Kent wins FEED contract for ExxonMobil’s large-scale plastic waste advanced recycling program

Kent, a leading engineering company in the energy and chemicals industries, has been appointed as the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contractor for potential expansion of ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling facilities, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Kent will provide FEED services for potential new units across seven sites under this advanced plastics recycling global portfolio program, based on the success of a trial unit in Baytown, Texas designed by Kent during 2021 and 2022. The new such units are under assessment at ExxonMobil facilities located in Baytown (Texas), Beaumont (Texas), Baton Rouge (Louisiana), Joliet (Illinois), Sarnia (Canada), Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and Antwerp (Belgium). The first unit at Baytown started up late last year as one of the largest advanced recycling facilities in North America.

Tush Doshi, COO at Kent, said: “We are proud to be associated with this project to complete FEED services for ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling projects. The win is a testament to the fantastic work we have been doing in the field of recycling waste. It is a milestone project, and this exciting program will demonstrate how the recycling process is evolving to become more efficient and pave the way to a better future for our planet."

By turning difficult-to-recycle plastic waste back into raw materials that can be used to make new plastic and other valuable products, ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling technology can divert plastic waste from landfill or incineration and help to meet customer goals for circularity.

Sean McNelis, ExxonMobil’s Venture Project Manager, commented: “Advancing this portfolio of projects into FEED is an important milestone as we look to expand advanced recycling globally to help achieve a more circular economy.”

We remind, SK Geo Centric has introduced Korea’s first platform utilizing ‘blockchain technology’ for recording and tracking the history of recycled plastic materials. By leveraging the tamper-proof nature of blockchain, it aims to ensure that customers can be rest assured when using recycled plastic materials and expand the materials’ range of use.

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Petronas in collaboration with ASEAN energy operators, governmental agencies, and international organisations, launched the ASEAN Energy Sector Methane Leadership Program (MLP) and announced methane abatement flagship projects in collaboration with Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security, said the company.

The event took place at the Methane High-Level session on 26 June during the Energy Asia 2023 conference, which spans from 26 to 28 June, 2023, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC), Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, highlighted the significance of ASEAN's collective voice, stating, “I am particularly heartened to learn of the private sector's collaborative efforts through the Methane Leadership Program. As noted, human capital will be crucial in helping Malaysia achieve its NDCs and the Global Methane Pledge, which aligns well with the goals of the Paris Agreement."

The ASEAN Energy Sector Methane Roundtable was established in October 2021, with the objective to promote collaboration on methane emissions management in the oil and gas sector. Through the six-monthly roundtable series, we recognised the importance of upskilling the key practitioners in the sector to address information asymmetry and the need of capability building on cost-effective solutions on methane emissions abatement.

We remind, Petronas has signed two Project Development Agreements with ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc. (ExxonMobil) to jointly pursue Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) activation projects in Malaysia.
Under the agreements, both parties will define next steps, including the maturation of technical scopes for the CCS value chain, evaluation of the identified fields for CO2 storage utilisation, development of appropriate commercial framework and establishment of advocacy plan support on regulations and policy development in enabling CCS projects.

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BASF and thyssenkrupp Uhde today announced their cooperation in the marketing and further development of catalyst and process design for thyssenkrupp Uhde’s leading EnviNOx technology for N2O and NOx abatement, said the company.

BASF will supply its high-performance catalysts to thyssenkrupp Uhde, enabling their customers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions even more effectively. EnviNOx reliably removes more than 99% of all N2O and NOx emissions, as at BASF’s site in Ludwigshafen, where a new unit successfully started up in the second half of 2022.

N2O, commonly known as laughing gas, is a highly potent greenhouse gas. Decomposing 1 ton of N2O into nitrogen and oxygen is judged to have the same effect as reducing 265 tons of CO2. Eliminating N2O emissions is a major lever in the fight against global warming. Both companies recognized the importance of reducing these emissions decades ago and have developed solutions. thyssenkrupp Uhde has successfully sold over 60 of its industrial-scale EnviNOx units worldwide, and the latest of these already use this combination of latest process design and new catalyst.

“The combination of the expertise of both companies in the field of N2O abatement catalysts and processes is really going to make a difference in our joint goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”, said Detlef Ruff, Senior Vice President, Process Catalysts at BASF. “Our research and development teams are working to design and produce catalysts that are highly effective, durable, and sustainable.”

