C3 Petrochemicals plans to build PDH plant in Texas

MOSCOW (MRC) -- C3 Petrochemicals plans to build a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant near Alvin, Texas, to produce polymer-grade propylene (PGP) and chemical-grade propylene (CGP), according to an air quality permit application that the company filed this month with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said Plastemart.

Should the permit be approved, construction of the PDH plant will begin in January 2014, with start-up scheduled for Q4 2015, according to the permit application.

The PDH unit will use propane as its feedstock, the permit said. The produced PGP and CGP will be distributed to customers via pipeline.The unit will dehydrogenate the propane feedstock in two parallel reaction trains, the permit said. As part of the PDH process, ethane, ethylene and methane also will be produced. No information on production capacity of the petrochemicals was listed in the permit. The plant will be built on the grounds of Ascend Performance Materials’ Chocolate Bayou Chemical Manufacturing Complex.

Ascend Performance Materials is a global leader in the production of Nylon 6,6. We have a long history in the manufacture of Nylon 6,6. On June 1, 2009, SK Capital Partners, a private investment firm, purchased Solutia’s Integrated Nylon business and established Ascend Performance Materials Operations LLC. SK Capital Partners has assembled a strong executive team with deep industry roots, and a commitment to the Nylon 6,6 market.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Belgian-based Solvay is considering divesting its assets in the Argentine petrochemical producer Indupa, as part of a major restructuring and portfolio optimisation at Solvay, said Chemicals-technology.

The company owns a 69.9% interest in Indupa, while the rest is traded on the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange.
Indupa, with a manufacturing capacity of more than 500,000mtpa of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), runs facilities at Santo Andre, Brazil, and Bahia Blanca, Argentina.

Vertically integrated, the Santo Andre and Bahia Blanca facilities account for 60% and 40% of PVC production respectively.

Solvay's CEO Jean-Pierre Clamadieu was reported by Chemical Week as saying that the nylon and PVC businesses are the most challenged in the company's portfolio and the PVC business in Europe is in need of consolidation and rebalancing, as it is suffering from overcapacity.

According to the sources, the chemical company Mexichem could be interested in purchasing the Latin American PVC business.

As MRC wrote earlier, Solvay announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Sunshield Chemicals, an Indian company specializing in surfactants. This acquisition will enable Solvay's Novecare business to accelerate growth plans in India for the home and personal care, agrochemicals, coatings and industrial applications markets.

Indupa, which generated sales of EUR545m in 2011, had recurring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of EUR45m.

Solvay, with a market share 27%, is the second largest PVC manufacturer in Europe, after Kerling with 29% of the market.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- SIBUR has begun the construction of unit for separating methanol from propane fraction at Tobolsk-Neftekhim, according to the company's press release.

The new unit is the next step in SIBUR’s ongoing achievement to lower the content of methanol in the propane fraction, this time in a range not exceeding 50 parts per million. The new propane gas purification unit will have a projected capacity of up to 2.1 million tonnes per year. The project is based on SIBUR’s highly efficient proprietary simultaneous propane stream separation and dehydration technology.

In early 2011, Tobolsk-Neftekhim launched a new purification unit lowering methanol content to a level of less than 0.1%. In January 2012 another project was completed, lowering methanol content to a summer percentage of 0.015% and winter percentage of 0.035%.

The project documentation was developed by SIBUR’s engineering centre NIPIgazpererabotka and was approved by the Government Expert Review Board (Glavgosexpertiza). The construction site has been prepared and orders for long-lead equipment have been placed. The construction works have entered the preparation stage and are scheduled for completion in 2014.

As MRC reported earlier, Tobolsk-Polymer, located in the industrial zone of Tobolsk, in Tobolsk-Neftekhim, had scheduled the start-up of production of its first lots of polypropylene (PP) for April 2013. The main volume of construction and installation work has been completed, which allows the company to move to the pre-commissioning.

Besides, along with the implementation of major investment projects in Tobolsk, Sibur started construction works for installation of the main pipelines to transport a broad fraction of light hydrocarbons (NGL) from Purovsky ZPK to Tobolsk-Neftekhim.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Ukraine's imports of polystyrene (PS) in January 2013 decreased by 37% from December 2012 and made 3,241 tonnes, according to MRC DataScope.

PS deliveries in January 2013 were up by 11% compared to the imports in January 2012. In January 2013 Russia's imports of polystyrene and styrene plastics made 12,221 tonnes.
The largest share in imports showed general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) - 912 tonnes, or 28% from the total imports of polystyrene. Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Styrolution divided the imports volumes equally.

The second place in the supplies took styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBS), deliveries of which amounted to 660 tonnes of material (20% of total imports). All the deliveries of the copolymer used in the production of films, were made by "Ukrplastic."

Imports of expandable polystyrene (EPS) decreased to 660 tons of material, compared to 813 tonnes in December 2012, where 580 tonnes of material were provided by SIBUR-Khimprom (Alfapor).

Imports of high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) dropped almost 2.5 times compared to the previous month and made only 485 tonnes. Decline in Russia's exports in the second half of 2012 and early 2013 affected significantly the imports of HIPS to Ukraine.



MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Australian PU systems supplier Era Polymers has acquired Urethane Coatings Pty Ltd. in Brookvale, NSW, Australia, strengthening its Floor Coatings Business, according to the company's press release.

Financial details were not disclosed.

Urethane Coatings' portfolio includes coatings and ancillary products suitable for all species of timber, parquetry, cork, and concrete. The company also offers the development of unique products for special requirements.

Mark Webb has been appointed as the National Coatings Manager for Urethane Coatings and Era Polymers.

We remind that in late 2012, Amcor, Australian-based multinational packaging company, signed a deal to sell three plants for the production of flexible packaging to Australia's Integrated Packaging. The transaction amounts to 22 million Australian dollars, as MRC wrote previously.

Era Polymers is an Australian owned and operated Company specialising in the field of polyurethane chemistry. The company was started in April 1986. Since then it has grown to become the largest polyurethane systems house in Australia. It operates SIX divisions: Elastomers, Foams, Coatings, Machinery, Trading, Toll Manufacturing.
MRC