Petronas Chemicals aromatics halts paraxylene production in Kartekh

Petronas Chemicals Aromatics, Malaysia's state-owned petrochemical behemoth, is strategically orchestrating a temporary shutdown of its paraxylene production facility in Kerteh, Malaysia, scheduled to commence at the end of November, said Chemanalyst.

This carefully planned hiatus is part of a broader initiative aimed at scheduled maintenance, designed to elevate the efficiency and reliability of the production facility. The facility, boasting a considerable capacity of 550 thousand tons of paraxylene annually, will undergo an extensive three-week maintenance period.

In conjunction with this, Petronas Chemicals Aromatics had previously communicated its intention to suspend benzene production in Kerteh, Malaysia, as part of the scheduled maintenance activities. This specific production unit, endowed with an annual capacity of 200 thousand tons of benzene, is slated for repairs spanning a duration of 40-50 days.

Paraxylene, a crucial component in the production of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), plays a pivotal role in various industries, from packaging to textiles. Hence, the meticulous planning of scheduled maintenance for the paraxylene production facility underscores Petronas Chemicals Aromatics' commitment to ensuring the reliability and optimal performance of its indispensable production units.

Insights derived from the analysis provide valuable context to the industry landscape, indicating a notable increase in the consumption of PET from January to August of the current year. The estimated total consumption experienced a noteworthy 17% surge compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, reaching an impressive volume of 833.74 thousand tons. This surge substantiates the escalating demand for PET, accentuating the strategic importance of maintaining a robust paraxylene production infrastructure.

Petronas, as a government-owned entity in Malaysia, stands as a prominent player in the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors. With a distinguished position in the Global Fortune 500, Petronas currently maintains a robust presence in markets across more than 60 countries globally. The planned maintenance activities for its paraxylene and benzene production units align seamlessly with Petronas' overarching commitment to operational excellence and sustainability across its diverse portfolio.

In essence, the temporary shutdown of paraxylene production in Kerteh for scheduled maintenance exemplifies Petronas Chemicals Aromatics' unwavering dedication to ensuring the reliability and efficiency of its critical production facilities. This proactive approach not only adheres to industry best practices but also accentuates Petronas' pivotal role as a key player in shaping Malaysia's dynamic petrochemical landscape. With the global demand for PET on a continual rise, the strategic planning of maintenance activities assumes paramount importance in sustaining a resilient and responsive petrochemical industry.

We remind, Asahimas Chemical, a prominent subsidiary of the renowned Japanese petrochemical giant Asahi Glass, has successfully concluded comprehensive repair operations on Vinyl Chloride Line 3 at its facility in Cilegon, Indonesia. The facility, boasting an impressive annual capacity of 400 thousand tons of Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM), underwent meticulous repair activities aimed at addressing operational challenges.

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In November 2023, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in Finland granted Neste an energy investment aid of EUR 1.96 million for heat recovery from the green hydrogen production being planned for the Porvoo refinery, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The goal of the project, which is in the basic engineering phase, is to build a 120MW electrolyzer that produces green hydrogen for the refinery’s processes. In addition to green hydrogen, the production also generates heat that could be recovered. The investment decision readiness regarding the green hydrogen project is expected to be reached during 2024.

In addition to Neste, energy investment aid was granted to the regional Finnish energy company Porvoon Energia. Neste and Porvoon Energia have in cooperation initiated the study on heat recovery and utilization in the City of Porvoo’s district heating network.

“We appreciate the support the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland gives to the society's transition to renewable energy. If the project is realized, the funding helps us and Porvoon Energia to utilize the heat generated from the green hydrogen production process to the benefit of society,” says Markku Korvenranta, Executive Vice President for Oil Products business unit at Neste.

The aid granted to Neste is part of energy investment aid under Finland’s Recovery and Resilience Plan. The aid programme aims to reduce Finland’s greenhouse gas emissions, support Finland’s carbon neutrality targets and encourage businesses and, in particular, industry to replace fossil fuels with green energy.

We remind, A severe storm in the Black Sea region has disrupted up to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil exports from Kazakhtsan and Russia, according to state's officials and port agent data. Oil loadings from Novorossiysk and the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal in nearby Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka have been suspended since last week.