“We are partnering with BASF to keep making significant improvements on our EnviNOx technology, further improving its sustainability, and reducing the carbon footprint. This partnership brings additional benefits for our customers, as well as to the environment as a whole, by providing high-quality, cost-effective solutions to address complex environmental challenges”, said Dr. Ralph Kleinschmidt, Head of Technology & Innovation at thyssenkrupp Uhde.

We remind, BASF has broken ground on a polyethylene (PE) plant at its Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China. The new plant with a capacity of 500,000 metric tons of PE annually will serve the fast-growing demand in China, said the company. The plant is scheduled to start up in 2025.

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Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies and value-driven energy solutions, and MOL Group, the leading integrated Central Eastern European oil and gas corporation, have announced their agreement to cooperate in the deployment and integration of chemical recycling of plastics at MOL's assets in Hungary and Slovakia, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Chemical recycling of plastics is part of MOL's commitment to collect close to 5 million tons of municipal solid waste, which includes the treatment and related investments. "MOL Group and Lummus have a long track record of successful collaboration in various technology areas, and we are proud to now partner with MOL again to address a critical challenge for our industry and society," said Leon de Bruyn, President and CEO of Lummus Technology. "Both organizations are playing a leadership role in the circular economy, and by joining hands we will help further develop and deploy sustainable solutions to recycle plastic waste."

MOL has committed to drive circularity and has recently invested in addressing waste plastics recycling in Central Europe. With a total annual capacity of 40,000 tons, MOL can offer a wide range of sustainable compounds for various industries, including the automotive, construction, building and packaging sectors. The company's aim is to build a production portfolio of more than 100,000 tons of recycled plastic materials.

"We're thrilled to extend our cooperation with Lummus in a field that largely contributes to our strategic goals in reaching net zero by 2050," said Gabriel Szabo, Executive Vice President of MOL Group Downstream. "MOL Group is actively building a strong plastic recycling and waste integration portfolio as we are aware of its crucial role in the circular economy, and sustainable business models require such mindset that considers everything as raw material and potential energy source. The waste plastic pyrolysis technology, and Lummus' expertise will help us to optimize our value chain and make our business more sustainable."

Lummus' Green Circle business unit will provide MOL its advanced waste plastic pyrolysis technology, which effectively converts plastic waste into high-value chemicals and feedstocks, creating circularity. This technology is a proven, reliable, economically attractive solution to address the global plastic waste problem, which offers additional environmental benefits such as a lower carbon footprint and the elimination of char production. Lummus will also provide its experience and expertise in steam cracking, catalytic cracking and residue processing technology to ensure that integration with MOL's existing assets is optimized.

We remind, Saudi Arabia's Alujain National Industrial Co has selected Lummus Technology's C3 Catofin propane dehydrogenation (PDH) technology for its new propylene plant in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. This is the first time Alujain will licence Lummus' PDH technology at its Yanbu complex. Lummus Technology is a global provider of process technologies and value-driven energy solutions.

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BOBST announced its latest innovations in printing, converting, services and performance to help converters and brand owners to take a big step towards the digitalization of the packaging supply chain, said the company.

“The packaging industry is in the midst of a digital revolution, which is forcing every company to innovate, challenge their approach, think end to end and digital, and leverage networks and platforms to deliver new business models for their clients,” said Jean-Pascal Bobst, CEO, Bobst Group. “At BOBST, our Industry Vision, based on four key pillars – connectivity, digitalization, automation and sustainability – greatly supports this transformation. The new solutions announced are the latest in a line of continuous innovation to help our customers thrive in this new reality all together."

BOBST has a vision where the packaging supply chain becomes fully digital. At the heart of this vision is BOBST Connect, our constantly evolving, cloud-based digital platform that enhances and improves packaging productivity. BOBST is proud to announce the launch of Tool Management, which is something new and unique to the market. The Tool Management solution offers unprecedented control over TooLink equipped dies, integrating tool makers, tracking tool performance, feedback, maintenance, and orders. With an intuitive interface, it provides users with a multitude of data driven insights to bring tool management to the next level.

We remind, PT Polyplex Indonesia is part of the Polyplex Corporation which has had a relationship with BOBST since 2015 and has 4 EXPERT K5’s across their production sites in Indonesia, India and USA. The Indian multinational company which started in 1988 has 7 manufacturing locations in 5 different countries and is a leading PET Film manufacturer and supplies customers across the globe. PT Polyplex Indonesia incorporated in 2017 has an annual turnover of 160 million USD, nearly 600 staff and operates primarily in the Flexible Packaging sector.

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