Subsidiary of Indorama Ventures appointed Mr.Tommi Bjornman as its new CEO

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Avgol, a subsidiary of global petrochemical producer Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), appointed Mr. Tommi Bjornman as its new CEO, replacing Mr. Shachar Rachim who will focus on his broader role as CEO of IVL’s Hygiene vertical in its Fibers segment, said the company.

Mr. Bjornman’s new position with Avgol, the global leader in high-performance nonwoven fabric solutions, took effect on 1 June, 2021. The Hygiene business is one of 16 integrated verticals under Indorama Ventures, and comprises brands including Avgol, Auriga, FiberVisions, ES FiberVisions, Trevira and Wellman. The Hygiene vertical provides fibers and filaments used in hygiene, medical, personal protective equipment (PPE) and industrial disposable applications as well as durable textile applications used for automotive interiors, furnishings, wall and window coverings and related goods. Mr. Bjornman continues to report to Mr. Rachim who retains his role as an Avgol Board member.

Mr. Shachar Rachim, CEO – Hygiene Vertical at Indorama Ventures, said, “Avgol has been successfully building a portfolio of sustainable and high-performance products that focus on taking customer applications into the next generation. In my new role, I am thrilled to continue working closely with the leadership team at Agvol on exciting innovations, while taking on broader responsibility for the other fiber companies within the vertical."

Mr. Tommi Bjornman, CEO at Avgol, said, “This is an exciting time for everyone here at Avgol as we continue to develop and launch new nonwoven fabric solutions. While closely supporting our customers through these ongoing challenging times, we are setting ourselves up for the future. I am thrilled that we will continue to build on the foundation Shachar has set. At the same time, we will show the industry Avgol’s resolve on being a viable partner for change."

As MRC informed earlier, Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, a global petrochemical producer, has started developing a new technology center under its Integrated Oxides & Derivatives (IOD) business at The Woodlands, Texas. The new facility will be the company’s U.S. research and development hub for new products used in the home, personal and industrial cleaning, agrochemicals, energy, lubricants, mining, and coatings markets.

IVL’s integrated oxides and derivatives site at The Woodlands, Texas, was acquired from Huntsman in January last year. The Woodlands facility will also support IVL’s fibres and PET segments on various sustainability projects.Extensive designing and engineering of the research center will start in coming months, and full occupation is expected in early 2022. It will be a hub for IOD research in the Americas, with links to sister facilities in Australia, India, and China. The Woodlands facility will also support IVL’s Fibers and PET segments on various sustainability projects. IVL, the world’s biggest maker of fully recyclable PET bottles, is investing USD 1.5 billion to towards its recycling and net zero targets.

As per ScanPlast, Russia's calculated consumption of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) grew to 263,660 tonnes in the first four months in 2021, up 13% compared to the same period in the previous year. 78.3% of the increase in consumption falls on the share of bottled PET chips due to the virtual absence of exports and an increase in the volume of imports.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Injection molding machine manufacturer Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery North America Inc., headquartered in Suwanee, Ga., has announced a series of new hires and appointments, said Canpastics.

Bob Brady has joined the company in the newly created position of business development manager – medical/healthcare. A 30-year industry veteran, Brady comes to Sumitomo from SMC Ltd., where he was a new process development/validation manager. He also worked for Nypro, which was acquired by Jabil in 2013, where he was a global project manager.

Dan Anderson, who has 10 years of experience in the plastics industry, has rejoined Sumitomo as a regional sales manager. He had been with the company from 2013 to 2015 and has also worked for LK Machinery International Ltd. and Arburg.

Tony Marchelletta, who first joined the company in 2010 as a regional sales manager for the Midwest, has been appointed national sales manager. His experience prior to joining Sumitomo includes sales management positions with Autojectors, Milacron, and QSI Automation. Marchelletta also is an active member of the Washington, D.C.-based Plastics Industry Association, and serves on its Equipment Council, Committee on Equipment Statistics and NPE Operations Committee.

Chad Mefford, who joined Sumitomo in 2018 as inside sales manager, has been appointed general manager of sales and Georgia/Illinois operations. His experience includes working at IMS Gear Holding Inc., Alutrim NA, Neaton Automotive Products Manufacturing Inc., Pentaflex Inc., and Yamada North America.

As MRC informed earlier, Sumitomo Demag Plastics Machinery, a major global manufacturer of injection molding machines, opened its Hungarian subsidiary die Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery Hungaria Kft in Torokbalint on 5 October. The plant will produce injection molding machines.

As MRC reported, a subsidiary of the Japanese-German concern Sumitomo (SHI) Demag had previously planned to open a plant in the Kaliningrad region. The investor intended to develop the business within the framework of the automotive cluster, which will be created in the region by Avtotor Holding and envisaged the creation of 21 factories for the production of cars and components.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag was formed in 2008 through the merger of Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI) and Demag Plastics Group. Today the concern is one of the leading manufacturers of plastic processing and molding equipment. The company's products are used in medicine, electronics, and the automotive industry. Sumitomo Group currently has 37 companies. The factories of the concern are located in Japan, Germany and China.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China's privately-owned Shenghong Petrochemical plans to start test runs at its 320,000-bpd crude unit in August or September, a company official told Reuters.

