Arkema increases hydrogen peroxide pricing in Europe

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Arkema, a France-based chemical manufacturer and the world’s second leading producer of organic peroxides, increases its prices of all grades of hydrogen peroxide in Europe by up to 10% effective on 15 September, 2014 or as commitments allow, as per the company's press release.

Arkema markets hydrogen peroxide under the brands Albone, Peroxal and Valsterane. Hydrogen peroxide is used in many markets segments such as chemical synthesis, pulp and textile bleaching, aseptic packaging, cleaning, waste water treatment and cosmetics & hygiene.

As MRC reproted previously, in early 2014, Arkema announced the construction of a new organic peroxide plant on its Changshu site in China. This investment will help double the site’s production capacity. By doubling its production capacity in China, Arkema will continue to support the strong growth in the organic peroxide market in Asia, a region in which the group is also a producer in India, South Korea and Japan. The new Changshu plant is due to come on stream in early 2016.

Arkema with annual revenue of EUR6.4 billion is a leading European supplier of chlorochemicals and PVC. Kynar and Kynar Flex are registered trademarks of Arkema Inc. Arkema operates 11 organic peroxide plants on the three continents.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Achinsk Oil refinery, suspended after the incident of 15 June, 2014 has recovered the processes of primary crude oil processing on a tight schedule, according to the plan of repair activities, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing.

From 1 September the enterprise has commenced production of the main types of oil products: straight-run gasoline, diesel fuel, marine fuel and aviation fuel, as well as WLHF (wide light hydrocarbon fraction). Concurrently with the primary crude processing plant a VT-Bitumen unit, producing petroleum bitumen, resumed to operating. Achinsk refinery is planned to produce more than 400,000 tonnes of finished product, which makes more than 70% of prefault performance. The production volume will be increased in months to come.

In the period of the refinery’s stoppage the company performed a number of events aimed to compensate oil products supplies to the Krasnoyarsk Territory. To meet this goal, the company increased the production volume at Angara Petrochemical Company and Komsomolsk refinery, an agreement was reached on purchase of oil products from third party manufacturers, supplies from Samara group of refineries were carried out. Retail chains of Rosneft enterprises and end-user consumers were provided with oil products in full extent.

As MRC informed before, last year, Rosneft and Mitsui signed an agreement to jointly develop the massive Far East Petrochemical Company (FEPCO) project. Processing capacity of the petrochemical complex is planned at 3.4 million tpy of hydrocarbon feedstock, predominantly naphtha. The capacity of ethylene and propylene production unit is planned at 2 million tpy.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Rhine-Ruhr consortium of municipal utilities signed a contract with Evonik to take over the remaining 49% in the power utility STEAG, which is headquartered in Essen. The purchase price is about EUR570 million, said the producer in its press release.

The consortium which had already acquired 51% of STEAG in 2011, now becomes the sole owner of STEAG. The closing is expected in early September.

STEAG intends to expand the generation potential, especially in the area of renewable energy, in Germany and abroad, and to diversify itself more intensively in the generation mix. The goal on the one hand is to continue in the future to operate the domestic power plants competitively under the changed conditions of the energy turnaround in Germany and to continue to expand the trading expertise. Internationally, on the other hand, STEAG wants to take part in the growing worldwide market for conventional and renewable energies and to expand its market share in the area of services along the energy generation chain. In Germany, the intention is to establish STEAG as a municipal generation, trading, and service platform and to develop the business with industrial customers and within cooperative municipal enterprises.

As MRC wrote before, Evonik Industries is paving the way for a new technology whose applications include automotive finishes that are more scratch-resistant than ever before, reported the company in its press release.The specialty chemicals company has developed an industrial-scale method for producing silane-modified binders for automotive finishes.

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2013 more than 33,500 employees generated sales of around EUR12.7 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about EUR2.0 billion.
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MOCKVA (MRC) -- Bashkir company Gazprom neftekhim Salavat, one of the largest Russian petrochemical producers, shut down its high density polyethylene (HDPE) production on Monday, reported MRC analysts.

Yesterday, on Monday, 1 September 2014, Gazprom neftekhim Salavat suspended its HDPE production because of technical issues, reported by the company's customers. According to unofficial information, the outage will not be long and will not take more than three days. At the same time, the plant's production schedule is expected to be adjusted in September.

Gazprom neftekhim Salavat's annual HDPE production capacity is 120,000 tonnes with the possibility of its increase to 200,000 tonnes with the help of LyondellBasell's technology. The production launch took place in March 2010.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Eastman Chemical Company, a global specialty chemical company, is increasing prices on the following products with effect of 1 September, or as contracts allow, as per the company's press release.

EASTMAN PROPIONIC ACID, all grades: offlist price increase of USD 0.06/lb (USD 0.13/kg) in North America and Latin America.

These increases are due to elevated operating costs, especially in raw materials.

As MRC informed before, earlier this year, Eastman Chemical Company enhanced its medical packaging portfolio with Eastalite copolyester, the company’s first opaque offering, which is styrene-free and can be a sustainable alternative to high-impact polystyrene (HIPS).

Eastman is a global specialty chemical company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With a portfolio of specialty businesses, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. Its market-driven approaches take advantage of world-class technology platforms and leading positions in attractive end-markets such as transportation, building and construction and consumables. Eastman serves customers in approximately 100 countries and had 2013 revenues of approximately USD9.4 billion. The company is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA and employs approximately 14,000 people around the world.
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