Celanese begins carbon capture and utilization operations at Clear Lake facility

Celanese Corporation, a global specialty materials and chemical company, announced it has begun running a carbon capture and utilization project at its Clear Lake, Texas (U.S.), site as part of its Fairway Methanol joint venture with Mitsui & Co., Ltd, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The project is expected to capture 180,000 metric tons of CO2 industrial emissions and produce 130,000 metric tons of low-carbon methanol per year. Celanese is actively leveraging CCU to offer low-carbon options across its Acetyl Chain and Engineered Materials products to help global customers meet the growing demand for more sustainable and circular solutions. The products will be launched under the ECO-CC name and be transparently supported through mass balance tracking and life cycle assessment processes.

“With this project, our Celanese value chain can convert CO2 waste into products for a wide array of end-markets, including consumer goods like adhesives, packaging, toys, paints, coatings and more.” said Mark Murray, senior vice president, Acetyls at Celanese. “Our globally-integrated value chain positions us to provide a wide range of solutions with carbon capture content across both our integrated Acetyl Chain as well as other methanol derived products like acetal copolymers (POM).”

CCU takes CO2 industrial emissions that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere from both Celanese and third-party sources and applies reduced-carbon-intensity hydrogen to chemically convert the captured CO2 into a methanol building block used for downstream production. This low-carbon input is then used to reduce traditional fossil fuel-based raw materials and can help produce a wide range of end products across most major industries. Third-party sources account for 80% of the captured CO2 waste.

Unlike the more commonly referenced carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), where captured CO2 emissions are injected into and stored in the ground, CCU fosters circularity by using CO2 emissions to create products that can reduce the need for fossil fuels.

We remind, Celanese will idle eight units in its Engineered Materials segment, while running many other plants at reduced rates, the US-based producer said on Monday. Celanese did not specify which units it will idle, what products they make or how long they will remain down. Out of the idled plants, six are in Mobility & Materials (M&M), a business that Celanese acquired from DuPont. The remaining two predated the M&M acquisition.

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SIBUR has registered three new climate projects implemented at enterprises in Nizhnekamsk, Tomsk and Dzerzhinsk in the Russian carbon register, the company reported.

The total expected effect of greenhouse gas emission reductions during the implementation of the projects through 2032 is more than 6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

According to the Russian register of carbon units, SIBUR has the largest portfolio of CO2 reduction projects among Russian businesses, the report said.

The climate project at Nizhnekamskneftekhim involves the use of by-products from the company's production cycle at its own combined cycle gas turbine to generate electricity. This reduces natural gas consumption and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

A climate project implemented at Sibur-Neftekhim (Dzerzhinsk) provides for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by improving energy efficiency in the production of ethylene oxide and glycols. As part of the project, gas coolers were installed at the production site. The equipment made it possible to generate additional steam required for the production of ethylene oxide and glycols by utilizing heat energy from the production process, thus reducing natural gas consumption in the boiler house.

In Tomskneftekhim's climate project, superheated steam generated in monomer production is directed to a turbine generator before further use in the production chain. This makes it possible to provide polyethylene production with its own energy, replacing grid electricity generated by burning fossil fuels.

We remind, the only domestic maker of halobutyl rubbers (HBR), SIBUR's Nizhnekamskneftekhim completed the upgrade of its HBR capacities, ramping them up by one third, from 150 to 200 kt. SIBUR accounts for 25% of butyl rubber and halobutyl rubber output globally, with Nizhnekamskneftekhim boasting the world's largest halobutyl rubber production capacity.

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LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) announced that China Coal Shaanxi Yulin Energy & Chemical Co., Ltd. (China Coal Shaanxi), will use the LyondellBasell Spherizone, Hostalen Advanced Cascade Process (Hostalen ACP) and Lupotech T technology for its new facility, said the company.

The process technology will be used for a 300,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) Spherizone polypropylene plant, a 300,000-m.t./yr Hostalen ACP high-density polyethylene plant and a 250,000-m.t./yr Lupotech T vinyl acetate copolymer plant, to be built in Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, P.R. China.

“This licensing agreement underlines the need to license outperforming and differentiated technology in an increasingly competitive producer landscape,” said Patrik Schneider, Director of Licensing at LyondellBasell. Schneider added: “The technology selection of China Coal Shaanxi supports their ambitious growth targets for both expanding production and for delivering differentiated resins to the polyolefin market in China and beyond”.

Mr. Zhou Yongtao, Vice General Manager and Chief Project Director of China Coal Shaanxi said, “Being able to obtain a license and related know how and decades of operating experience is a great asset for us as this accelerates learning and decreases complexity. Specifically the differentiated polypropylene grades from the Spherizone process as well as the durable infrastructure resins from Hostalen ACP and Lupotech T are key for our portfolio development”.

The Spherizone multi-zone circulating reactor (MZCR) provides a unique and innovative platform to manufacture polypropylene products with novel architecture and enhanced product properties. Almost 10 million tons of the Spherizone process for differentiated polypropylene production capacity has been licensed by LyondellBasell around the world. The plant will commence operations using Avant ZN catalyst.

The Hostalen ACP process technology manufactures high performance, multi-modal HDPE resins with an industry-leading stiffness/toughness balance, impact resistance, high stress cracking resistance and process advantages used in pressure pipe, film and blow molding applications. The Hostalen ACP plant will commence operations using Avant Z501 and Avant Z509-1 catalysts to produce a full range of multi-modal HDPE products.

We remind, LyondellBasell and Pigeon Singapore – a market leader producing high quality mother and baby care products for Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa and Oceania regions - announced their collaboration on advancing the sustainable research and development efforts in baby nursing bottles.