The new plant, based in the eastern port city of Lianyungang, will be the only greenfield oil refinery coming on stream in China this year, with its capacity equal to nearly 3% of the country's crude oil imports. Commercial operations at the plant are likely to begin in the first quarter of next year, upon completion of its downstream petrochemical facilities.

The refiner is in talks with suppliers to secure about 15 million barrels of crude oil, focusing on low-sulphur, low-acid grades, to be used for its trial runs through the end of 2021, the official said late on Tuesday. "Company will focus on ensuring safe and stable trial operations," said the official, who declined to be named.

The oil shipments will need to come in smaller vessels from nearby terminals as its own facility to anchor very large crude carriers will only be ready for use towards end of the year, the official said. Shenghong has been recruiting for its Singapore-based trading team for a while and currently has about 10 people on board, covering crude oil, products and shipping, according to the official and industry sources.

The team is expected to expand to nearly 30 people within two years, the official added. Shenghong is building an integrated refining and petrochemical complex with a total investment of 66.7 billion yuan (USD10.43 billion) that will include the refinery, a 2.8-MMtpy aromatics unit and a 1.1 MMtpy ethylene plant, according to the company website. It will also contain 3.83 million cubic meters of oil and chemical storage.

As per MRC, Shenghong Petrochemical plans to launch a complex in Lianyungang (in Jiangsu Province, China) at the end of 2021 at the end of 21 years. The complex includes an oil refinery with a capacity of 320 thousand barrels per day, a paraxylene plant of 2.8 million tons per year and an ethylene plant of 1.1 million tons per year, as well as various other enterprises. Shenghong will first commission the refinery and plans to bring it online in August. The company is currently accelerating construction, which was interrupted by the pandemic.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 744,130 tonnes in the first four month of 2021, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, 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) -- DuPont Clean Technologies (DuPont) announced the startup of the STRATCO alkylation units at the Zhongke Refinery and Petrochemical Company LTC refinery in Zhejiang, China and the Sinopec Shanghai Company (SPC) refinery in Jinshan, Shanghai, China, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Both STRATCO alkylation units at Sinopec Zhongke and Sinopec Shanghai are designed to process MTBE raffinate feedstock and produce 9,240 bpsd (360 kmta) and 10,240 bpsd (400 kmta) of alkylate, respectively.

The generation of low-sulfur, high-octane, low-Rvp alkylate with zero olefins enables Sinopec to meet the criteria of the China VI standard at these two refineries.

“In the last few years, DuPont and Sinopec have had the opportunity to start up several STRATCO alkylation units together, providing DuPont with the opportunity to develop a strong relationship with each refinery. The success in both startup and operation continues to meet and exceed expectations, enabling the Sinopec organization to make a vast amount of high quality alkylate to improve the overall quality of their gasoline pool. We are very appreciative for the experience we’ve had with each of these refineries,” said Kevin Bockwinkel, global business manager, STRATCO Alkylation Technology.

The startup of the units brings the number of STRATCO alkylation units in operation at the Sinopec organization to six, with a seventh unit being readied to come online this year.

As MRC wrote previously, state-backed Sinopec Corp. has recently started a 5.17 billion yuan (USD811 million) refinery upgrade at a subsidiary plant in eastern China that aims to produce cleaner fuels and boost output of higher-value chemicals. The investment in Yangtze Petrochemical Corp, in Nanjing city in the province of Jiangsu, covers eight key facilities, such as a 2.6-million-tonne-per-year residue hydrocracker and a 2.8 MMtpy catalytic cracker.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 744,130 tonnes in the first four month of 2021, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, 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.

China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group) is a super-large petroleum and petrochemical enterprise group established in July 1998 on the basis of the former China Petrochemical Corporation. Sinopec Group"s key business activities include the exploration and production of oil and natural gas, petrochemicals and other chemical products, oil refining.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Royal Dutch Shell Plc began restarting the second stage of the hydrocracker at its 227,400-barrel-per-day (bpd) Norco, Louisiana refinery, reported Reuters with reference to sources familiar with plant operations.

The second stage of the 40,000-bpd hydrocracker was taken out of production on June 8 because of a malfunction, the sources said.

Shell did not reply to a request for comment.

The first stage of the hydrocracker continued to operate while the second stage was shut, according to the sources.

As MRC informed previously, in late May, 2021, Shell agreed to sell its controlling interest in a Texas refinery to partner Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) for about USD596 million. And in early May, Shell announced the sale of its 149,000 barrel per day (bpd) refinery in Washington to Hollyfrontier Corp.

Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 744,130 tonnes in the first four month of 2021, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, 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.

Royal Dutch Shell plc is an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the biggest company in the world in terms of revenue and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors". Shell is vertically integrated and is active in every area of the oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, refining, distribution and marketing, petrochemicals, power generation and trading.
MRC