PetroChina to restart HDPE/LLDPE plant in China after maintenance

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PetroChina, China's largest oil and gas producer, is in plans to restart a high density polyethylene/linear low density polyethylene (HDPE/LLDPE) plant following maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the plant is likely to restart in early June 2015. It was shut on April 10, 2015.

Located in Dushanzi, China, the plant has a production capacity of 660,000 mt/year.

We remind that, as MRC reported earlier, PetroChina is in plans to commission a new crude oil refinery in China. Thus, the refinery is planned to be started in late 2015. To be located at Anning in Yunnan province of China, the refinery will have a crude processing capacity of 260,000 bpd.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The polymer nanocomposites market size in terms of value is projected to grow at a CAGR of 21-23% between 2015 and 2020 to reach USD5100 mln by 2020, as per Plastemart with reference to ReportLinker.

Asia-Pacific held the largest share in nanocomposites market in 2014. Major growth in the Asia-Pacific region is expected from the growing packaging, automotive and electronics & semiconductor application. The polymer nanocomposites market in Asia-Pacific region is growing fast as the application industries such as packaging, automotive, electronics & semiconductor, aerospace & defense and coatings are expected to register a significant growth rate in next five years.

Presence of emerging economies such as India and China are helping the nanocomposites market to grow in the region. The growing packaging, automotive, and electronics and semiconductor in these emerging countries helped the nanocomposites market to grow at a higher rate.

Agreement for technology use and new product launch were the key strategies adopted by industry players in order to maintain growth in the nanocomposites market. The nanocomposites has wide industrial applications and new product launches are paving the way for fulfilling the ever changing demand for new applications with better physical and mechanical properties. As a result of this, a diverse application base is developing for nanocomposites. Market players are focusing on signing new agreements with researchers, institutes & universities and launching new and innovative materials in both existing and emerging markets that can meet the growing demand from application industries.

The major players in the nanocomposites market are BYK Additives (Germany), 3D System (US), Foster Corporation (US), Industrial Nanotech (US), Hybrid Plastics Inc. (US), Inframat Corporation (UK), InMat Inc. (US), Nanocor Incorporated (US) and others.

As MRC wrote before, thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) nanocomposites developed by Korea's Honam Petrochemical Corp. (Seoul) have delivered a 25% weight saving versus 40% talc-filled polypropylene through thinwalling and lower density in a side sill molding used in a Hyundai vehicle.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Growing demand from automotive and electronics is expected to boost growth in the global plastics market, as per Plastemart with reference to Transparency Market Research.

The factors shaping the growth of the multi-billion-dollar molded plastics industry are:
- rising consumption of plastics in automotives: demand is expected to rise exponentially in Latin America, due to this region’s flourishing automobile industry. Moreover, the demand for molded plastics is currently high in Asia Pacific, which is one of leading regions for automotive manufacturing at present, with a 35% share in 2012;
- increasing demand for plastic components in mobile phones: the elevated demand from the electronic goods industry for molded plastics, especially for televisions, mobile phones, and laptops will propel the global molded plastics market. The growing use of these plastics in several internal and external parts of electronic goods will also support market growth. Demand is anticipated to grow at a 4.9% CAGR during the forecasting horizon;
- increasing demand for plastics in packaging industry: the consumables and electronics segments together held a dominant share in the global molded plastics market, recorded at 30% in 2012. The rising demand of molded plastics from the food and beverages industry will also significantly contribute to the growth of the overall market. Molded polyethylene, the leading sector in 2012 with a 25% market share, is expected to grow at the highest CAGR due to the flourishing packaging industry. Moreover, the molded polyethylene sector has high growth potential during the forecast period, especially in China, India, and Brazil.

However, fluctuating raw material prices and surging environmental concerns will restrain growth. Rising concerns related to the harmful effects of the manufacturing process of molded plastics on the environment will also suppress the global molded plastics market. In accordance with this, the nonbiodegradable nature of molded plastics will also suppress this market.