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Sika is expanding production capacity for its ViscoCrete-brand superplasticizing concrete admixtures at its Sealy site, in Texas, US, the Swiss construction and specialty chemicals company said.

With the expansion, Sika will be able to meet rising demand in the US and Canada amid reshoring efforts and the trend towards sustainable construction, it said.

Reshoring to relocate manufacturing to the US, as well as initiatives such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) support the construction of new factories and infrastructure, Sika said.

ViscoCrete is a high-performance superplasticizer for concrete manufacturing. It allows producers to optimise their concrete mix designs to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint while maintaining the desired performance, the company said.

Financial or capacity details, or timelines for the expansion’s completion were not disclosed.

We remind, Sika has acquired a 30% stake in Concria Oy, a Finnish startup company specialised in innovative concrete floors. Concria has developed a technology that is a novel approach to concrete floor installation and polishing, Sika said. The technology includes special dry shake hardeners as well as a unique procedure and tools for grinding and polishing concrete floors.

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The compounding group HEXPOL TPE has added to its credentials: The International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) was awarded to their site in Lichtenfels, Germany, in October, said the company.

ISCC PLUS is a global certification scheme providing traceability along the supply chain and guarantees correct and transparent use of the mass balance approach. All companies along the supply chain undergo the ISCC PLUS audit process, meaning when HEXPOL TPE purchases ISCC PLUS-certified raw materials, all upstream entities will have been verified. Sustainability declarations create a chain of custody from origin through to the brand owner.

Mass balance allows for a gradual increase of the non-virgin fossil share of polymer compounds with the target to reduce the use of fossil raw materials step by step. The certification allows HEXPOL TPE to produce ISCC PLUS certified bio, circular and/or bio circular attributed TPE materials via the mass balance approach.

We remind, HEXPOL has entered the US thermoplastics elastomer (TPE) compounding market with the acquisition of Star Thermoplastic Alloys and Rubbers for $26.5m. Star, with 30 employees at operations near Chicago and annual sales of about $20m, supplies customers in a number of segments, including automotive, building and construction, medical, industrial, electronics and consumer.

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Topsoe, a global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, has signed licensing and engineering agreements with Santa Maria to develop a project, focusing on the production of renewable fuels from various renewable feedstocks, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The proposed project, located in East Texas, plans to produce a combination of renewable diesel and SAF at a production capacity of 3,000 bbl/d. The project will contribute to reduce emissions in the long-distance transportation and aviation sectors.

The need for a rapid scale up of SAF production is important. Aviation, according to World Energy Outlook 2023, accounts for over 2% of all energy-related emissions, and today SAF constitutes less than 0.01% of fuel used for aviation.

Topsoe will provide its HydroFlex process layout integrated with the company’s H2bridge technology to further reduce the carbon intensity of the renewable jet and diesel produced from the plant.

Henrik Rasmussen, Managing Director, The Americas, Topsoe, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Santa Maria on this project. Our shared commitment to support the renewable fuels market makes this collaboration a natural fit, and we look forward to seeing the positive impacts this project will bring.”

Pat Sanchez, Founder and CEO, Santa Maria Renewable Resources LLC, said: “Topsoe offers the optimal package of technical services for us to develop our renewable fuels project. The Topsoe team understands our value proposition and was very responsive towards deploying their proven technology in our integrated circular economy project.”

Renewable fuels are low-carbon fuels that are chemically identical to regular petroleum diesel or jet fuel but made from renewable sources. These renewable fuels produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions while performing the same as conventional petroleum diesel or jet fuel. They can be used as a drop-in fuel without modification to engines or fueling infrastructure. Renewable fuels are made from waste oils, animal fats, virgin oils or liquefied solid waste.

We remind, Topsoe, a global leader in developing solutions for a decarbonized world, has been selected by PT KPI as a technology licensor to provide its HydroFlex technology for the production of renewable fuels at the Cilacap Refinery Complex in Central Java, Indonesia. Once complete, the grassroot unit will use Topsoe’s technology to convert bio-feedstock into SAF and renewable diesel, with plans to produce 6,000 bpsd.

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