US EPA proposes compliance deadline extension for biofuel laws

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The US Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed an extension to 2020 and 2021 deadlines for oil refiners to prove compliance with the nation's biofuel blending mandates, reported Reuters with reference to the agency's statement.

The extension could help oil refiners that have slowed or stopped buying credits to prove they have complied with the blending requirements, amassing huge outstanding liabilities in the process. The EPA's move would allow those refiners, such as Monroe Energy and PBF Energy Inc, to spread their debt over a longer period of time.

The short positions, which the refiners built up over the last year, were a bet that President Joe Biden will ultimately side with refiners and their union supporters and roll back the law known as the US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), Reuters previously reported.

Under the RFS, oil refiners must blend billions of gallons of biofuels into their fuel mix, or buy compliance credits from those that do. The EPA, which administers the RFS, can grant some refiners exemptions to the law if the refiners prove the obligations are financially harmful.

As MRC informed previously, in July 2021, Northern California regulators directed two of the state's largest oil refineries to slash their fine particulate air pollution, which will require costly modifications at the plants.

We remind that Chevron Corp is considering permanently closing the gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracker (FCC) at its 112,229 barrel-per-day (bpd) Pasadena, Texas refinery as part of a possible reconfiguration of the plant. Idling the shut 52,000-bpd FCC would be part of converting the refinery on the Houston Ship Channel to a simpler hydroskimming configuration.

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 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in January-September 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) decreased significantly.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Cosmo Speciality Chemicals, a 100% subsidiary of Cosmo Films Ltd., has developed hydrophilic block silicone emulsions that exhibits better softening properties because of their lower rotational free energy than C-O bonds as compared with any other traditional non-silicone softeners, said the company.

Non-toxic and eco-friendly, the agent is suitable for a wide range of applications while providing an outstanding effect in the textile industry. With remarkable lubricity and hydrophilicity, the innovative softener improves water absorbency and smoothness of the fabric along with improving the efficiency of cutting and sewing in. LYOSIL BHL can be used on cotton like knits, woven, terry towels, etc.

Cosmo Films Limited announced expansion by setting up the world’s largest BOPP film production line at Aurangabad with annual rated capacity of 67,000 MT.

As MRC informed earlier, Cosmo Films introduced BOPP based heat resistant (HR) films. The films have been engineered to work as printing layer replacing BOPET film in multi-layer laminates for various packaging applications in both food and non-food segments. The company has also launched a barrier version of the film.

Cosmo Speciality Chemicals is a 100% subsidiary of Cosmo Films Ltd with strong research capabilities to provide best and the most competitive products through innovations based on sustainable science to its customers. The Company is into specialty polymers& textile chemicals and has now launched 'Fabritizer' to safeguard consumers from the various viruses, bacteria and germs.

Established in 1981 and founded by Mr. Ashok Jaipuria, Cosmo Films today is a global leader in specialty films for packaging, lamination, labeling and synthetic paper. With engineering of innovative products and sustainability solutions, Cosmo Films over the years has been partnering with worlds’ leading F&B and personal care brands and packaging & printing converters to enhance the end consumer experience. Its customer base is spread in more than 100 countries with sales & manufacturing units in India and Korea and additionally sales & distribution base in Japan, USA, Canada and Europe.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Finnish Neste is entering into execution phase with its partners in the MultiPLHY consortium, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The MultiPLHY project aims at installing, integrating and operating the world's first high-temperature electrolyzer system in multi-megawatt-scale (~2.4 MW) at Neste’s renewable products refinery in Rotterdam to demonstrate production of green hydrogen for the refinery's processes. The technology of the high-temperature electrolyzer is provided by Sunfire.

The MultiPLHY project started in early 2020 and since then the conceptual design has been completed while detailed engineering is being finalized. In the next phase, Neste will proceed with the construction works. In addition to Neste and Sunfire, the MultiPLHY consortium partners include CEA, a French public research organization; Paul Wurth, an engineering company and technology provider; ENGIE, a global reference in low-carbon energy and services.

“As part of Neste’s growth strategy we continue to focus on innovation, in which renewable hydrogen and Power-to-X are two of our key development areas. Demonstrating green hydrogen production at our Rotterdam refinery within the MultiPLHY project is one of the initiatives enabling us to further drive the development of new sustainable technologies,” says Lars Peter Lindfors, Senior Vice President of Innovation at Neste.

"We look forward to realizing the implementation and commissioning of our SOEC electrolyzer. Together with the strong MultiPLHY consortium, we will demonstrate an innovative solution on how the refining industry can become more sustainable," says Sunfire CEO Nils Aldag.

“Renewable hydrogen is an essential low-emission technology for the decarbonization of industrial processes. Accelerating concrete hydrogen projects, like MultiPLHY, is key to identifying potential disruptors and making this SOEC technology operationally and commercially viable at scale,” says Michele Azalbert, Managing Director at ENGIE Green Hydrogen.

As MRC wrote before, the EU Innovation Fund has recently given a positive grant decision of EUR88 million funding to Neste’s green hydrogen and CO2 capture and storage project, which aims to quickly and efficiently reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the Porvoo refinery in Finland.

