INEOS Styrolution invests in PS recycling plant in the UK

MOSCOW (MRC) -- INEOS Styrolution, the global leader in styrenics, announced today that its Novodur 550 has been selected by THACO Plastics Component (TPC), one of the leading OEMs producing key automotive parts for global brands in Vietnam, to be used for rear spoiler application, said the company.

Novodur is INEOS Styrolution’s brand of specialty acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) copolymers. The product line contains grades with a well-balanced mix of properties, including good impact strength, dimensional stability and heat resistance. It is easy to process and gives a high aesthetic colourful surface appearance. This versatile product line is also available pre-coloured and contains products with many unique features to fit the most demanding applications across industries including automotive, household, electronics, medical and construction.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Huy, Managing Director, P-CARE Vietnam Group, comments “As a supplier to one of most successful automotive manufacturers in Vietnam, it is imperative for us to partner with world class and innovative material suppliers like INEOS Styrolution to provide the right solutions for our customers. The high quality and consistency of INEOS Styrolution’s products enable OEMs like TPC to meet the global standards required by well-known car brands. Novodur 550 is the material of choice as it offers high heat resistance, high impact strength, good process-ability and is suitable to be coated with premium paint, offering a luxurious appearance for THACO’s cars."

"We are very pleased to partner with THACO Plastics Component and P-CARE Vietnam Group, providing them our best solutions,” says Ravi Ponnuswamy, Asia Pacific Specialties Sales Director. “The successful commercialization of this project shows that with the right partnership, Vietnamese automotive manufacturers are well equipped to develop and produce parts in their home country."

Earlier it was reported that INEOS Styrolution and Trinseo continue to implement a project to create a polystyrene processing plant using depolymerization technology in Wingles in northern France. The enterprise will be able to process up to 50 tons of polystyrene per day. It is expected to be fully operational by mid-2023.

According to the ICIS-MRC Price Report, prices of Russian polystyrene (PS) continued to go up in December.
Demand for PS was strong, the market was still experiencing a shortage of Russian material. Prices of European styrene monomer (SM) were in the range of USD1,515-1,575/tonne this week.
MRC

1. COVID-19 pandemic put unprecedented pressure on many global industries supply chain

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The ongoing impacts of COVID-19, surging prices for energy and raw materials, and Forces Majeures destabilising the global supply chain put mounting pressure on the supply chain not only in one industry, but instead represents a global challenge wrought by global issues. Most unprecedented is the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns that have led to a huge shift in consumer behaviour and economic patterns, according to Packaging Europe with reference to statements of Bernard Lombard from Cepi and Ron Marsh from the Polymers for Europe Alliance. “Many sectors, including ours, had to adjust to a global economic slow-down but are now facing a spectacular and unexpected rebound,” explains Bernard Lombard, a trade expert working at Cepi, when discussing the impact of the supply chain crisis on the paper industry.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The ongoing impacts of COVID-19, surging prices for energy and raw materials, and Forces Majeures destabilising the global supply chain put mounting pressure on the supply chain not only in one industry, but instead represents a global challenge wrought by global issues. Most unprecedented is the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns that have led to a huge shift in consumer behaviour and economic patterns, according to Packaging Europe with reference to statements of Bernard Lombard from Cepi and Ron Marsh from the Polymers for Europe Alliance.

“Many sectors, including ours, had to adjust to a global economic slow-down but are now facing a spectacular and unexpected rebound,” explains Bernard Lombard, a trade expert working at Cepi, when discussing the impact of the supply chain crisis on the paper industry.

The problem of unpredictability appears to be shared across sectors. Ron Marsh, chair of the Polymers for Europe Alliance, an information platform initiated by EuPC, adds: “Demand is very volatile, but recently has been unexpectedly strong.” As economies around the world bounce back earlier than expected from the pandemic, various industries are struggling to keep up.

Then there is the issue of shipping. Currently, as Lombard says, “the distribution of containers around the world is imbalanced, some regions having too many, others lacking capacity”. The pandemic saw altered shipping routes and staff shortages that meant containers could not be processed. Marsh agrees global freight is “not functioning as smoothly as is customary”.

Additionally, across the Northern Hemisphere, last year’s winter was colder and longer than average. Catch-up maintenance work in Summer 2021 meant that supply has yet to align with demand for some segments, forcing a spike in energy prices. Speaking to Packaging Europe earlier this month, the president of EuPC, Ranato Zelcher, identified Storm Uri, which hit Texas in February 2021 and forced the shutdown of polymer production in the region, as a factor in exacerbating shortages for the plastics supply chain.

