PP) blocks of its client’s chemical facility.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, PP deliveries to the Russian market were 523,900 tonnes in January-April 2021, up by 55% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- OxyChem, the chemical division of Occidental Petroleum, left force majeure (FM) on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) supplies from its plants in North America in force as of 2 June, 2021, reported S&P Global with reference to the company's letter.

OxyChem, a major manufacturer of chlor-alkali and vinyl products, including chlorine, caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and PVC at plants in Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, Tennessee, New Jersey and New York.

The total capacity of OxyChem's plants and subsidiaries for the production of chlorine and caustic soda is about 3 million mt/year, and its PVC production is almost 2 million mt/year.

The FM was declared on 15 February, 2021, due to the deep freeze that hit the region. The severe weather conditions affected then all Texas and western Louisiana facilities.

As MRC informed before, OxyChem had a seven-day PVC turnaround slated for April, 2020, at its plant in Pasadena, Texas, USA. This plant's production capacity is 1 million mt/year.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's overall PVC production reached 346,100 tonnes in the first four months of 2021, down 1% year on year. All producers decreased production volumes over the reported period, with the exception of the Bashkir Soda Company.

Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OxyChem) is a California-based oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, and South America. Oxychem is Oxy's Texas-based subsidiary which manufacture polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins, chlorine and caustic soda used in plastics, pharmaceuticals and water treatment chemicals.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Formosa Plastics USA, part of Formosa Petrochemical, left force majeure (FM) on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) supplies from its plants in North America in force as of 2 June, 2021, reported S&P Global with reference to the company's letter.

The FM was declared on 15 February, 2021, due to the deep freeze that hit the region. The severe weather conditions affected then all Texas and western Louisiana facilities.

As MRC informed before, in March, 2020, Formosa Plastics was emerging from a turnaround at its 798,000 mt/year PVC plant and upstream 753,000 mt/year vinyl chloride monomer unit at its Point Comfort, Texas, complex.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's overall PVC production reached 346,100 tonnes in the first four months of 2021, down 1% year on year. All producers decreased production volumes over the reported period, with the exception of the Bashkir Soda Company.

Formosa Petrochemical is involved primarily in the business of refining crude oil, selling refined petroleum products and producing and selling olefins (including ethylene, propylene, butadiene and BTX) from its naphtha cracking operations. Formosa Petrochemical is also the largest olefins producer in Taiwan and its olefins products are mostly sold to companies within the Formosa Group. Among the company's chemical products are paraxylene (PX), phenyl ethylene, acetone and pure terephthalic acid (PTA). The company"s plastic products include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resins, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and panlite (PC).
MRC

1. Crude oil futures drop in Asia amid softening demand cues from independent Chinese refineries

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Crude oil futures dipped during mid-morning Asian trade June 8, amid softening demand cues from independent Chinese refineries, even as strong demand indicators from the West and slow progress in US-Iran nuclear talks, which could lift sanctions on Iranian crude, continue to support sentiment, reported S&P Global. At 11.05am Singapore time (0305 GMT), the ICE Brent August contract was down 66 cents/b (0.92%) from the previous settle at USD70.83/b, while the July NYMEX light sweet crude contract was down 63 cents/b (0.91%) at USD68.60/b. Ongoing investigations into China's independent refining sector regarding the illegal trade of government issued crude oil import quotas, as well as destocking activity amid strong crude prices, have resulting in easing demand.


MRC