We remind that in July, 2021, Neste and LyondellBasell announced a long-term commercial agreement under which LyondellBasell will source Neste RE, a feedstock from Neste that has been produced from 100% renewable feedstock from bio-based sources, such as waste and residue oils and fats. This feedstock will be processed through the cracker at LyondellBasell’s Wesseling, Germany, plant into polymers and sold under the CirculenRenew brand name.

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 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in January-September 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) decreased significantly.

Neste (Helsinki) creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. The company refines waste, residues and innovative raw materials into renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock for plastics and other materials. The company is the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, developing chemical recycling to combat the plastic waste challenge. In 2020, Neste's revenue stood at EUR11.8 billion, with 94% of the company’s comparable operating profit coming from renewable products.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Chinese state-owned oil and gas major Sinopec has increased daily natural gas supply to the north of the country by more than 10 million cubic meters in a bid to meet demand from local residents and enterprises amid cold weather, reported S&P Global with reference to the company's statement on its official website Nov. 22.

This equates to nearly 6% of the state owned company's annual gas supply and 10% of its domestic gas output. Sinopec currently supplies a total of 180 million cu m/day of natural gas to the country including both domestic and imported sources, the company said, noting that its daily gas production reached a record high of 99.79 million cu m on Nov. 21.

The ramp-up in gas supply is on account of another cold snap. China's Central Meteorological Observatory issued a "blue" warning on Nov. 19, signaling a cold front was expected to sweep across the whole country over Nov. 20-23, bringing blizzards, strong winds and a temperature drop of more than 14 degrees Celsius from north to south.

This is the third cold warning issued by the observatory so far this winter. The last two warnings were released in mid-October and early November. China has been ramping up gas supply from all sources including pipeline gas contracts with Central Asia.

Sinopec has built up an effective natural gas working storage volume of 1.79 billion cu m, including at the Wen 96, Jintan, Wen 23 and Ganghua storage sites, Sinopec said, adding that it has secured 27.2 Bcm of domestic and foreign natural gas resources for ensuring supply in the winter-spring season.

Sinopec is currently working on the second dock of its Tianjin LNG terminal, which is part of the Tianjin LNG phase 2 project, and is expected to be ready for putting it into operation by the end of November, it said. This will further alleviate gas shortages in the region.

As MRC informed earlier, China's Sinopec Corp said last Wednesday it plans to build a 1-MMtpy crude-to-olefin plant, having completed successful trial processing crude oil directly into olefin at its subsidiary plant in Tianjin, without giving further details. Thus, the top Asian refiner is one of the world's few companies that have applied the technology at an industrial scale. ExxonMobil is another firm equipped with such technology, Sinopec said.

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 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in January-September 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) decreased significantly.

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) -- Eni and the BF Group have partnered to develop sustainable agricultural products for biofuel production, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Through an equal joint venture (50% Eni, 50% BF), projects will be developed to research and experiment with agricultural seeds from oil plants to be used as feedstock at Eni's bio-refineries. Furthermore, the agreement between the companies provides for the purchase by Eni of a minority stake in BF Bonifiche Ferraresi's subsidiary and for Eni's entry into BF's share capital by means of a reserved capital increase.

The agreement builds on a strong track record of collaboration between Eni and BF in the agricultural sector for the development of economic diversification initiatives, skill transfer and support for entrepreneurship in Italy and abroad.

The agreement is of strategic importance as Bonifiche Ferraresi, at 7,750 hectares, is the largest Italian farm in terms of utilized agricultural surface area and Eni produces advanced biofuels at its bio-refinery in Gela and Venice Porto Marghera, one of the tools to help contain CO2 emissions in the transport sector. As of 2023, Eni will no longer use palm oil in its production processes.

The testing and experimentation activities of the joint venture will be carried out at Bonifiche Ferraresi’s “Open Sky Laboratories” in Sardinia and will be aimed at assessing the ability to replicate production processes currently used in Italy in the other countries in which Eni operates, Africa in particular. The joint venture will also focus on the development of training programmes for personnel for agro-feedstock project development sectors.

The initiative is part of Eni's strategy for achieving full carbon neutrality by 2050, which includes green refining as a strategic element, with production capacity expected to double to around 2 MM tons by 2024 and a further increase to 5/6 MM tons expected by 2050.

As MRC wrote earlier, Eni is evaluating conversion of its Livorno refinery in northwest Italy into a biorefinery, as part of the Italian company's wider strategy to make its activities more environmentally sustainable. Eni has already converted two of its Italian refineries and is looking to almost double its biorefining capacity to around 2 million mt/year by 2024, and expand this to at least five times by 2050, as part of its pledge to achieve complete carbon neutrality by 2050.

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 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding PP random copolymers decreased significantly.

Eni, abbreviation of Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi, in full Eni SpA, Italian energy company operating primarily in petroleum, natural gas, and petrochemicals. Established in 1953, it is one of Europe's largest oil companies in terms of sales.
MRC