Celanese announces Fortron PPS price increases

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company, will increase list and off-list selling prices of Fortron PPS by 6% effective January 1, 2015, or as contracts allow, reported the company on its site.

As MRC wrote before, in early October 2014, Celanese Corporation announced that it would increase the price of vinyl acetate-based emulsions sold in the Americas. Thus, PVAc homopolymer, vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE) and vinyl acrylic emulsions increased by up to USD0.05/wet pound effective November 1, 2014, or as contracts allow.

This increase is attributed to the continued pressures on raw materials, notably vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), and freight.

This price increase affects all applications including, but not limited to, adhesives, paints and coatings, building products, nonwovens, glass fiber, carpet, paper and textiles.

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese employs approximately 7,400 employees worldwide and had 2013 net sales of USD6.5 billion.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Agreement on making a Plan on detailed regulation for construction of polypropylene plant in HIP-Petrohemija was signed between HIP-Petrohemija and the Directorate for the construction and renovation of Pancevo, said the producer in its press release.

Funding for the preparation of plans and project documentation for the construction of a new plant has been provided in the framework of the activities of Government of Republic of Serbia that are directed toward lasting operations stabilization and the completion of the privatization procedure of HIP-Petrohemija and in accordance with the Cooperation Agreement of HIP-Petrohemija and NIS.

Signing of the Agreement on making a Plan on detailed regulation is of a great importance for HIP- Petrohemija, taking into consideration that construction of polypropylene plant,foreseen by the Strategy of development of HIP-Petrohemija 2014-2030, represents a key investment for the survival and further development of the company. By the construction of polypropylene plant, having the investment value of about 120 million eur, Petrohemija would improve commercial products valorization, come out from the zone of business losses, increase export potential and contribute to the development of the economy at the national and local level.

The first phase of the project includes making of plan and technical documentation for construction of a new plant within which, in addition to the Plan on detailed regulation,there are foreseen selection of license, feasibility study with preliminary design and study on the assessment of environmental impacts.

As MRC wrote before, in December 2012 HIP Petrohemija completed the launch of its reconstructed and expanded high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plant. The installation, the capacity of which has been increased 30% to slightly more than 90,000 tonnes/year.

NIS is one of the largest integrated oil and gas companies in South-Eastern Europe, engaged in exploration, production and refining of oil and gas, and marketing petroleum products. Major shareholders are Gazprom Neft (56.15%) and the Government of the Republic of Serbia. (29.88%). The rest of the shares are owned by minority shareholders.

HIP Petrohemija owns petrochemical complexes located in Pancevo, Elemir and Crepaja. The core business is the production of HDPE, LDPE and other petrochemical products. The annual production capacity of the company is 700,000 tonnes. As per MRC information, the HIP Petrohemija"s products are not significantly represented in the Russian and Ukrainian HDPE markets.

MOSCOW (MRC) -- AkzoNobel has started operations at its new Powder Coatings plant in Dubai, said the producer in its press release.

The facility will significantly increase capacity for the company’s Interpon and Resicoat products.

The state-of-the art site is AkzoNobel’s sixth manufacturing plant in the Middle East and its 30th producing powder coatings around the world.

"This investment will further boost AkzoNobel’s position in the Middle East and strengthen our ability to serve the fast-growing regional powder coatings market," said Conrad Keijzer, AkzoNobel's Executive Committee member responsible for Performance Coatings.

The plant will target growing regional demand for decorative powder coatings - particularly from the architectural sector – as well as functional products used in the oil and gas and construction markets.

Commenting on the start of operations, Peter Tomlinson, Managing Director of AkzoNobel Middle East, said: "The new plant in Dubai underlines our commitment to the Middle East, where our aim is to continue to outgrow our competitors."

As MRC wrote preciously, AkzoNobel has announced that it will establish a new organization for its Performance Coatings Business Area in order to drive leading performance. The simplified new structure - due to become fully operational in January 2015 - will reduce the number of global management layers. As a result, Performance Coatings will be managed through seven Strategic Market Units under the leadership of Executive Committee Member Conrad Keijzer. The seven units will focus on specific customer segments and technologies. They will be: Marine Coatings, Metal Coatings, Powder Coatings, Protective Coatings, Specialty Coatings, Vehicle Refinishes and Wood Coatings.

Akzo Nobel N.V., trading as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational, active in the fields of decorative paints, performance coatings and specialty chemicals. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 55,000 people.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Technip was awarded by Sasol a contract to provide engineering and procurement for eight proprietary Ultra Selective Conversion (USC) furnaces for a world-scale ethane cracker and derivatives complex to be located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The award follows Sasol’s selection of Technip’s proprietary ethylene technology and FEED for the cracker, which will produce an estimated 1.5 MMtpa of ethylene.

This award validates Technip’s strategy of early involvement to design an effective project execution scheme, bringing value to clients. Technip’s operating center in Houston will execute the project.

"Following the selection of our ethylene technology during the early stage of this project, Technip is pleased to expand our role by supplying the most critical part of the cracker, the furnaces," said Stan Knez, Technip’s senior vice president of Technip Stone & Webster Process Technology.

"In addition, Technip’s North America region also is playing a significant project role, having been selected, with Fluor, to provide engineering, procurement and construction management for the cracker and derivatives complex".

As MRC reported ealier, in August 2014, KBR has been awarded a contract from INEOS and Sasol to provide engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for a new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) facility to be located at INEOS's Battleground complex in La Porte, Texas.

Sasol Limited is an integrated energy and chemical company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. It develops and commercialises technologies, including synthetic fuels technologies, and produces different liquid fuels, chemicals and electricity.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sonoco Products Co. has finalized the acquisition of Weidenhammer Packaging Group in a USD360 million deal, said Plasticsnews.

The purchase includes Weidenhammer Plastic Packaging with a plant in Zwenkau, Germany, near Leipzig, that includes production of cups, cans and containers with volumes of at least 100 milliliters. Buckets made there range from 1 to 11.4 liters.

Sonoco gains 13 locations, including five in Germany. There also are also sites in Kansas City, Mo., as well as Belgium, Chile, France, Greece, The Netherlands, Russia and United Kingdom, Sonoco has said.

Approximately 1,100 employees come to Hartsville, S.C.-based Sonoco in the deal.

Weidenhammer, a family owned business based in Hockenheim, expects sales of approximately USD327 million this year. That compares with Sonoco’s USD4.9 billion in annual sales. Weidenhammer markets the PermaSafe line of containers that the company touts as a plastic replacement for metal food cans and glass jars that is easier to handle, lighter and more cost effective.

As MRC wrote before, Sonoco commenced commercial production of rigid plastic containers for personal care products at its new USD15 million plant, located in the Beauty and Home Care campus in New Albany, Ohio.

Sonoco Plastics is a leading manufacturer of mono-layer and multi-layer blow-molded bottles and jars, thermoformed cups and trays and engineered molded and extruded containers, spools and trays. The Company has 25 plastics operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Netherlands and Germany. In addition to the Beauty Park facility, Sonoco Plastics operates a state-of-the-art food-grade, blow-molding and injection molding plant in Columbus, Ohio. The Company is currently reviewing plans for additional expansion of this facility as well.
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