Dow targets certification of all its European sites against pellet loss

Dow targets certification of all its European sites against pellet loss by end-2024, said the company.

According to the company, more European sites will follow shortly: Dow aims to ensure all European sites are certified by the end of 2024. Two sites in Netherlands have achieved Operation Clean Sweep certification in Dow's Terneuzen and Dordrecht sites. OCS is a program designed to prevent pellet, flake and powder loss to the environment.

Operation Clean Sweep ® Blue is an enhanced commitment which includes external reporting of unrecovered plastic releases to the environment. In addition, we are in the process of obtaining external OCS Certification, starting with our European assets which are scheduled to be fully certified by the end of 2024.

In 2023 we launched an internal campaign called “Every Pellet Counts” to help educate our employees and aid in changing the mindset of each person whose work involves plastic production or handling. While we have incorporated OCS practices across our manufacturing sites, we are also extending this program to our external manufacturers and logistics service providers. In addition, we are sharing solutions that have helped us contain pellets with our customers and others in the value chain.

As an Operation Clean Sweep ® Blue member, and to increase our transparency, Dow annually reports the number and volume of incidents of any unrecovered release of plastic to outside of Dow facilities that are greater than 0.5kg. Internal reporting requirements have also been sharpened to capture data for near misses and loss of containment within facilities.

We remind, Dow and the Procter & Gamble Company announced a joint development agreement to create a new recycling technology to enable efficient conversion of hard-to-recycle plastic packaging into recycled polyethylene with near-virgin quality and a low greenhouse gas emissions footprint.

mrchub.com

KazTransOil is operating as usual despite floods in 10 regions of Kazakhstan, the company's press service said, as per Interfax.

"There is no imminent threat of flooding to KazTransOil's infrastructure. Oil transportation to Kazakhstan's refineries and export destinations continues as per the Energy Ministry's schedule," it said.

The company also confirms stable transportation of Russian oil to China and Uzbekistan.

MunaiTas LLP, Kazakhstan-China Pipeline LLP and Magistralny Vodovod LLP facilities are also operating without disruption, the company said.

KazTransOil is the national oil pipeline operator with 5,400 km of pipelines.

Kazakhstan is facing a critical flood situation, especially in the Aktobe, Akmola, Atyrau, North Kazakhstan, West Kazakhstan, Kostanay, and Pavlodar regions. These floods are the worst the country has experienced in the last 80 years.

We remind, Russian oil producer Lukoil expects its damaged CDU-6 primary unit and catalytic cracker at the NORSI oil refinery to return to operations in the second quarter following seasonal maintenance, a company source said on Wednesday. The source also said that the damaged CDU-5 unit at the Volgograd refinery was put back into work on Feb. 21 and was now working in line with its designed capacity.

mrchub.com

Russia's Energy Ministry has not approached Kazakhstan with a request to reserve or supply motor gasoline to the Russian domestic market, the ministry told Interfax.

On Monday, Reuters reported, citing sources that Russia had requested that Kazakhstan be ready to provide 100,000 tonnes of gasoline in case of shortages exacerbated by Ukrainian drone attacks and production disruptions. Kazakhstan denied Russia had made the request, noting that they themselves are experiencing a motor gasoline shortage.

Moreover, the Russian Ministry of Energy said that Russia supplies gasoline to Kazakhstan, despite the ban on gasoline exports. "In accordance with forecasted indicative balances, supplies of motor gasoline from Kazakhstan to Russia are not envisaged. At the same time, the possibility of Russia supplying up to 285,000 tonnes per year of motor gasoline to Kazakhstan remains in effect even during the period of the ban on the export of this type of motor fuel from Russia, and these shipments are being implemented," the ministry said.

The ministry said that the Russian domestic market is fully provided with the volumes of motor gasoline production it requires. "Contracts for the supply of motor fuels to friendly countries are also being fully implemented. The available inventories of motor fuel are sufficient to meet the needs of domestic consumers, including taking the planned increase in demand in the spring-summer period into account," the Energy Ministry said.

In Russia, from March to September there is a ban on the export of commercial gasoline, with a number of exceptions, in particular, supplies to EAEU countries and shipments taking place under intergovernmental agreements.

We remind, Russian oil producer Lukoil expects its damaged CDU-6 primary unit and catalytic cracker at the NORSI oil refinery to return to operations in the second quarter following seasonal maintenance, a company source said on Wednesday. The source also said that the damaged CDU-5 unit at the Volgograd refinery was put back into work on Feb. 21 and was now working in line with its designed capacity.

mrchub.com

China's BYD Company Ltd plans to construct a plant to manufacture electric buses in Azerbaijan, and it intends to invest $34 million at the initial stage, Azerbaijan's Economy Ministry said, as per Interfax.

The plant should launch operations in 2025. It will be built on the territory of the chemical industrial park in Sumgait, with capacity of 500 buses per year. The project should create 800 jobs.

Electrify Azerbaijan LLC will be BYD's local partner in the project, and Azerbaijan Investment Company will be one of the investors, the ministry said.

The ministry also said that BYD Company Ltd plans to localize production of spare parts for the electric buses in Azerbaijan in the third year of the project. The relevant research has begun in this area.

The ministry said that there are plans to organize the production of large-capacity electric freight vehicles and electric vehicles for utilities, as well as the assembly of batteries in Azerbaijan, as part of collaborating with BYD going forward. The company plans to invest about $60 million in these projects in the future.

We remind, Russian oil producer Lukoil expects its damaged CDU-6 primary unit and catalytic cracker at the NORSI oil refinery to return to operations in the second quarter following seasonal maintenance, a company source said on Wednesday. The source also said that the damaged CDU-5 unit at the Volgograd refinery was put back into work on Feb. 21 and was now working in line with its designed capacity.

mrchub.com

Ineos Styrolution (Frankfurt) wants to raise prices for polystyrene in April - the company raised the gross market price for PS-GP by EUR60/tonne, said Kunststoffweb.

PS-HI is expected to become more expensive by the same amount, as the premium for the impact-resistant material remains unchanged at EUR100/tonne. In February and March, horsepower prices had already risen sharply - in three digits.

The styrene reference rose by EUR44/tonne in April. The costs for the additive butadiene rose by EUR70/tonne.

We remind, in March, Ineos Styrolution, a subsidiary of the prominent European petrochemical producer Ineos, has made a notable decision to increase the prices of its Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) products in the United States. The impetus behind this price adjustment stems from the escalating costs associated with the production and delivery of materials, a circumstance communicated to customers through an official letter from the manufacturer.

mrchub.com