Sinopec starts construction of carbon-capture project in east China in a move to be carbon-neutral by 2050

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China Petrochemical Corp, or Sinopec, said on Monday it started building a carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) project in east China, the largest of its kind in the country, as part of the refiner's goal to be carbon-neutral by 2050, reported Reuters.

The Asian company has been planning to cap its carbon emissions at peak levels prior to a national timeline set by the government for 2030, both through its work to increase hydrogen output and the treatment and capture of carbon dioxide. read more

The CCUS project involves capturing carbon dioxide produced from a Sinopec's Qilu refinery in eastern Shandong province during a hydrogen-making process, and then injecting it into 73 oil wells in nearby Shengli oilfield, Sinopec said in a statement.

At a purified rate of more than 99%, carbon dioxide can be mixed with crude oil and help generate higher oil production.

Sinopec estimated that 10.68 million tons of carbon dioxide would be injected into the oilfield over the next 15 years and boost crude oil production by nearly 3 million tons.

The project is scheduled to start operations at the end of this year, Sinopec said, adding that it plans to build similar projects in neighboring Jiangsu province, by capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide from refinery and petrochemical plants there and using them to boost oil output at its Huadong and Jiangsu oilfields.

The state oil and gas producer said it would explore setting up a CCUS research and development center, but did not provide financial details about these investments.

As MRC wrote before, Sinopec Engineering (Group) and ExxonMobil (Huizhou) Chemical (EMHCC) have recently 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 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) -- Chevron Phillips Chemical joined Cyclyx, a consortium-based feedstock management company as a founding member, said Cyclyx.

Cyclyx International, a consortium-based feedstock management company with a mission to help increase the recycling rates of post-use plastic from 10% to 90%, announced that Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) has joined Cyclyx as a founding member.

CPChem is a leading chemical company and at the forefront of cultivating a circular economy for plastics. The company has announced plans for an annual production volume of 1 billion pounds of its ISCC PLUS certified Marlex Anew Circular Polyethylene by 2030.

CPChem will actively contribute to Cyclyx’s ongoing efforts to build and enhance its programs by having Dr. Ron Abbott, CPChem’s sustainability technology manager, serve on the Cyclyx executive advisory board.

"I am impressed with the approach Cyclyx has initiated to increase recycling rates of plastic, and I look forward to collaborating with this expert executive advisory board,” said Abbott. “CPChem is working to create sustainable solutions, and we believe joining Cyclyx as a founding member will expand our capacity to produce and deliver certified circular products for years to come."

As a founding member of the consortium, CPChem joins a growing list of of companies helping to foster a more sustainable future for plastics. Cyclyx provides third-party audited, circular, end-of-life pathways for post-use plastic throughout the value-chain and combines technical expertise with leading-edge technology and data analytics to help to increase plastic recycling rates. Members of Cyclyx enjoy access to innovative tools like chemical characterization of plastics and predictive modelling of feedstock sources to product pathways, custom feedstock recipes, and customized supply chains, which are designed to elevate a more circular economy for plastics.

"We couldn’t be happier to have CPChem join Cyclyx as a founding member and to welcome Dr. Abbott to the executive advisory board,” stated Joe Vaillancourt, CEO of Cyclyx. “As a company committed to advancing solutions for a sustainable future, CPChem is a valuable participant in our mission to help increase plastic recycling rates from 10% to 90%."

As MRC informed earlier, in September 2020, Chevron Phillips Chemical, part of Chevron Corporation, deferred a final investment decision on a USD8 billion joint venture petrochemical complex project along the US Gulf Coast that was expected in 2021. The project, in partnership with Qatar Petroleum (QP), was announced in July 2019. It is slated to include a 2 million mt/year cracker and two 1 million mt/year high density polyethylene (HDPE) plants. The FID delay will also push the original target startup date past 2024.

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

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.

