Tianjin Bohai to restart PDH plant in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Tianjin Bohai Chemical Industry Group is likely to restart a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant is likely to be restarted in H2 December, 2014. It is presently under a maintenance turnaround.

Located in Tianjin, China, the plant has a propylene capacity of 600,000 mt/year.

We remind that, as MRC informed previously, the startup of two more PDH plants in China by mid-2015, coming on the heels of the four facilities that have begun operations over the past year, will exacerbate Asia's propylene glut and likely force the newcomers to curb output to defend their margins. In total, the six new PDH plants will be able to produce 3.51 million mt/year of propylene.

Besides, Saudi Arabia’s Advanced Petrochemical Co. plans to invest in a project worth around USD1 billion to produce propylene in South Korea. The PDH project, a joint venture with South Korea’s SK Gas, is due to start up in H1-2016. The project, with annual production capacity of 600,000 tons, will be financed 40% equity and 60% debt. Advanced will hold a 35% stake in the project.
MRC

ABS imports in Russia fell by 11% in January-November 2014

MOSCOW (MRC) - Russian companies have reduced the supply of imported acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) in the domestic market by 11% in the first eleven months of the year. Russia's imports of ABS were 34,000 tonnes in January-November 2014, according to ScanPlast MRC.
Despite the general decline in Russian imports of ABS, LG Chem increased its ABS supplies over the reported period by 5% to 14,400 tonnes.
Korean producer LG Chem was the largest supplier of ABS, with the share of 42% from the total ABS imports in the country. After LG Chem five largest suppliers of ABS in the Russian market were Samsung Cheil Industries, Styrolution, Kumho and Styron.

November ABS imports in Russia sharply decreased, as converters reduced their import purchasing, having high carryovers. November ABS imports in Russia were 2,600 tonnes, down 33% compared with the October level.
MRC

Huntsman announces Q4 2014 common dividend

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Huntsman Corporation has announced that the company’s board of directors has declared a USD0.125 per share cash dividend on its common stock, as per the company's press release.

The dividend is payable on December 31, 2014, to stockholders of record as of December 15, 2014.

As MRC reported earlier, in October 2014, Huntsman commenced preliminary engineering to expand production of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) by investment in a new, world-scale MDI plant at its complex in Geismar, Louisiana.

The 400,000-tpy expansion will leverage the significant advantages of the Geismar site, with its access to US shale gas, strong logistics base and excellent integration, according to company officials.

The new capacity is expected to come on-stream in 2018 and will enable Huntsman to further support the global growth of its customers.

Huntsman is a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals. Our operating companies manufacture products for a variety of global industries, including chemicals, plastics, automotive, aviation, textiles, footwear, paints and coatings, construction, technology, agriculture, health care, detergent, personal care, furniture, appliances and packaging.
MRC

KBR awarded catalytic olefins technology deal from Lotte Chemical Titan Holding

MOSCOW (MRC) -- KBR, Inc. received a licensing and engineering design services contract from Malaysia-based olefins and polyolefins provider, Lotte Chemical Titan Holding Sdn. Bhd., said Plastemart.

The scope of the contract requires KBR to extend its catalytic olefins technology to enhance the olefins production for Lotte Chemical Titan. The company’s catalytic olefins technology efficiently converts low-value olefinic, paraffinic or mixed streams to propylene and ethylene, which hold higher value in the market.

KBR will also be providing basic engineering design services for the plant. KBR’s services are also required for the renovation of a steam-cracker plant located in the Asia Pacific. The services will enable diversification of the plant feedstock while boosting its capacity for olefin production.

As MRC reported earlier, in early 2014, Hyundai Oilbank and Lotte Chemical Corp. established Hyundai Chemical as a new venture in the "oil refining and synthetic fiber materials business". The venture, owned 60 % by Hyundai and 40% by Lotte, will invest up to 1.2-trillion won, with production targeted to begin in the second half of 2016 at Hyundai’s Daesan plant in South Chungcheong province.

The Lotte Group currently has a presence in Indonesia via its subsidiary, Honam Petrochemicals, which acquired Malaysia’s polyolefin major Titan Chemicals in July 2010. Included in the acquisition was Titan’s Indonesian subsidiary - PT Titan Petrokimia Nusantara (TPN), which has a polyethylene (PE) production capacity of 450,000 tonnes/year.
MRC

Solvay enters skin care market with acquisition of Dhaymers in Brazil

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay announces today that it is acquiring Dhaymers, a Brazilian manufacturer of specialty esters, entering the skin care market and expanding its presence in industrial lubricants and mining industries in Latin America, said the company in its press release.

Solvay's Global Business Unit Novecare has been strengthening its foothold in fast-growing market segments in Latin America. The customized product portfolio of Dhaymers complements Novecare’s acquisition in April of the specialty chemical assets of Erca Quimica and further increases production capacity.

Through Dhaymers, Solvay Novecare will extend its home & personal care (HPC) portfolio with ingredients for skin care products for consumers in Brazil, which is growing fast as the world’s third largest HPC consumer, and across Latin America. The specialty esters produced by Dhaymers are also used to make emulsions for mining and in lubricants for the metal working industry.

"With Dhaymers, Solvay Novecare bolsters Novecare's portfolio, its locally produced technology and production capacity to supply domestic and export markets," said Emmanuel Butstraen, President of Solvay Novecare. "Our expansion in the region reflects our commitment to support our customers and will accelerate Solvay Novecare's growth in Latin America."

Dhaymers is located in Taboao da Serra, 20 km from Sao Paulo city and its sales reached more than € 8 million in 2013.

As MRC wrote before, this summer, Solvay SA and Ineos Group AG gaven a name to their chlorovinyls joint venture, Inovyn, as the two firms prepare the launch of the company by the end of 2014. The new company will officially open following divestments by both companies required by the European Commission. Until completion, Solvay and Ineos will continue to run their businesses separately.

Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company founded in 1863, with its head office in Neder-Over-Heembeek, Brussels, Belgium. The company has diversified into two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics. Solvay supplies over 1500 products across 35 brands of high-performance polymers – fluoropolymers, fluoroelastomers, fluorinated fluids, semi-aromatic polyamides, sulfone polymers, aromatic ultra polymers, high-barrier polymers and cross-linked high-performance compounds.
MRC