Asahi Kasei Chemicals to build diphenyl carbonate production plant in Japan

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Japan-based Asahi Kasei Chemicals (AKC) is planning to build a new validation plant at the Mizushima manufacturing complex at Kurashiki, for its newly developed diphenyl carbonate (DPC) production process, as per Chemicals Technology.

The plant, which is scheduled for start-up in January 2017, will produce up to 1,000t per year of DPC, a monomer used in polycarbonate (PC) production, through dialkyl carbonate (DRC).

AKC has built a successful business worldwide, licensing its non-phosgene process for PC using carbon dioxide (CO2) as feedstock. Validation of the new process will help the company to licence it as the intermediate process for DPC, strengthening the competitiveness of the licensing business.

Development of the newly developed process and construction of the validation plant have been supported by grants provided by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

The new process uses a catalyst developed by the company to obtain DRC from CO2 and alcohol, with DPC obtained from DRC and phenol in a second step.

As the second step also yields alcohol needed for the first step, the only starting materials are CO2 and phenol, therefore the new process provides better freedom in selection of a plant location than the non-phosgene PC process currently used by AKC, which relies on ethylene oxide (EO) as feedstock.

The new process is said to be more energy-efficient, enabling substantially reduced production costs.

As MRC reported earlier, Asahi Kasei’s (Tokyo, Japan) Fibers division will expand production capacity for polypropylene spunbond nonwovens in Thailand at its subsidiary Asahi Kasei Spunbond (Thailand) Co. AKST will add a new production line of 20,000 metric tons per year capacity which, combined with its existing production line, will double its capacity for spunbond nonwovens to 40,000 m.t/yr. The investment for the capacity expansion is approximately USD5 billion, with a scheduled startup of November 2015.

Asahi Kasei Corporation is a global Japanese chemical company. Its main products are chemicals and materials science.
MRC

Spot prices of titanium dioxide in Russia increased

MOSCOW (MRC) - Traders increased prices of imported titanium dioxide for the Russian domestic market on the back of the rise of the dollar and the euro against the rouble, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

Market players explained the rise in prices by exchange rate of the currency. The prices in dollar terms remained practically steady.

Prices for Asian titanium dioxide were heard in the range of USD2,900-3,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.
Price offers for titanium dioxide production from DuPont was at USD3,650-3,700/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.
Prices for titanium dioxide by Crimean Titan production in the spot market remained practically steady.

The range of spot prices for Crimean titanium dioxide was at Rb105,000-110,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.
Given the current rate of the rouble (64,97Rb=1USD on 20, January), the price difference between different brands was more than two times. A trader of TiO2 said he has not seen such a wide range of prices for Crimea, European and American feedstock before that.

The demand in the market continued to be seasonally low. Traders and converters also reported high stock inventories at their warehouses.
MRC

Russian PP became more expensive in January

MOSCOW (MRC) -- January prices increased by Rb1,000-1,500/tonne in the Russian polypropylene (PP) market. The price rise was mainly caused by the rouble devaluation, higher interest rates also put pressure on prices, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

The first working week of 2015 was traditionally calm in the Russian PP market. Converters' activity was low, quite a lot of companies formed additional inventories of material back in December and plan to return to PP procurement only in late January - early February. Some Russian producers raised contract PP prices by Rb1,000-1,500/tonne from December, citing the weakening of the rouble; spot prices were affected by increased interest rates and more expensive delivery charges.

Negotiations over January contract PP prices began in mid-December, and prices were agreed this week. SIBUR (sells PP of Neftekhimia, Tobolsk-Polymer, Tomskneftekhim and Poliom) and Nizhnekamskneftekhim raised January prices by Rb1,000/tonne from December to Rb1,500/tonne.

Spot prices rose proportionally to prices in the contract market. Buying activity was low in the market in the first working week of 2015. Some market participants reported temporary suspension of PP shipments from Tobolsk (the plant has been idle for almost two weeks due to technical issues). However, in general, PP supply was more than sufficient in the market.

