Aliaxis Group acquires 100% Vinilit

(plasteurope) -- In mid-December, Belgian pipe producer Aliaxis (Brussels) acquired the remaining shares in its Chilean competitor Vinilit (Santiago de Chilel) in a deal the financial details of which were not disclosed.

The Belgian group already owned a 40% stake in Vinilit and bought the outstanding shares from construction group Pizarreno (Santiago / Chilel), which – in turn – belongs to Etex (Brussels / Belgium).

The transaction strengthens Aliaxis’ footprint in Latin America, said group CEO Yves Mertens. Considered to be the market leader in plastic fluid handling systems in Chile, Vinilit’s portfolio comprises PVC, PP and HDPE pipes, connectors, valves, water systems, rain gutters adhesives and other water management solutions. The company employs more than 400 workers at two plants.

The Aliaxis Group is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of primarily plastic fluid handling systems used in residential and commercial construction, as well as in industrial and public infrastructure applications
MRC

(fibre2fashion) -- Kavian Petrochemical Complex, part of the world’s biggest petrochemical complex in Asalouyeh, has commenced production, a high-level official of Iranian National Petrochemical Company (NPC) has said.

During a media briefing, Reza Amiri, managing director of Kavian Petrochemical Complex said the new complex houses a capacity to process 2.58 million tons of feedstock to produce 2 million tons of ethylene per annum. He said the first phase of the complex with an annual production capacity of one million tons of ethylene has already been made provisionally operational.

He said Kavian Petrochemicals procures raw materials from different phases of South Pars, and due to delay in construction of phases 15-8 of South Pars, Kavian presently fetches ethane from phases 4, 5, 9 and 10 of South Pars.

The official said that as the new phases of the South Pars get ready to commence operations in June 2013, the second phase of Kavian complex would also be made operational.

He said seven petrochemical complexes fetch their ethylene feedstock from the complex through West Ethylene Pipeline, while a part of ethylene produced at Kavian plant is also transited to Arvand Petrochemicals for use as a raw input.

Following launch of this new ethylene production facility, the West Ethylene Pipeline has become the world’s largest petrochemical pipeline, he added.

Iran has significantly expanded the range and volume of its petrochemical products over the past few years, and the National Iranian Petrochemical Company has become the second largest producer and exporter of petrochemicals in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia.

The Islamic Republic exported a total of 18.2 million tons of petrochemical and polymer products, worth about USD 14.2 billion, to more than 60 countries in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended March 19, 2012).
MRC

(invista) -- A subsidiary of INVISTA acquired a manufacturing facility previously operated by privately-held VSL Born B.V., which focuses on the compounding and recycling of polyamides used in automotive, electrical, electronic, industrial and consumer goods applications.

The deal brings a new set of in-house capabilities to INVISTA Engineering Polymers and will help better meet global customer demand. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

INVISTA, a polymer and fiber company with 10,000 employees and operations in more than 20 countries, will place the compounding asset within its Engineering Polymers business. Europe is a critical region for automotive manufacturers and other global decision-makers within the industry," said Kurt Burmeister, executive vice president, INVISTA Engineering Polymers."The Born site’s expertise, location, employee values, and position as a trusted compounder made them the right fit for our company."

Along with the acquisition, INVISTA continues to rely on its global network of contract manufacturers—including those located in Europe - to meet specific customer needs.

"Our business model now includes internal compounding production as well as contract manufacturers,” added Burmeister. “We continue to see opportunities to leverage contractors’ capacities, locations and competencies while simultaneously extending our reach through this acquisition."

Earlier this year, INVISTA also announced plans to expand its plant in Rozenburg, the Netherlands, for production of nylon salt- a precursor to nylon polymer.

INVISTA is the world’s largest producer of nylon polymer. INVISTA has a network of independent compounders in the U.S., Brazil, Turkey, Italy and China, and has in-house PA66 manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands and Argentina. Additionally, the company has commercial, technical and distribution facilities in each major region around the world.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In November, Russian makers increased the production volumes of PE up to 147,000 tonnes. Over the past eleven months, PE output in Russia made about 1,240 thousand tonnes, according to MRC ScanPlast.

In November, the total PE output by Russian producers grew by 13% from October and made 147,000 tonnes. HDPE producers raised the output of the material, while the production volume of LDPE dropped by 4%.

Last month, the total HDPE production volumes made 74,600 tonnes in Russia. Kazanorgsintez, Stavrolen and Gazprom neftekhim Salavat increased their output. In November, Nizhnekamskneftekhim focused on linear PE production.

PE output by Russian makers made 57,500 tonnes in November. Last month, Tomskneftekhim, Ufaorgsintez and Gazprom neftekhim Salavat preserved October level of capacity utilization. LDPE output by these plants made 22,200 tonnes, 7,500 tonnes and 3,500 tonnes, respectively. Kazanorgsintez and Angarsk Polymer Plant, conversely, slashed their production volumes.

In general, over the past eleven months, the total PE output in Russia made about 1,240 tonnes, down 12% year-on-year. The largest decline accounts for HDPE output (due to a long-term outage at Stavrolen). LDPE output dropped by 3% due to the termination of production by Neftekhimsevilen and technical issues at Angarsk Polymer Plant.

MRC

(fibre2fashion) -- Braskem Idesa has announced the successful signing of key documents for securing USD 3.2 billion financing for developing the Ethylene XXI project, a petrochemical complex for the production of ethylene and polyethylene in the state of Veracruz, in Mexico.

The latest deal is largest project finance in the history of petrochemical sector in the Americas. The financing was structured with seven government agencies, including two agencies Export Credit (Canada and Italy), two multilateral agencies (IDB and IFC), and three Development Banks (Brazil and Mexico).

As MRC reported earlier, the project includes the construction of an integrated cracker and polyethylene (PE) facilities. French engineering company Technip will provide its technology for the construction of the cracker with the capacity of 1.05 million tpa. The first phase of construction of the project, which began in October 2011, has been completed. The second phase of the project, consisting of detailed engineering, equipment procurement, construction and electromechanical works, began last month.

Founded in 2010, Braskem Idesa SAPI is a joint venture, formed by Brazil’s Braskem SA, the largest producer of thermoplastic resins on the continent, and Idesa Group, a leading Mexican company in the petrochemical sector. The Ethylene XXI project being developed by Braskem Idesa requires a fixed investment of USD 3.2 billion (CAPEX) and a total investment of approximately USD 4.5 billion.
MRC