Chevron Phillips Chemical is one of the world’s top producers of olefins and polyolefins and a leading supplier of aromatics, alpha olefins, styrenics, specialty chemicals, plastic piping and polymer resins. With approximately 5,000 employees, Chevron Phillips Chemical and its affiliates own more than ГЫВ17 billion in assets, including 31 manufacturing and research facilities in six countries. Chevron Phillips Chemical is equally owned indirectly by Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and Phillips 66 Company, and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice have signed an agreement to sell Solenis to Platinum Equity, a California-based private equity company founded in 1995, said the company.

The transaction implies an enterprise value for Solenis of USD5.25 billion, which includes net debt of around USD2.5 billion, subject to adjustments at closing. Since February 1, 2019, BASF has held 49% of the shares in Solenis and accounted for its share in the company using the equity method; 51% of the shares have been held by funds managed by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and the Solenis management. Pending approval by the relevant authorities, closing of the transaction is expected before the end of 2021.

With over 5,200 employees, Solenis is serving customers in water-intensive industries by helping them solve complex water treatment and process improvement challenges. In 2019, BASF transferred its paper wet-end and water chemicals business to Solenis, creating a leading global solutions provider for the paper and water treatment industries. In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, the company headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, USA, generated sales of USD2.8 billion.

BASF and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice will fully exit their investment in Solenis as part of the transaction announced today. The transaction does not affect any of the existing mid- to long-term supply agreements and commercial relationships between BASF and Solenis. BASF will continue to supply products to or source products from Solenis under these agreements.

As per MRC, BASF and the Fabbri group of companies developed biodegradable films for food packaging.
Based on ecovio, a certified biodegradable material from BASF, the Fabbri Group produces Nature Fresh, a highly transparent stretch film. This product is the first certified biodegradable film for foodstuffs, combining optimal breathability, long shelf life, high transparency and excellent mechanical properties for automatic packaging.

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.

BASF is the largest diversified chemical company in the world and a leading global supplier of high quality polyamide and polyamide intermediates for films and monofilaments.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia has extended the period for consideration of SIBUR Holding's petition to purchase 100% of TAIF's voting shares for two months, requested additional information, TASS reports with reference to the FAS.

The agency asked the companies for additional information in order to "comprehensively assess its impact on the petrochemical industry markets." Earlier, the Federal Antimonopoly Service announced on May 26 that it had received an application for the purchase of 100% of TAIF's voting shares by SIBUR. SIBUR CEO Dmitry Konov noted that the deal will be two-stage. According to him, if the transaction is approved by the FAS, the first stage may be completed in the third quarter of 2021.

In April 2021, SIBUR Holding and TAIF announced the start of the merger of the oil and gas chemical businesses of the companies. As part of the merger, a company will be created on the basis of SIBUR Holding PJSC, in which the existing shareholders of TAIF will receive a 15% stake in exchange for the transfer of a controlling stake in a group consisting of petrochemical and energy enterprises.

The remaining stake in TAIF can be subsequently purchased by the merged company. The deal will be closed subject to the necessary corporate procedures and regulatory approvals. The combined capacity of the combined group for eight base polymers will amount to 5.7 million tonnes, or 70.7% of those operating in Russia. Today, SIBUR's capacity for base polymers is almost twice that of TAIF. Eight production sites of SIBUR with a capacity of 3.9 million tons and TAIF has two plants (Kazanorgsintez and Nizhnekamskneftekhim) with a total capacity of 2.2 million tons.

As a result of the merger, the total capacity share of the new SIBUR-TAIF group will be 100% for the production of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), 87.4% for polypropylene (PP), 80.8% for HDPE and 59% for LDPE.

According to the ScanPlast of MRC, SIBUR Tobolsk / ZapSibNeftekhim actually maintained the April level of capacity utilization in May, the final polypropylene production figure was 76,900 tonnes (in late April - early May, the company carried out preventive maintenance). In general, in the first five months of the year, the total volume of polypropylene production at the Tobolsk complex reached 439,300 tonnes, which is 25% more than a year earlier.

SIBUR manufactures and sells petrochemical products on the Russian and international markets in two business segments: olefins and polyolefins (polypropylene, polyethylene, BOPP, etc.), as well as plastics, elastomers and intermediate products (synthetic rubbers, expanded polystyrene, PET, etc.).

