Deceuninck North America start up three new PVC lineal lamination lines

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Deceuninck North America, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-quality systems for windows, doors, and outdoor living, has recently added three PVC lineal lamination lines to its existing lamination capabilities to meet consumer demand for a wider variety of color customization options, reported 12News.

"The demand for lamination tripled in the past year," said Filip Geeraert, president and CEO of Deceuninck North America. "Deceuninck's addition of three new lamination lines reflects our commitment to meeting this demand for more customized color solutions that conform to design specifications and help businesses and homeowners give their space a signature look. This expansion allows us to continue to provide the high level of service that our customers expect."

PVC lamination involves the covering of PVC lineals with a high-performance laminate that adds wood grains and colors, enhancing the look and quality of window framing in commercial and residential buildings.

As MRC informed previously, in 2012, Deceuninck had secured EUR140 million (USD171 million) of financing from a syndicate of banks to cover the next five years. The new five year funds will replace credit facilities put in place in September 2009, consisting of a syndicated bank facility expiring in September 2013 and senior secured notes maturing in September 2014.

Deceuninck NV is a Belgian designer and producer of PVC systems for windows and doors, interior, roofline & cladding and terraces. The company extrudes PVC and the single base material Twinson. Founded in 1937, with its headquarters in Hooglede-Gits, the Deceuninck Group operates in more than 75 countries and has 35 subsidiaries across Europe, North America and Asia, including the United States, United Kingdom, Russia and Turkey.
MRC

Grangemouth staff sign revised Ineos contract

MOSCOW (MRC) -- All 1,350 staff at the Ineos site in Grangemouth have signed up to the company’s revised pension plan as well as accepted its new terms and conditions, as per Ein News.

As part of the arrangements, it is confirmed that current salaries for the existing workforce will remain unchanged.

According to the company, the acceptance of these changes represents the next milestone in securing the GBP300m investment needed for the company to continue trading and build a new terminal to import Shale Gas from the USA.

Calum MacLean, Ineos Grangemouth (UK) chairman, said: "This is another important step in the rebirth of the Grangemouth site. With our costs coming under control, the shareholders are committed to making good on their promise of a ?300m investment, which will allow us to build a new terminal and use US shale gas as a new raw material for the petrochemicals site."

Ineos is also to more than double the number of apprentices and graduate recruits over the next three years, added MacLean.

As MRC wrote previously, in December 2013, Ineos unveilsed a plan that will transform the economics of the loss-making Grangemouth site, making it almost instantly profitable. Britain is to see its first deliveries of US shale-derived gas in 2016 when Ineos completes a GBP300m investment programme at its Grangemouth plant in Scotland.

INEOS Group Limited is a privately owned multinational chemicals company consisting of 15 standalone business units, headquartered in Rolle, Switzerland and with its registered office in Lyndhurst, United Kingdom. It is the fourth largest chemicals company in the world measured by revenues (after BASF, Dow Chemical and LyondellBasell) and the largest privately owned company in the United Kingdom.
MRC

HDPE plant shut by Fushun Petrochemical

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Fushun Petrochemical has shut a high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant for maintenance turnaround, said Apic-Online.

A source in China informed that the plant was shut on January 7, 2014. It is likely to remain off-stream for around one month. Located in Fushun, Liaoning province, China, the plant has a production capacity of 350,000 mt/year.

As MRC reported earlier, a subsidiary of PetroChina - Fushun Petrochemical - in the second half of this year, started production of basic petrochemical products at its new plant in Fushun, Liaoning Province, China. The design capacity of the petrochemical complex is 300,000 tonnes per year of polypropylene (PP), 350,000 tonnes per year of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and 450,000 tonnes per year of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE).

PetroChina Company Limited is a Chinese oil company and is the listed arm of state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), headquartered in Dongcheng District, Beijing. It is China's biggest oil producer and the most profitable company in Asia.
MRC

January prices of European PVC rose by EUR10-20/tonne for CIS markets

MOSCOW (MRC) -- European producers have announced an increase in January polyvinyl chloride (PVC) prices by EUR10-20/tonne for the CIS countries following rising ethylene prices, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

The January contract ethylene price in Europe was agreed by EUR15/tonne higher than in December. Consequently, increased ethylene prices pushed up the production cost of PVC by EUR7,5/tonne. However, European producers announced a more substantial increase in January PVC prices for the CIS markets.

Deals for January shipments of suspension polyvinylchloride (SPVC) were negotiated in the range of EUR780-830/tonne FCA this week. Some producers said that due to the relatively warm weather they had no problems with sales. Therefore, they were forced to limit their export quotas.
MRC

Mitsubishi Materials blast at Japan plant kills 5 people

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The blast occurred in the afternoon at the plant run by Mitsubishi Materials in Yokkaichi city, reported BBC News with reference to Mie prefecture.

At least five people have been killed in an explosion at a chemical factory in central Japan. The number of injured has ranged, in reports, from 12 to 17.

Maintenance crews were cleaning out a heat exchanger used in the production of silicon products when the blast happened, officials said.

It is not clear at this stage what caused the explosion, the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports from Japan.

The plant manufactures polymers and uses a number of highly-volatile chemicals including hydrogen and chlorine, he adds.

Emergency officials said there had been no fire and the situation was quickly contained.

Mitsubishi Materials - a division of the huge Mitsubishi Corporation - makes a range of automotive, electronics, and construction and engineering products.
MRC