Indorama Ventures restarts ethylene oxide production in Texas

Indorama Ventures has successfully resumed the production of ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol at its Clear Lake facility in Texas, said Chemanalyst.

This resumption follows a planned outage that occurred amid extremely cold weather conditions in the Gulf Coast region earlier in the month, and the company officially confirmed the restart of production over the weekend.

The Texas plant boasts an annual capacity of 355,000 tons of ethylene glycol, constituting nearly 6% of the total capacity in the United States, and 450,000 tons of ethylene oxide, representing almost 7% of the country's overall capacity. Indorama Ventures' strategic location and significant production capacity make it a key player in the ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol market, contributing significantly to the industry landscape.

This development comes on the heels of Dow's plans to recommence operations at its ethylene oxide plant in Plaquemine, Louisiana, USA, during the second quarter of the year. The announcement was made during a conference call on earnings reports. The Plaquemine plant had experienced a fire in July 2023, leading to its closure. The reopening of Dow's facility is crucial for the supply chain, particularly for processed ethanolamines, as the plant transports them through a pipeline to the processor. Other major ethylene glycol manufacturers in the US include Dow, Eastman Chemical, Formosa, Lotte Chemical, LyondellBasell, MEGlobal, Sasol, and Shell Chemical.

Within the ethylene oxide production landscape in the US, notable players alongside Indorama Ventures and Dow include BASF, Eastman Chemical, Formosa, Lotte Chemical, LyondellBasell, Sasol, and Shell Chemical. The collective contribution of these industry leaders shapes the dynamics of the ethylene oxide market in the country.

ndorama Ventures' decision to resume production at its Texas facility aligns with the company's commitment to maintaining operational efficiency and meeting market demands. The resumption is particularly significant given the substantial role of ethylene glycol and ethylene oxide in various industrial applications, including the production of polyester fibers, antifreeze, and other essential chemicals.

As one of the key players in the petrochemical industry, Indorama Ventures plays a pivotal role in the supply chain, contributing to the availability and stability of ethylene glycol and ethylene oxide in the US market. The strategic location of the Clear Lake facility enhances the company's ability to cater to regional and national demands, reinforcing its position as a reliable supplier.

Indorama Ventures' successful resumption of ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol production in Texas underscores the resilience and adaptability of the petrochemical industry. The strategic significance of ethylene glycol and ethylene oxide in various industrial applications, coupled with the broader dynamics of the US market, positions Indorama Ventures as a key player influencing supply chain stability. As the industry continues to navigate challenges, the operational efficiency demonstrated by Indorama Ventures reflects a commitment to meeting market needs and contributing to the overall resilience of the petrochemical sector.

We remind, Ineos revealed the acquisition of LyondellBasell's Ethylene Oxide & Derivatives business, including the production facility in Bayport, Texas, for a sum of $700 million. The deal encompasses a 420kt Ethylene Oxide plant, a 375kt Ethylene Glycols plant, and a 165kt Glycol Ethers plant, along with associated third-party operations at the site. The target completion for this transaction is set for the second quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory and third-party approvals.

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Arkema, a leader in specialty materials, announced today that it intends to improve electric vehicle (EV) battery safety with the launch of the first-of-its-kind Foranext® Gaseous Thermal Barrier (GTB) line, said the company.

This new GTB material is engineered to prevent battery thermal runaway propagation at the origin of battery fires.

The industry has acknowledged the need for manufacturers to continue to develop solutions like immersion cooling fluids to safely improve EV battery charge time. Immersion cooling technology can improve charge time and create an electrical insulation protecting against electric arcing and vibration dampening. Ignition is still a key risk for these fluids and systems.

We remind, Arkema, a leader in specialty materials, announces another significant milestone in the decarbonization of its acrylic production chain, as the company obtains ISCC+ certification for its acrylic acid and ester production facility located in Taixing, Jiangsu Province, China.

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The Russian Registry of Carbon Units has welcomed three new climate projects by SIBUR implemented at its facilities in Nizhnekamsk, Tomsk, and Dzerzhinsk, said the company.

Their implementation is expected to secure a combined GHG reduction of over 6 million tonnes of CO2-eq. until 2032. According to the Russian Registry of Carbon Units, SIBUR now holds the largest portfolio of projects to reduce СO2 emissions among Russian businesses.

The climate project at Nizhnekamskneftekhim involves utilising the facility’s by-products at its own combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant to generate electricity. This helps decrease the consumption of natural gas, ramping down greenhouse gas emissions.

The climate project at Sibur-Neftekhim aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving energy efficiency in the production of ethylene oxide and glycols. Gas coolers installed in the facility's production area enable the recovery of additional steam from the waste heat generated during the production process, which is then utilised for the production of ethylene oxide and glycols. As a result, the boiler house now consumes less natural gas.

As part of the Tomskneftekhim climate project, the overheated steam from monomer production is directed to a turbine generator. This enables the production of polyethylene using self-generated energy, eliminating the reliance on grid electricity derived from fossil fuel combustion.

