Celanese unveils construction update to polyacetal facility of Ibn Sina JV

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company, has announced an update with respect to the Ibn Sina joint venture and its construction of a 50,000 metric tonne polyacetal manufacturing facility in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, as per the company's press release.

Celanese has confirmed that the facility is in the testing phase in preparation for commercial production expected in the third quarter of 2017. Upon successful startup of the polyacetal facility, Celanese's economic interest in Ibn Sina will increase from 25 percent to a total of 32.5 percent, providing further financial benefits for Celanese.

Ibn Sina is a joint venture between SABIC and CTE, a company jointly owned by subsidiaries of Celanese and Duke Energy. Celanese, SABIC and Duke Energy entered into the Ibn Sina joint venture in 1981. Construction of the polyacetal facility is part of an extension of the Ibn Sina joint venture, which will run through the year 2032. Subsidiaries of Celanese and Duke Energy each currently hold a 25% interest in the venture, with the remaining 50% held by SABIC.

The polyacetal facility will utilize methanol as feedstock which is produced internally at Ibn Sina.

Polyacetal is a differentiated, high value-added product mainly used in automobile and electronics industries in addition to mechanical and construction manufacturers and other industrial applications.

As MRC reported earlier, Celanese Corporation has recently announced that it will increase the price for emulsions sold in Europe. Effective July 1, 2017, or as contracts otherwise allow, the following price increases will apply:

- EVA - EUR75/tonne;
- VAM Homopolymers (PVAC) - EUR75/tonne;
- VAM Copolymers - EUR75/tonne;
- Pure Acrylics - EUR180/tonne.

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs approximately 7,300 employees worldwide and had 2016 net sales of USD5.4 billion.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Trinseo, a global materials solutions provider and manufacturer of plastics, latex binders and synthetic rubber, and API Applicazioni Plastiche Industriali S.p.A. have signed a definitive agreement for Trinseo to acquire API, said the producer on its website.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, following customary closing conditions. Trinseo is funding the purchase of API’s shares through its existing cash on hand.

"Trinseo’s first acquisition is directly aligned with the company strategy to grow the Performance Materials businesses and will benefit customers across a breadth of market applications and geographies," said Chris Pappas, President and CEO of Trinseo. "API is a sophisticated polymer solutions provider with a strong position in soft-touch polymers – which complement Trinseo’s strengths in rigid polymers. By leveraging API’s advanced manufacturing operations, excellent management, deep technical expertise, and strong customer relationships, we will further strengthen our Performance Plastics businesses to create growth synergies with customers in all global regions."

The transaction includes API’s manufacturing and research facility at Mussolente, Italy, and all of API’s business, employees and assets. The API management team and employees will join Trinseo’s Performance Plastics business. The Brunetti family will support and facilitate a smooth transition of API to Trinseo.

API is an Italian company specialized in the production of thermoplastic elastomeric compounds and bioplastics. Founded in 1956, API has developed a deep and proven experience based on continuous research into innovative, customized compounds for a wide range of applications.

Trinseo is a global materials solutions provider and manufacturer of plastics, latex binders, and synthetic rubber. We are focused on delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to help our customers create products that touch lives every day — products that are intrinsic to how we live our lives — across a wide range of end-markets, including automotive, consumer electronics, appliances, medical devices, lighting, electrical, carpet, paper and board, building and construction, and tires. Trinseo had approximately USD3.7 billion in net sales in 2016, with 15 manufacturing sites around the world, and nearly 2,200 employees.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PPG marked the opening of a 45 million euros (USВ49 million) paint and coatings manufacturing facility and commercial operation in the Lipetsk region of Russia, said the producer on its website.

The site will provide about 200 total positions and produce about 25 million liters (6.6 million gallons) of coatings at full capacity.

In addition to facilities for manufacturing and distributing coatings for automotive, industrial, packaging, and protective and marine applications, the facility includes administrative offices and technical laboratories.

"PPG’s investment in this facility further demonstrates our commitment to better serve our existing customers in Russia and Eastern Europe, and to expand our presence in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region," said Jean-Marie Greindl, PPG senior vice president, global architectural coatings, and president, PPG EMEA. "Having local manufacturing, distribution and technical operations will help PPG meet growing local demand for its innovative paint and coatings products."

Since announcing plans for the new facility in 2013, PPG has established itself as a supportive member of the Lipetsk community through various activities. Last year, PPG employees volunteered at the Griazy orphanage in Lipetsk to help repair and update the building’s gymnasium, replacing materials on floors and walls with safer products donated by PPG and its local distributor. PPG also operates an adhesives and sealants plant in Kolomna, Russia, and the company donated to a local school there to help it better serve young people in the community.

"As a community partner, PPG wants to support local organizations that are making a difference where our employees work and live,” said Jens Brackebusch, PPG general manager, Russia. "This is an important part of our global mission to be caring, responsible corporate citizens in our communities."
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- A fire that completely shut down Mexico's Salina Cruz oil refinery of Pemex has been put out but operations have yet to be restarted, state-owned petroleum company Pemex said on Friday.

Pemex said in a statement that installations of the refinery would be evaluated to determine when operations can resume.

The Pacific coast refinery is Mexico's biggest, with a daily processing capacity of 330,000 bbl of crude oil.

The blaze, which killed a firefighter and injured nine workers, broke out on Wednesday. Pemex had already suspended much of the plant's operations on Tuesday, when rains from Tropical Storm Calvin flooded the plant.

The rising waters broke containment dams, triggering a spill of a type of heavy oil, which ignited at the facility's pump house, driving Pemex to entirely halt refinery operations.

As MRC informed before, Pemex had invested almost USD5.5bn in upgrading its refineries, increasing pipeline capacity and modernising a fertiliser plant by 2017.

Pemex, Mexican Petroleum, is a Mexican state-owned petroleum company. Pemex has a total asset worth of USD415.75 billion, and is the world's second largest non-publicly listed company by total market value, and Latin America's second largest enterprise by annual revenue as of 2009. Company produces such polymers, as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) — W. R. Grace & Co., a supplier of polyolefin catalyst technology and polypropylene (PP) process technology, contracted to license its UNIPOL PP process technology to Hengli Petrochemical Refinery Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Hengli Group, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The installation will be made at the company’s facility in Dalian, Liaoning province, China, and is expected to begin operations in 2019 using Grace’s leading SHAC Ziegler Natta PP catalysts.

Hengli Petrochemical’s PP unit is part of its new refinery complex designed to process 20 MMt of crude oil annually. The facility will produce a total of 450 kilotons per year of homopolymer, random copolymer, and impact copolymer thermoplastic resins in dual reactor lines. The project is one of 22 UNIPOL PP process technology reactor line licenses in China.

Grace’s UNIPOL PP process technology is an all gas-phase technology with the industry’s broadest product capabilities coupled with stable and predictable operation.

"Grace’s UNIPOL PP process and SHAC catalyst system offers us the most advanced PP product capacity available, and provides the most cost-effective technology to rapidly develop our portfolio of products," Hengli Corporation’s Vice Chairman Chen Xinhua said.
MRC