Dow to become one of the largest industrial buyers of renewable energy

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Dow Chemical Company has signed a long-term agreement with a new wind farm, currently under development in South Texas by a subsidiary of Bordas Wind Energy, LLC, a joint venture between MAP and Enerverse, LLC., said the company in its press release.

The wind farm, to be complete in first quarter 2016, will span nearly 35,000 acres, and will supply Dow’s Freeport Texas Manufacturing facility with 200 MW of wind power annually, equivalent to the amount of electricity needed to power more than 55,000 homes. As a direct result, Dow is the first company in the U.S. to power a manufacturing site with renewable energy at this scale, and will become the third largest corporate purchaser of wind energy in the United States. As one of the largest industrial energy consumers in the world, Dow has consistently been on the forefront of new energy technology improvements. Dow is on track to meet its 2025 renewable energy goal as part of its Sustainability Goal commitments.

As MRC informed before, Dow Chemical Company in partnership with its joint venture, DowAksa, and a consortium of composites-related businesses, academic leaders and government organizations, is pleased to have been selected by the Obama Administration to establish the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI).

The Dow Chemical Company is an American multinational chemical corporation. As of 2007, it is the second-largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue (after BASF) and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization (after BASF and DuPont). Dow is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, and synthetic rubber.
MRC

Bostik receives Silver Boeing Performance Excellence Award

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Bostik (part of Arkema), the world's No. 3 in adhesives, construction and consumer markets, has announced that it has received a Boeing Performance Excellence Award for the third year in a row, as per Arkema's statement.

Boeing issues the award annually to recognise suppliers who have achieved superior performance. Bostik maintained a Silver composite performance rating for each month of the 12-month performance period, from October 1, 2013, to September 30, 2014.

Commenting on the award, Bostik’s Senior Vice President - Americas, Bob Marquette, said, "We’re extremely honoured that Boeing has again recognised Bostik with a Performance Excellence Award for 2014. We value our relationship with Boeing and this will encourage us to further improve to maintain this high standard."

Bostik has supported Boeing’s commercial airplane programmes for over 30 years providing adhesives and bonding solutions for applications including interior aircraft panels. Applying its adhesive formulation and fire resistance expertise, it offers solutions for a range of aerospace applications including interior panels, decorative laminates, attachment adhesives and insulation laminations.

As MRC wrote before, in late September 2014, Arkema offered to buy oil major Total's adhesives business Bostik, which makes Blu-Tack, for EUR1.74 billion (USD2.24 billion). On 2 February 2015, Arkema finalized the acquisition of Bostik.

Bostik is a leading global adhesive specialist in industrial manufacturing, construction and consumer markets. Bostik develops high-performance and high-value-added bonding and sealing products for the nonwoven, industrial, construction, and consumer markets. Bostik employs about 4,900 people across 48 production facilities - 18 in Europe, 10 - in North America, 8 - in Asia, 6 - in Australia and New Zealand, 2 - in Africa, and 4 - in South America. With 2014 sales of EUR1.5 billion, the company employs 4,800 people and has a presence in more than 50 countries.

Arkema is a leading European supplier of chlorochemicals and PVC. Kynar and Kynar Flex are registered trademarks of Arkema Inc.
MRC

Idemitsu Kosan to shut SM plant in Japan for maintenance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Idemitsu Kosan is likely to shut a styrene monomer (SM) plant for maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant is likely to be shut in end-March 2015. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month.

Located in Chiba, Japan, the plant has a production capacity of 210,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed earlier, on September 2014, Idemitsu Kosan shut down a naphtha cracker for maintenance turnaround. It was restarted in November 2014. Located at Tokuyama in Japan, the cracker has an ethylene capacity of 623,000 mt/year and propylene capacity of 450,000 mt/year.

Besides, Idemitsu SM Malaysia, an affiliate of Idemitsu Kosan, restarted its SM plant on September 15, 2014. It was shut for maintenance turnaround. Located at Pasir Gudang in Malaysia, the plant has a production capacity of 240,000 mt/year.

Idemitsu Kosan is a Japanese petroleum company. It owns and operates oil platforms, refineries and produces and sells petroleum, oils and petrochemical products. The company runs two petrochemical plants in Chiba and Tokuyama. The two naphtha crackers can produce up to 997,000 tonnes of ethylene per year.
MRC

Imports of linear polyethylene in Russia grew by 7% in January-February 2015

MOSCOW (MRC) - Following the record low imports of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) into Russia, February's external LLDPE supply increased into the country grew to 16.800 tonnes. Russia's LLDPE imports increased by 7% in the first two months of this year compared to the same period in 2014, according to MRC DataScope report.

January LLDPE imports into the country because of a number of factors (rouble devaluation, long holiday shutdowns, reducing lending) decreased to 10,300 tonnes, but in February, this figure rose to 16,800 tonnes. Total LLDPE imports in Russia were 27,100 tonnes in January - February 2015, compared with 25,200 tonnes year on year. The main increase in demand occurred for the local producers of the film production.

February imports of film LLDPE in the country grew to 15,400 tonnes, compared with 9,600 tonnes in January. Expectedly, local producers of stretch films and multilayer film production seasonally increased their consumption. Total imports of film LLDPE in Russia over the reported period exceeded a little more than 25,000 tonnes, compared with 23,000 tonnes year on year. Demand for linear PE significantly increased in February from the local producers of overall product (rotational moulding). Importing this type of polyethylene rose to 470 tonnes, compared to 27 tonnes in January. However, despite the growth in imports, the shortage is still felt, and pent-up demand moved to March. Russia's imports of LLDPE for rotomoulding over the first two months of the year made about 500 tonnes, compared with 820 tonnes year on year. LLDPE imports into the country in other sectors of consumption also seasonally rose in February to 900 tonnes; the two months' imports exceeded 1,500 tonnes.
MRC

NOVA Chemicals announces SEC de-registration

MOSCOW (MRC) -- NOVA Chemicals Corporation has announced that it has filed a Form 15 with the Securities and Exchange Commission and will no longer file with the SEC periodic and current reports under Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, said the producer in its press release.

Effective the date hereof, the company will satisfy its reporting obligations under the Indenture, dated as of July 30, 2013, between the company and US Bank National Association, as trustee, pursuant to which the company issued its 5.25% Senior Notes due 2023 and the Indenture, dated as of October 28, 2014 (together with the 2013 Indenture), between the company and the trustee, pursuant to which the company issued its 5.00% Senior Notes due 2025 (together with the 2023 Notes), in each case, by posting the financial statements and reports required by each of the Indentures on a password-protected online data system.

The company has caused the trustee to deliver a Notice of de-registration to all holders of the Notes.

As MRC reported previously, in early 2013 NOVA Chemicals decided build two polyethylene (PE) plants and expand its ethylene capacity. NOVA has taken several actions to secure additional ethane feedstock supply for its crackers in Corunna, Ontario, and Joffre, Alberta.

Nova Chemical is one of the largest world's petrochemical companies, a manufacturer of polyethylene, styrene polymers, monomers, and many other related products.
MRC