PP imports to Russia to beat historical record

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Total imports of polypropylene (PP) to the Russian market in December beat the next historical maximum and exceeded 27 KT, according to MRC analysts.

December became record in relation to imports volumes to the Russian market of PP. Despite the seasonal reduction in demand, the Russian companies imported more than 27 KT of polymer.

The main gain in the volume of external supplies accounted for homopolymer of propylene. As we have noticed, in the last quarter of 2010 the Russian companies activated polymer purchases in Turkmenistan.

At the end of October-December more than 30 KT were contracted for supplies to
Russia, at that only last month more than 143 KT of raffia were contracted. PP supplies from Ukraine grew up to 4 KT. In whole, summarizing December, about 17 KT of homopolymer propylene were supplied to the Russian market against seasonal reduction in demand and high sales from the Russian producers.

Import supplies of copolymer propylene remained in the level of November. At that it should be noticed that about 700 T of blown lock copolymer of propylene unexpectedly occurred in the Russian market from North America by Pinnacle Polymers production.

Summarizing 2010, gain in PP imports to Russia made about 50% compared to 2009 up to 200 KT. The most considerable gain in supplies fell at raffia, also the supplies of blown copolymers of propylene grew bigger by half.

MRC

(Plastics News) -- Plastics recycler Envision Plastics has moved into full scale production of its EcoPrime-brand food grade high density polyethylene recycled resin at its plant in Reidsville and plans to double its capacity by adding another 18 million pounds of capacity later this year at its plant in Chino, Calif.

EcoPrime is the only recycled HDPE in the United States that has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for use in food and beverage packaging. It is currently being used in packaging for nutritional supplements, food storage containers, beverages and some personal care products.

Envision recycles roughly 110 million pounds of plastics annually. It uses a patented cleaning process to makes its food-grade recycled resin from natural-colored HDPE containers such as milk and water bottles collected at curbside.

MRC

(Marketwire) - Guanwei Recycling Corp., China's leading clean tech manufacturer of recycled low density polyethylene (LDPE), announced today that, as forecasted, continuing strong demand in China for recycled LDPE in the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2010 resulted in full year sales for the Company of 42,000 tons of recycled LDPE.

Mr. Chen Min, Chairman and CEO of the Company, stated, "Achieving our previously estimated 2010 sales target caps an outstanding year for the Company in which we also saw continuing gains in product pricing, a significant strengthening of our raw material supply base, important upgrades of our zero discharge production facility and further diversification of our customer base."

The Company said it expects to announce audited full year results on or about March 31, 2011.

MRC

(Marketwire) -- Phoenix Packaging Group (Maracaibo, Venezuela) will construct a new expanded polystyrene unit at its petrochemical complex in Maracaibo, in the state of Zulia.

The Maracaibo petrochemical complex currently consists of a 44,000 metric ton per year polystyrene unit. The new unit will add a capacity of 20,000 metric tons per year.

The construction work on the polystyrene unit is planned to commence in December 2011. Phoenix Group will invest approximately $20 million in the project. The expansion is scheduled to be completed by mid 2013.

MRC

(KyivPost) -- Shareholders in OJSC Stirol (Horlivka, Donetsk region) at a general meeting held on January 17, 2011 re-elected its supervisory board and board of directors, the company's press service has reported.

The meeting held on January 17 was the first meeting after the company entered Austria's OstChem Holding AG, which is under the control of Group DF of businessman Dmytro Firtash.

The shareholders also decided to reorganize Stirol into a public joint-stock company.

As reported, in September 2010 Cypriot Ostchem Investments built up a 90.3044% stake in Stirol and the company entered OstChem Group.

OSJC Stirol Concern is one of the largest nitric fertilizers, polystyrene and medicine producers in Ukraine.

MRC