The growing practice of using plastic pipes in the construction of new oil and gas transmission lines is creating good growth opportunities for the market. Plastic pipes corrode much slower than cast-iron, since they are drastically less reactive than metal pipes, and are less brittle.

We remind that, as MRC wrote before, the bio-based polyethylene market is estimated to grow to USD751.9 mln by 2019 at a CAGR 12.3%.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.'s (MCC) MCPP Germany GmbH subsidiary has established a new performance polymer business network in Turkey to market thermoplastic elastomers and polyvinyl chloride compounds, as per GV.

The new MCPP Turkey Liaison Office, taking advantage of its geographical location linking the major markets of Europe and the Middle East, will develop marketing activities to expand sales in fast-growing markets, MCC said.

The office will also handle marketing activities in West Asia and other neighboring areas and serve existing customers in Turkey.

As MRC informed previously, in October 2013, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation established Mitsubishi Chemical Performance Polymers Europe B.V. and started its operation as a regional headquarters for the performance polymers business in Europe.

This company will integrally hold all European performance polymers business including CTS Group companies acquired from Tessenderlo Group on June 18, 2013. Together with the new management structure, all European performance polymers companies started operation with new corporate names as of October 1, 2013.

Mitsubishi Chemical with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, is a diversified chemical company involved in petrochemicals, polymers, agrochemicals, speciality chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The company's main focus is on three business pillars: petrochemicals, performance and functional products, and health care.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Petrochemical giant PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical (CAP), Indonesian largest petrochemical producer, is targeting a revenue increase of at least 30% next year as it expects a production boost after overhauling and expanding its naphtha cracker, as per GV.

The publicly listed company would spend USD 380 million for the maintenance and expansion of its naphtha cracker to increase production capacity by around 43%, said CAP director and corporate secretary Suryandi. "We will start the overhaul in late August to late October this year. We will also integrate new facilities (of naphtha cracker) with our existing facilities," he told The Jakarta Post.

The overhaul would decrease the firm’s production capacity by between 20% and 25% this year, but that would soon be compensated with higher capacity next year onward, he said.

Suryandi refused to disclose his firm’s sales target for this year, but said that CAP would continue to maintain its 4.7% profit margin recorded in the first quarter of this year to the end of the year. "We expect to maintain our profit margin throughout the quarters of this year amid the continuing oil price drop," he said.

Once the overhaul is complete, its annual production of ethylene and propylene is expected to increase by up to 860,000 tons and 470,000 tons, respectively, from 600,000 tons and 320,000 at present.

With the higher production capacity, CAP will be able to help reduce the country’s importation of petrochemical products.

Suryandi said that his firm’s polyethylene and polypropylene - which were fully marketed for the domestic market - could not yet meet growing local demand, which currently stood at around 3 million tons a year. "Demand for petrochemical products (including polyethylene and polypropylene) usually increases by between 6% and 7% a year," he said.

As MRC informed previously, in March 2014, Moody's Investors Service, changed the outlook of Chandra Asri Petrochemical Tbk (CAP), to stable from negative.

Chandra Asri Petrochemical (CAP) is the largest vertically integrated petrochemical company in Indonesia with facilities located in Ciwandan, Cilegon and Puloampel, Serang in Banten Province. CAP is Indonesia's premier petrochemical plant incorporating world-class, state-of-the-art technology and supporting facilities. At the heart of CAP lies the Lummus Naphtha Cracker producing high quality Ethylene, Propylene, Mixed C4, and Pyrolysis Gasoline (Py-Gas) for the Indonesian as well as regional export markets.

Besides the Naphtha Cracker plant, CAP has integrated Polyethylene and Polypropylene production facilities incorporating two world-class technologies. Four Unipol reactors are designed by Union Carbide: one reactor is capable of producing both Linear Low and High Density Polyethylene resins; the other three reactors are capable of producing a variety of Polypropylene resins. The fifth reactor uses Showa Denko KK of Japan's revolutionary Bimodal High Density Polyethylene technology. These two world-class technologies combine to produce a range of Polyethylene resin grades to meet the majority of Polyethylene demand in Indonesia.
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