For Marsh, however, “the most obvious feature (of the supply chain challenge) is the rash of Forces Majeures that have afflicted supply chains during 2021”. IVK estimates that 81 Force Majeures statements were issued by raw materials producers between January and September 2021, which can allow companies to delay or cancel the fulfilment of particular contracts, largely without liability.

“Not all of what is happening at the moment is related to short-term trends,” Lombard adds. “Some changes are here to stay. (COVID-19) has changed how people and companies behave, work, and consume.”

But it’s clear solutions are needed now. Lombard says an “element which influence is not to be underestimated is the power of communication. We must get better at communicating to our stakeholders about the current situation, its causes, and today and tomorrow’s challenges.”

A holistic approach to managing the current supply chain challenges could be essential for the plastics industry, too. “Recognition that the entire (supply) chain needs to come together because the success of polymer suppliers and plastics convertors are inextricably linked” is something Marsh identifies as a potential opportunity - a way to ensure, going forward, the supply chain does not fragment due to unnecessary competition and conflict.

For both Lombard and Marsh, the recovery of supply chains also needs to involve sustainable development if it is to be successful.

As MRC wrote before, oil refiners are ramping up output to meet a synchronized uptick in demand across Asia, Europe and the United States, but plant maintenance and high natural gas prices will constrain supply in the fourth quarter. This comes as profits for producing ground transportation fuels such as diesel and gasoline have rebounded globally for the first time since the start of the pandemic, as countries gradually emerge from COVID-19 movement restrictions.

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.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's overall polyethylene (PE) production totalled 2,646,000 tonnes in the first ten months of 2021, up by 8% year on year. Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) accounted for the greatest increase in the output, according to MRC's ScanPlast report.

October total PE production in Russia dropped to 226,600 tonnes, whereas this figure was at 237,900 tonnes a month earlier; Kazanorgsintez, Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Stavrolen's production capacities were shut for maintenance. Thus, overall PE output reached 2,646,000 tonnes in January-October 2021, compared to 2,449,100 tonnes a year earlier. Production of all PE grades increased, with LLDPE accounting for the greatest increase in the output.

The PE production structure by grades looked the following way over the stated period.

October high density polyethylene (HDPE) production reached 144,000 tonnes versus 146,400 tonnes a month earlier, Kazanorgsintez and Stavrolen were shut for repairs. Russian plants' overall HDPE output reached 1,618,400 tonnes in the first ten months of 2021, up by 7% year on year.

October total low density polyethylene (LDPE) production grew to 47,300 tonnes from 44,100 tonnes in September. Thus, overall output of this PE grade totalled 533,000 tonnes over the stated period, up by 3% year on year.

October LLDPE production decreased to 35,300 tonnes from 47,300 tonnes a month earlier, all producers reduced their LLDPE output partially because of short shutdowns for maintenance. Overall LLDPE output rose to 494,600 tonnes in January-October 2021 from 424,200 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- TotalEnergies SE began restarting the small crude distillation unit (CDU) at its 225,500-bpd Port Arthur, Texas, refinery on Wednesday, sources familiar with plant operations said, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

A TotalEnergies spokesperson did not reply to a request for comment. The 40,000-bpd ACU-2 CDU was shut in mid-November for repairs after the large CDU restarted following a plant-wide shutdown on Sept. 9, the sources said.

As per MRC, Total Petrochemicals and Refining USA, the US petrochemical major, restarted all of its three polypropylene (PP) units in La Porte as of 17 June 2021. At the same time, the force majeure (FM) at this plant with an annual capacity of 1.15 million tons/year remains in place as the company attempts to stabilize operating rates and build inventories ahead of the hurricane season. Previously, Total Petrochemical declared FM on its PP output after an abrupt loss of electricity supply during a severe weather condition.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russian producers' October PP production fell to 155,500 tonnes from 169,700 tonnes a month earlier, three producers shut its production for scheduled maintenance. Russia"s overall PP output reached 1.693 mln tonnes in January-October 2021, compared to 1.530 tonnes a year earlier. Four out of seven producers increased their capacity utilisation, with SIBUR Tobolsk/ZapSibNeftekhim traditionally accounting for the greatest growth in the output.

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MRC