China’s plastic products output was around 6.3m tonnes in May

China’s plastic products output was around 6.3m tonnes in May 2023, down by 3.3% year on year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China.

The output totalled 29.35m tonnes in January-May 2023, down by 2% year on year. China produced about 77.72m tonnes of plastic products in 2022, down by 4.3% from 2021. Downstream run rates in some regions were low in 2022 due to COVID-related lockdowns. This, together with decreasing overseas orders caused by economic recessions abroad, contributed to the year-on-year fall in the plastic products output.

The year-on-year decline has narrowed in January-May this year, on the back of recovering social and economic activities with China entering a new stage of COVID-19 response.

We remind, China’s Kingfa Science & Technology will step up investments in the recycling business with a target to expand its production capacity of recycled plastics to 1m tonnes/year by 2025 from 400,000 tonnes/year in 2021. The company will add 400,000 tonnes/year of capacity to existing sites in China and another 200,000 tonnes/year with grassroot projects in Europe and southeast Asia.

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Nouryon announced an expanded channel partnership with IMCD for its lubricant and fuel solutions, which includes the distribution of select Armolube® and Armeen® additives in the US and Europe, said the company.

The agreement aligns with Nouryon’s strategic focus on partnering with market leaders to better serve customers. “The channel partnership with IMCD will enhance the industry’s ability to formulate lubricants and fuels that meet next-generation legislation and original equipment manufacturer requirements. The recent expansion of our partnership with IMCD allows us to better support customers within automotive and industrial applications in the US and Europe,” said Joppe Smit, Senior Vice President of Natural Resources at Nouryon.

Nouryon has dedicated research and development synthesis labs and application centers around the world to support surface analysis and innovation. With a broad portfolio of lubricant and fuel additives, Nouryon’s offering includes, among others, friction modifiers, corrosion inhibitors, grease thickeners, detergents, and anti-wear components for application across multiple segments such as automotive, marine, industrial, and metalworking. The portfolio also contains a selection of ash-free and naturally derived additives to help formulators adhere to new regulations.

“Our partnership with Nouryon reinforces IMCD’s dedication to delivering world-class chemistries and solutions to the lubricants and energy markets,” said Marco Madeddu, Global Business Group Director, IMCD Lubricants & Energy. “Nouryon’s innovative line of surfactants and polymer solutions complements our comprehensive product portfolio of additives and synthetic base fluids. Our dedicated sales team and technical experts are well-poised to explore new solutions-based opportunities for both Nouryon and our valued customers.”

We remind, Nouryon, a global specialty chemicals leader, announced that it has signed a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Convergent Energy and Power to supply 2-megawatt (MW) of solar power to Nouryon’s manufacturing site in Morris, IL, US. The onsite solar field is expected to be operational in the second half of 2024.

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Indonesian state energy company PT Pertamina plans to begin producing bioethanol from sugarcane and cassava this year and has also begun production of green hydrogen using geothermal energy, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Indonesia, the world's biggest palm oil biodiesel user, has been working to introduce bioethanol mandates for gasoline to further cut fuel imports and carbon emissions, but securing adequate feedstock is a hurdle. “This year, we will launch our new product, bioethanol - sugarcane based, cassava based. (There is) a lot of feedstock that can be used. Palm oil is for biodiesel, sugarcane and cassava for ethanol," Pertamina CEO Nicke Widyawati told a conference.

The Southeast Asian country's biodiesel mandates have cut billions of dollars from its diesel import bills. Pertamina said last year that it aims to start a trial of hydrogen production in 2023 at a geothermal plant in Ulubelu on Sumatra island to produce 100 kg (220 lb) of hydrogen per day.

"Indonesia is blessed with huge potential of geothermal, around 27GW (gigawatts), and now out of 27, less than 10% is operated to become electricity," Widyawati said. "We have (an) ambitious target to double or triple the capacity in five to seven years. Not just for electricity but geothermal also (to) produce green hydrogen," she told the conference, adding that hydrogen production has begun already.