Freight charges for road and rail transportation have grown by 10-12% since January. Many traders also reported a noticeable increase in interest rates, and they were forced to include this component into polymer prices. This week's offer prices of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) of raffia grade were in the range of Rb75,000-77,500/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT. Injection moulding homopolymer PP was offered by an average of Rb2,000/tonne higher.
MRC

LyondellBasell announces expanded roles for three senior executives

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell has announced that three senior executives - Timothy D. Roberts, Patrick D. Quarles and Kevin W. Brown - have all assumed expanded roles within the company, as per the company's statement.

The changes, which are effective immediately, were announced by Bhavesh V. "Bob" Patel, who became chief executive officer and chairman of the Management Board on January 12, 2015.

Timothy D. Roberts, formerly executive vice president - Olefins & Polyolefins (O&P) Americas, is now executive vice president - Global O&P. In this new role, Roberts will have responsibility for the Company's olefins and polyolefins businesses worldwide. Roberts has been the business leader of O&P Americas since June 2011. Prior to joining the Company, Roberts served in executive positions at Chevron Phillips Chemical and as chief executive officer of Americas Styrenics LLC, a joint venture between the Dow Chemical Company and Chevron Phillips. He has been a member of the Company's Management Board since April 2014.

Patrick D. Quarles, senior vice president - Intermediates and Derivatives (I&D) has been promoted to executive vice president - I&D, Supply Chain and Procurement. In addition to his current role as the business leader of the global intermediates and derivatives business, Quarles will now manage the Company's supply chain and procurement functions. Quarles has been senior vice president - I&D since 2009. Before that, Quarles served in roles of increasing responsibility in the Company and its predecessors. Quarles has been a member of the Company's Management Board since April 2014.

Kevin W. Brown, senior vice president - Refining, has been promoted to executive vice president - Manufacturing and Refining. In addition to leading the refining business, Global Engineering Services and Global Projects, Brown will now be responsible for all of the Company's manufacturing sites worldwide. Brown has been senior vice president - Refining since 2009. Prior to joining the Company, Brown served as an executive officer and a director of Sinclair Oil, a privately-held U.S. petroleum company.

The company also announced that its Supervisory Board had nominated Brown for appointment to the company's Management Board. The Company's shareholders will be asked to elect Brown to the Management Board at its 2015 Annual General Meeting.

As MRC wrote before, in November 2014, LyondellBasell Industries said "tight" markets for its products may stall the narrower margins that it expects will ultimately come from lower oil prices.

LyondellBasell Industries NV is a manufacturing company. The company produces chemicals, fuels, and polymers used for packaging, clean fuels, durable textiles, medical applications, construction materials, and automotive parts. LyondellBasell Industries operates globally and is headquartered in the Netherlands. LyondellBasell is also a leading licensor of polypropylene and polyethylene technologies. The more than 250 polyolefin process licenses granted by LyondellBasell are twice that of any other polyolefin technology licensor.
MRC

European polyolefins market expected to reach USD63,219 mln in 2018

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Europe Polyolefins market is expected to reach USD63,219 million in 2018, as per Micro Market Monitor, reported Plastemart.

The European polyolefin market is estimated to witness a CAGR of around 7% during the forecast period.

Germany dominates the European polyethylene (PE) market with a market share of nearly 30% in 2013, followed by Italy and France.

Growing demand from the packaging and construction industry is the driving factor for this market.

As MRC informed before, PE demand is forecast to rise by approximately 3.7% pa between 2013 and 2018, at a slightly higher level than its growth during the 2003-2013 period, as per GlobalData.

The report states that this higher than historic increase will happen in the US and Europe, and primarily Russia. The US is forecast to witness a 2.4% growth rate pa in comparison with its 0.7% levels in the previous 10 years. Demand in Europe, including Russia, is expected to climb at 2.8%pa from 2013-2018, almost three times the level witnessed during the last decade. Global data believes that these demand rises in the US and Russia will be somewhat offset by a lower increase of 4.8% in Asia, compared to the 6% rate during the 2003-2013 period. This will be primarily due to the region’s slower economic growth.
MRC