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Bora LyondellBasell Petrochemical, a joint venture between the privately-owned refiner Liaoning Bora Enterprise Group and the global petrochemical titan LyondellBasell Industries (LBI), has announced the recommencement of operations at its Panjin cracker facility, following a scheduled maintenance period, said Chemanalyst.

The company, on January 5th, restarted production at this enterprise, which boasts an annual capacity of 1.1 million tons of ethylene and 690 thousand tons of propylene. This facility was temporarily shut down for maintenance on December 27th, marking a swift turnaround of just over a week for the completion of these essential maintenance works.

The Panjin cracker was first launched into operation in June 2020, and since then, it has played a pivotal role in the company's production capabilities. It is an integral part of the petrochemical complex, transforming raw hydrocarbons into valuable products such as ethylene and propylene. The cracker uses a thermal process to 'crack' the hydrocarbon molecules, hence its name.

Ethylene and propylene, the primary outputs of the Panjin cracker, are key raw materials in the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively. Both PE and PP are common types of plastics used in a vast array of products and industries around the globe. From packaging materials and automotive components to medical devices and textiles, these polymers have wide-ranging applications.

Polyethylene is the most produced and consumed polymer globally due to its versatility, durability, and cost-effectiveness. It is used in various forms, including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), each catering to different market requirements. On the other hand, polypropylene is known for its strength, resistance to chemicals, and ability to serve as a barrier against moisture, grease, and chemicals. It is commonly used in packaging, automotive, and construction sectors.

The resumption of operations at the Panjin cracker is significant for Bora LyondellBasell Petrochemical, as it enables the company to meet the ongoing demand for these crucial petrochemical products. The swift completion of maintenance works also illustrates the firm's commitment to maintaining operational efficiency and meeting its production targets.

This development also holds broader implications for the petrochemical industry. Given the essential role of ethylene and propylene in the global plastics supply chain, the operational status of large-scale production facilities such as the Panjin cracker can impact market dynamics, including the availability and pricing of PE and PP.

The recommencement of production at the Panjin cracker marks a positive start to the year for Bora LyondellBasell Petrochemical. With the facility back online, the company is well-positioned to continue supplying the vital raw materials that fuel a myriad of industries worldwide. As the demand for plastic products continues unabated, the role of petrochemical facilities like the Panjin cracker remains as critical as ever.

We remind, Sinopec Maoming Petrochemical, a subsidiary of the globally renowned energy and chemical giant Sinopec, took a strategic measure on December 23 by halting the production of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) in Maoming, China, for scheduled maintenance. This decision, aimed at ensuring the optimal functioning of the facilities, entails the temporary cessation of HDPE production with a notable capacity of 400 thousand tons. The production hiatus is anticipated to last until January 17 of the upcoming year.

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Zhong Tian He Chuang, a subsidiary of Sinopec, one of the world's largest energy and chemical companies, has successfully resumed olefin production from methanol at Line 2 in Ordos, situated in the Inner Mongolia District of China, said Chemanalyst.

This achievement follows an unscheduled maintenance period that temporarily halted operations. The facility, boasting a substantial capacity of 300,350 tonnes of ethylene and 23,100 tonnes of propylene annually, underwent maintenance beginning on December 30 last year, with completion marked by the end of December. While the specific reasons for the unplanned shutdown are not specified, the successful resumption of production signals a return to operational efficiency.

Notably, Zhong Tian He Chuang manages another olefin plant, No. 350, at the same Ordos site. This facility has a production capacity of 15 thousand tons of ethylene and 2024 thousand tons of propylene each year. The strategic positioning of these facilities underscores the company's commitment to sustaining a robust presence in olefin production within the region.

Looking ahead, Zhong Tian He Chuang has outlined plans to temporarily close its polypropylene (PP) production unit in Ordos, located in the Inner Mongolia region of China, for scheduled maintenance. This planned shutdown is scheduled to commence on June 30 and will extend until July 2, with the maintenance activities expected to enhance the overall efficiency and reliability of the PP production facility. The facility in question has an annual production capacity of 2024 thousand tons of polypropylene.

It is important to note that ethylene and propylene, the primary output of the olefin plants, serve as crucial raw materials to produce polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively. As such, the operational status and efficiency of Zhong Tian He Chuang's olefin plants directly impact the broader supply chain for these essential polymers.

Zhong Tian He Chuang Energy operates as a joint venture, formed through the collaboration of Sinopec and China Coal Group. This collaboration positions the company as a significant player in the energy and chemical sector, leveraging the strengths and expertise of both entities to navigate the dynamic landscape of petrochemical production.

Zhong Tian He Chuang's successful resumption of olefin production at Line 2 in Ordos reflects the company's commitment to operational excellence and resilience in the face of unscheduled maintenance challenges. The strategic positioning of multiple olefin plants in Ordos underscores the company's strategic significance in the region's petrochemical landscape. The forthcoming maintenance of the polypropylene production unit further exemplifies Zhong Tian He Chuang's proactive approach to ensuring the reliability and efficiency of its facilities. As a key player in the joint venture between Sinopec and China Coal Group, Zhong Tian He Chuang Energy continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of petrochemical production in China.

We remind, Sinopec Maoming Petrochemical, a subsidiary of the globally renowned energy and chemical giant Sinopec, took a strategic measure on December 23 by halting the production of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) in Maoming, China, for scheduled maintenance. This decision, aimed at ensuring the optimal functioning of the facilities, entails the temporary cessation of HDPE production with a notable capacity of 400 thousand tons. The production hiatus is anticipated to last until January 17 of the upcoming year.

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