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 areas is the Chemistry, Petrochemistry and Oil and Gas Processing Division, which includes the leading Russian polymer producers Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Kazanorgsintez.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - TechnoNICOL, Europe's largest manufacturer and supplier of roofing, waterproofing and heat-insulating materials, intends to invest 4 billion rubles in the construction and modernization of factories in two Far Eastern regions, TASS reported citing co-owner and managing partner of the corporation Sergey Kolesnikov.

"This year we plan to reconstruct the Khabarovsk plant for the production of mineral insulation. In the near future we have a new investment project in Primorye. We are planning to build a training center and three new plants in the region at once: for the production of rolled bituminous materials, thermal insulation from extruded polystyrene foam ( e-PS, XPS) and an enterprise for the processing of secondary polymers. Now, together with the authorities of the Primorsky Territory, we are looking for a site for the location of enterprises. We plan to invest about 4 billion rubles in the implementation of these projects, "said S. Kolesnikov.

Kolesnikov noted that both the Khabarovsk Territory and Primorye are now actively engaged in construction. Also, the demand for the corporation's products, and these are roofing, waterproofing, soundproofing and heat-insulating materials, is in view of large-scale projects that are being implemented in the Arctic. "In addition, Vladivostok and the Primorsky Territory are a convenient location for export to the Asia-Pacific region. Therefore, we are going to introduce new production facilities and reconstruct existing ones," added S. Kolesnikov.

Now the share of export of products from the Khabarovsk cluster of the corporation, which includes a training center and five enterprises for the production of heat and sound insulation materials from stone wool and extruded polystyrene foam, plastic drainage systems, recycling of polymers, remains at the level of 7%. Products are supplied to China, Canada, Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.

The production site produces 1.2 million cubic meters of heat and sound insulation materials and up to 3 thousand tons of drainage systems per year, and also recycles more than 1,000 tons of polystyrene waste every month. “We plan to send up to 30% of products manufactured at new enterprises in Primorye to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region and to implement projects in the Arctic," S. Kolesnikov said.

TechnoNICOL plans to implement a large investment project in the Saratov region. In 2022, a plant for the production of SHINGLAS soft roofing bitumen tiles and HAUBERK facade tiles will appear in the region. When it reaches full capacity, the plant will produce up to 8 million m2 of finished products per year.

In general, TechnoNICOL intends to invest 60 billion rubles in the Russian economy in the next five years. Such data was announced by the head of the Corporation at the XXIV St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

As noted earlier, TechnoNICOL plans to install two new extrusion lines in Poland and Russia. The Italian company BG Plast (Italy) signed a contract with TechnoNICOL for the supply of two extrusion lines for the production of dimpled sheet membranes with and without a geotextile joint, 2000 mm and 4000 mm wide.

Earlier it was reported that TechnoNICOL launched the first line in Russia for the production of geocomposite polymer membranes for underground insulation on the basis of the Logikruf plant (Ryazan). This line will produce PVC membranes for tunnels and underground structures and a geocomposite based on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) up to 6 mm thick for insulation of hydraulic structures. The line's capacity will be 5 million m2 of finished products per year. The company allocated over 450 million rubles for the project.

According to MRC's ScanPlast, in May the total production of unmixed PVC in Russia amounted to 86.1 thousand tons versus 86.6 thousand tons a month earlier, RusVinyl reduced the capacity utilization level. The total volume of polymer production in January - May 2021 amounted to 432.1 thousand tons, which corresponds to the indicator a year earlier. A decrease in production volumes was recorded for two manufacturers; it was possible to increase the production of resin from the Bashkir Soda Company and "Kaustik" (Volgograd).

TechnoNICOL Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of hydro, heat and sound insulation. The company includes 49 factories in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and the Czech Republic, its own trade network of 140 branches and consulates in 33 countries. The company was founded in 1992 by Sergey Kolesnikov and Igor Rybakov.
MRC