All the climate projects have been fully endorsed by validating organisations, including Innopolis University and the CIS Member States Coordination and Information Centre for Regulatory Convergence, that confirmed their compliance with the GOST R ISO 14064-3-2021 standard.

We remind, SIBUR, Russia's largest producer of polymers and rubbers, summarised the company's key operational results for 2023 at the Ruplastica international trade fair, which was held in Moscow on 23–26 January 2024. In 2023, SIBUR ramped up the sales of its key products, with the share of supplies to the Russian market rising to 75%. Since 2021, SIBUR has been consistently increasing its sales in the domestic market, which is the Company's priority, by reducing export sales and continues to stimulate further growth in local polymer processing and reducing imports of finished polymer products.

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Sidel has introduced its latest innovation, IntelliAdjust, a cutting-edge technology aimed at enhancing quality control in PET bottle production, said Chemanalyst.

This smart bottle-blowing control system is designed to empower manufacturers to consistently produce high-quality PET bottles, ensuring uniform quality under various production conditions such as preform storage, workshop temperature, and relative humidity.

At the heart of IntelliAdjust is interferometric sensor technology, operating within a closed loop to achieve precise material distribution and maintain uniform production, even for bottles made from recycled PET (rPET). The system's in-line, autonomous bottle control and real-time digitized process adjustments contribute to optimal material distribution, ensuring a seamless production process.

When integrated with Sidel's Evo-On software suite, IntelliAdjust offers the aggregation of equipment data and dynamic analytics features. This integration enables historical and 24/7 real-time analysis, providing manufacturers with valuable insights into their production processes. Stephane Menard, Product Manager for Blowing Care at Sidel, emphasized the user-friendly nature of this blowing solution, stating that it maximizes the number of marketable bottles by consistently ensuring high-quality control.

Menard elaborated that IntelliAdjust counteracts production line variations by employing algorithms to recognize measured thickness deviations. He mentioned that the system automatically corrects the heating and blowing parameters, ensuring a consistent quality level without any interruptions. This dynamic correction mechanism ensures that the system adapts to deviations in thickness measurements, thereby maintaining a high standard of quality during the production process.

As the industry witnesses an increasing demand for extreme lightweighting and higher rPET content, the blow molding process becomes more crucial. IntelliAdjust demonstrates its versatility by catering to a diverse range of PET preforms, including translucent, opaque, colored (non-TiO2), and virgin preforms with up to 100% rPET content. This adaptability proves beneficial for manufacturers looking to incorporate rPET, given the variability in material grades from multiple sources.

One of the system's notable features is its ability to secure perfect material distribution on the bottle, mitigating risks associated with resin variability. Sidel's IntelliAdjust presents manufacturers with an opportunity to fully optimize the carbon footprint of their PET packaging. This optimization is achieved not only through increased use of recycled material but also by facilitating lightweighting, contributing to more sustainable packaging solutions.

Operating at speeds of up to 90,000 bottles per hour, IntelliAdjust continuously compares thickness measurements with the expected material distribution. In the event of any deviation, the system automatically adjusts the process, ensuring a seamless and uninterrupted production flow. The calibration-free system simplifies immediate start-ups after changeovers by automatically adapting sensor positioning and processes according to each recipe. Its high accuracy minimizes the need for additional manual laboratory controls, streamlining the overall production process and enhancing efficiency. Sidel's IntelliAdjust stands as a testament to the company's commitment to innovation, quality, and sustainability within the PET bottle manufacturing industry.

We remind, Chevron Lummus Global LLC announced the successful commissioning of the world's largest white oil hydroprocessing unit for Hongrun Petrochemical Co., Ltd. in Weifang, Shandong Province, China. The new plant, which utilizes CLG's ISODEWAXING and ISOFINISHING technologies, consists of two units: a 500,000 metric tons per annum (MTPA) nameplate capacity API Group III lubricating base oil unit with the capability to produce industrial-grade white oil, and a 200,000 metric tons per annum nameplate capacity food grade white oil unit.

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Arkema, a leader in specialty materials, announces another significant milestone in the decarbonization of its acrylic production chain, as the company obtains ISCC+ certification for its acrylic acid and ester production facility located in Taixing, Jiangsu Province, China, said the company.

In the near future, the production of certified bio-attributed materials will extend** to North America, complementing the previously certified acrylic monomers production in Carling, France. This global dynamic will support the progressive introduction of Arkema’s complete range of bio-attributed specialty resins and additives for the low VOC and lower carbon intensive technologies including high solid, waterborne, UV/LED, and polyester powders.

This leading offer will enable customers and global partners to develop next generation sustainable materials for specialty coatings & adhesives applications in electronics, electric vehicle batteries, new energies, 3D printing, as well as home energy efficiency and living comfort improvement.

We remind, Arkema has begun production of Sartomer® specialty UV/LED curing resins at its expanded facility in Nansha, China, where the Group invested to double the capacity, as announced end-2021, said the company. This will support the development of more sustainable solutions for fast-growing applications in Asian markets, such as cutting-edge solutions in electronics, driven by 5G technology, and in renewable energies.

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