Widyawati also repeated the company's earlier denials that it had bought any crude oil from Russia, which has been sanctioned by the West. Ship-tracking data has shown Russian oil discharging in Indonesia, although it is common for such cargoes to be transferred to other ships for delivery elsewhere.

We remind, ExxonMobil and Pertamina advance regional carbon capture and storage project in Indonesia. The Heads of Agreement builds upon a joint study and memorandum of understanding that was signed at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland to assess carbon capture and storage technologies, low-carbon hydrogen and geologic data.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development California State Director Maria Gallegos Herrera announced today that USDA plans to invest up to USD500 mln from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give Americans additional cleaner fuel options at the pump, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

This week Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the first awardees of 59 infrastructure projects that will receive a total of USD25 MM through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). The list includes 22 awards in and affecting California.

“A critical part of the Inflation Reduction Act is expanding clean energy and lowering costs for Californians,” Gallegos Herrera said. “Investing in American biofuels strengthens our energy independence, and we are so proud to support California’s producers who support this effort and strengthen our national economy."

The awards in California include a USD1.2 MM investment for Satnam Petroleum Inc. to install 11 E85 dispensers, four B20 dispensers, two ethanol storage tanks, and two biodiesel storage tanks at two fueling stations located in San Jose. This project projects to increase the annual sales of biofuels by nearly 238,000 gallons.

The full list of awardees, including those in California, is available here. In December 2022, USDA made available USD50 MM in Inflation Reduction Act funding to expand the use and availability of higher-blend biofuels through HBIIP.

In July the Department will begin accepting applications for USD450 MM in grants through HBIIP. These grants will continue to support the infrastructure needed to lower out-of-pocket costs for transportation fueling and distribution facilities to install and upgrade biofuel-related infrastructure such as pumps, dispensers, and storage tanks. Additional awards will be announced in the coming weeks.

In addition to today’s announcements, EPA recently finalized the highest-ever biofuel production targets in our history, with growth in cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and non-cellulosic advanced categories. This is a win for energy independence and for our rural economy, delivering stability and growth in this market for years to come.

HBIIP seeks to increase the availability of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel derived from U.S. agricultural products by sharing the costs to build and retrofit biofuel-related infrastructure. For more information, visit the HBIIP webpage, the Federal Register or Grants.gov. Those interested may also register to attend a webinar scheduled for July 6 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas.

It was reported earlier, European Union lawmakers plan to accept changes made by countries last week to the bloc's renewable energy law, to give assurances to France and others on potentially exempting ammonia plants. EU countries on Friday agreed late changes to the law, adding an amendment that said some ammonia plants would struggle to switch to renewable fuels, and a pledge from the European Commission to consider exempting them from renewable targets.

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MRC) -- Norway's government said on Wednesday it has given approval for oil companies to develop 19 oil and gas fields with investments exceeding 200 billion Norwegian crowns (USD18.51 bn), part of the country's strategy to extend production for decades to come, said Reuters.

Norway's parliament in 2020 introduced temporary tax incentives to encourage petroleum investment at a time of low activity, triggering a rush of applications from energy companies. Among the field developments receiving final approval on Wednesday were nine operated by Aker BP, three by Equinor and several by Wintershall Dea and OMV.

"These are projects that will contribute to a continued high and stable output from Norway's continental shelf as well as employment and value creation," Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland told a news conference.

Norway's petroleum production is fiercely opposed by environmentalists and others concerned that carbon emissions from the burning of oil and gas contributes to climate change. The government says Norway's oil and gas resources are essential to Europe's energy security and will be needed for decades to come.

Norway last year overtook Russia as Europe's biggest gas supplier after Moscow cut supplies amid the war in Ukraine.

We remind, ORLEN Group's PGNiG Upstream Norway has bought interests in two fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The deal is consistent with the Group's strategic goal of raising its own gas production volumes to improve Poland's energy independence and security. Under an agreement with Sval Energi AS, PGNiG Upstream Norway has purchased a 10% interest in licence PL211 CS, covering the Sabina and Adriana fields.

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