BASF to build a new plant for high performance Ultramid in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BASF is building a new Ultramid polymerization plant with a capacity of 100,000 metric tons per year in Shanghai, China, according to the company's press release.

The new plant is planned to start up in 2015.

"As part of our long-term strategy, we aim to locate production close to our customers in the Asia Pacific region, so that we can better support their growth, operate more efficiently and collaborate more closely. BASF intends to grow two percentage points above the market in Asia Pacific and maintain our commitment to environmental protection as well as ensuring a positive contribution to society for a sustainable future ," said Dr. Albert Heuser, President and Chairman Greater China and Functions Asia Pacific.

"The demand for polyamide products in the engineering plastics, fiber and film industries will grow strongly, particularly in China," said Hermann Althoff, Senior Vice President of the Global Polyamide and Intermediates Business Unit. "The investment enables us to participate in this growth and supply our Asian customers with locally manufactured high performance products."

The BASF wholly-owned plant will be built at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park in Caojing which is also home to a world scale facility for integrated isocyanates, operated by BASF and partners. At this location, BASF also has production plants for polytetrahydrofuran (PolyTHF) and polyisocyanate (Basonat) for the coatings and furniture finishing industry and precious metal solutions for automotive catalysts.

We remind that, as MRC wrote previously, BASF and China-based Xinjiang Markor Chemical are planning to set up two joint venture (JV) companies, for the production of butanediol (BDO) and polytetrahydrofuran (PolyTHF), in Korla, Xinjiang Uygur, China. The JV firms are considering building a new BDO plant, with an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes, and another facility with a capacity for 50,000 tonnes per annum of PolyTHF. These are expected to be commissioned in 2015.

BASF operates Ultramid polymerization plants in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Freeport, Texas and S a o Paulo, Brazil. The production of polyamide for film, textile and carpet fiber as well as for engineering plastics applications is integrated into BASF’s global Verbund structure with polyamide intermediates (i.e. adipic acid, anolon, caprolactam), chemical raw materials (i.e. ammonia, cyclohexane, sulfuric acid), energy, by-product recovery, logistics and other services.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Styron, the global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber, has published its 2012 Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report with enhanced emissions reporting, as per the company's press release.

For 2012, the company reported a 7% reduction in greenhouse gases, a 4% reduction in electricity use, 25% reduction in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, and a 34% reduction in waste compared to the previous year.

This is the first year the company has reported emissions data. This is the third public report the company has issued annually since Styron’s formation as an independent company in 2010.

"When it comes to sustainability, our customers increasingly are seeking technologies and solutions that help their products contribute to a more sustainable world," said Chris Pappas, President and CEO of Styron. "Styron’s plastic, latex and rubber products are enabling our customers to create more sustainable solutions by reducing energy use, preserving health, enhancing safety, improving durability, and conserving natural resources."

We remind that, as MRC wrote previously, Styron (Hong Kong) Limited and its affiliate companies in Asia Pacific has announce price increases for all polystyrene grades. Effective immediately, or as existing contract terms allow, the prices for the products listed below will increase as follows: STYRON general purpose polystyrene grades (GPPS) by USD40 per tonne; STYRON and STYRON A-TECH high-impact polystyrene grades (HIPS) by USD30 per tonne.

Styron is a leading global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber. Styron"s technology is used by customers in industries such as home appliances, automotive, building & construction, carpet, consumer electronics, consumer goods, electrical & lighting, medical, packaging, paper & paperboard, rubber goods and tires. Styron had approximately USD 5.5 billion in revenue in 2012, with 20 manufacturing sites around the world.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of bottle grade PET to Ukraine have increased on the back of stronger demand. Thus, imports of PET granulate to Ukraine in the first half of the year grew by 13%, according to MRC DataScope.
In general, Ukrainian PET imports in January-June 2013 totalled 101,000 tonnes, compared with 89.500 tonnes year on year. PET imports to Ukraine in June decreased by 5,400 tonnes from May level and was 14,000 tonnes.

The decline in imports was seen for the second consecutive month and resulted from the two main factors. Firstly, converters have built up large stock inventories following the surge in imports in April. Secondly, converters anticipated significant fall of Chinese PET prices in June.

The buyers feared a repetition of the situation in 2012, so they did not increase their PET purchases.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - After the surge in April polyethylene (PE) imports to Ukraine is gradually going down on the back of a general decline in consumer activity. PE imports to Ukraine in the first half of the year grew only by 1%, according to MRC DataScope.

PE imports to Ukraine in June 2013 fell to 26,000 tonnes, while in May it was 27,100 tonnes. Ukrainian PE imports in the first half of the year totalled about 156,000 tonnes, up by 1% year on year.

Such a small increase in demand resulted from the general economic situation in the country (the index of processing industries declined in the first half of the year by 7.4%), while in the previous two years, the average annual increase in demand for polyethylene was 5%.

The structure of PE consumption by grades in the first half of the year was as follows. Import of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in the six months of this year rose by 31% compared with the previous year and amounted to 71,300 tonnes. Such a big growth of HDPE imports resulted from the shutdown of Karpatneftehim (group Lukoil), which contributed to the rise of imports of film HDPE by more than 70%. According to unofficial information, Lukoil restarts Karpatneftehim before the end of this year. To be more exact, the plant is likely to start production in October.


Imports of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in January - June of this year amounted to 49,700 tonnes, down by 11% compared to the same period in 2012. Demand for all grades of films decreased, with the exception of shrink films.

Imports of linear polyethylene (LLDPE) in the current year fell by almost a quarter and amounted to 29,200 tonnes (in the first half of 2012 - 38,300 tonnes).

The main decrease of demand accounted for the producers of irrigated of stretch film (almost twofold). Import of other polymers of ethylene in the first half of 2013 decreased by 5% to about 2,100 tonnes.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, is proceeding with a 50% expansion in capacity at its Azo pigments and pigment preparations plants in Roha, India, underlining the company’s commitment to provide customers in the region with high quality products specifically tailored to their needs, reported the company on its site.

This recently approved investment will also enhance the capabilities and output at the site in a sustainable manner by reducing energy consumption and expanding the range of low VOC-containing pigments preparations offered to the market.

These latest investments are intended to support the strong market growth in India. They also mark another step in Clariant’s efforts to enhance its on-the-ground presence and offer more intimate customer service to customers in the emerging Indian and Asian markets. A new upgraded technical service laboratory for pigments has now commenced operations at its Cuddalore site (Tamil Nadu). Clariant is also in the process of doubling its marketing and sales organization in India, China and Indonesia throughout 2013.

"Our on-going efforts to strengthen our presence in India are part of a broader commitment to meet growing demand here and in the rest of the region, and to give customers access to high quality, sustainable products and technical support tailored to their local product development needs," comments Marco Cenisio, Senior Vice President & General Manager Business Units Pigments, Clariant.

As MRC informed previously, Clariant has recently announced that it signed a long-term supply contract with OMV. From 2015, the Austrian oil and gas company will supply Clariant’s site in Gendorf (Germany) with ethylene. This agreement will enable Clariant to source most of its requirements for this important basic chemical in southern Bavaria.

Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints.
MRC