UOP licenses methanol-to-olefins process in China

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China’s Better Clean Energy has licensed the advanced methanol-to-olefins (MTO) process of Honeywell's UOP to convert methanol into high-value petrochemicals, helping meet growing global demand for plastics and other key materials, reported Hydrocarbonprocessing with reference to the officials' announcement.

UOP says its MTO technology provides a cost-effective way to convert methanol derived from coal or natural gas, rather than imported crude oil, into the components to make plastics, synthetics and other materials.

This award is UOP’s fifth licensing win for its MTO process and comes after the successful start up of its first commercial-scale MTO facility for China’s Wison Clean Energy in September 2013. That unit has produced more than 360 million lb of ethylene and propylene since it went into production, meeting all of its performance criteria, including yield quality and quantity.

"MTO technology has revolutionized the modern petrochemicals industry by providing an economical way to turn low-cost coal and even natural gas into the chemicals needed to make plastics," said Mike Millard, vice president and general manager of UOP’s process technology and equipment business.

Better Clean Energy will use UOP’s advanced MTO process to produce 300,000 tpy of ethylene and propylene at its new facility in Shandong province in Eastern China. In addition to technology licensing, UOP will provide engineering, training, technical service and specialty equipment for the facility, which is expected to start up in 2016.

UOP’s advanced MTO process combines the UOP/Hydro MTO process and the Total/UOP olefin cracking process to significantly increase yields and feedstock efficiency, according to company officials. The process converts methanol from non-crude oil sources such as coal and natural gas into ethylene and propylene.

Since 2011, UOP has announced four other MTO technology licenses in China. In addition to Wison, Shandong Yangmei Hengtong Chemicals Co. will use the technology to produce 295,000 tpy of ethylene and propylene, and Jiutai Energy (Zhungeer) Co. will produce 600,000 tpy of ethylene and propylene.

Moreover, Jiangsu Sailboat Petrochemical Co. is building what is expected to be the largest single-train MTO unit in the world, producing 833,000 tpy of ethylene and propylene.

Better Clean Energy Co. was founded in 2007 and is a subsidiary of Better Holdings Group, a professional automobile wheel manufacturer, integrating independent research, development, design and production.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium) inaugurated its new large-scale alkoxylation plant in Singapore, the largest plant of its kind in Asia, as part of its global strategy to expand the growth of its specialty surfactants in the region, said Chemenonline.

The nearly USD50 million "on-pipe" investment will help meet that demand, complementing existing India and China facilities and joining Solvay Novecare’s seven other alkoxylation plants in Europe and North America. Located in the integrated petrochemical hub of Jurong Island, the plant receives a key raw material, ethylene oxide via a dedicated pipeline, and fatty oleochemicals from nearby countries, providing a safe and sustainable source of supply for the near and long term.

"Reinforcing our presence in fast growing countries and proposing innovative solutions to our customers in our key strategic market segments in the region are the key principles driving Solvay Novecare today. The addition of this new asset in Singapore continues the execution of this strategy and will be pivotal to Solvay’s growth strategy," commented Emmanuel Butstraen, president of Solvay Novecare.

The unit produces specialty alkoxylate formulations for the agrochemicals, coatings, home and personal care, industrial and oil and gas markets in Asia, especially for those in key Southeast Asia countries, such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. The plant bolsters Solvay’s competitive position in the region, ensuring the development of alkoxylate solutions for customers who will be supported by strong technical teams from the R&I center located near the plant.

As MRC informed earlier, Solvay and INEOS announce the start-up of their Joint Venture INOVYN, a world-class competitive player in chlorovinyls, following European Commission approval.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Vinnolit Announces that Managing Director Dr Josef Ertl will Retire Effective October 31, 2015 Dr Ertl has been with Vinnolit since 1998 where he led the Monomers and Thermoplastics business units, as per company's press-release.

In 2001, he joined the Management Board and became Managing Director and CEO of Vinnolit. In this role, he led the transformation of Vinnolit into the global market and technology leader in specialty PVC. Most recently, he led the sale of Vinnolit to Westlake and the subsequent integration of Vinnolit into the Westlake family of companies.

His personal commitment and leadership have earned him respect within Vinnolit as well as in the European PVC and plastics industry, where he engaged himself inter alia as Chairman of VinylPlus, Vinyl 2010 and ECVM and currently serves as Chairman of PlasticsEurope Germany.

"We would like to express our appreciation to Dr Ertl for his years of service and many contributions to Vinnolit, the industry and most recently to Westlake. During his tenure, he has shaped and built Vinnolit into the company that we know today. We wish him well in the future and that he has a long and healthy retirement," stated Albert Chao, President and CEO of Vinnolit?s parent company Westlake Chemical.

As MRC informed earlier, Westlake acquired Vinnolit last year.

Westlake Chemical Corporation is an international manufacturer and supplier of petrochemicals, polymers and building products with headquarters in Houston, Texas. The company's range of products includes: ethylene, polyethylene, styrene, propylene, caustic, VCM, PVC resin and PVC building products including pipe and specialty components, windows and fence.

Vinnolit GmbH & Co. KG, a Westlake company, is one of the leading PVC manufacturers in Europe and, worldwide, is the market and technical leader in specialty PVC. National and international activities of Vinnolit are managed from Ismaning, near Munich.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Total imports of polypropylene (PP) into Russia decreased to 68,500 tonnes in the first six months of 2015, down 22% compared to the same period of 2014. The largest decrease occurred for PP block copolymers, as per MRC DataScope.

Russian companies increased PP purchases in the foreign markets in June, particularly of homopolymer PP ahead of the approaching shutdowns for maintenance works at the local plants. June PP imports into the country reached 12,300 tonnes, compared with 8,500 tonnes in May. Total PP imports in Russia decreased to 68,500 tonnes in the first half of this year, compared with 87,400 tonnes year on year. The largest decline in imports occurred for PP block copolymers, the smallest reduction in supply occurred for PP random copolymers.

Structure of PP imports into the country for the reported period was as follows. June imports of homopolymer PP increased to 5,400 tonnes, compared to 3,000 tonnes in May, the main increase occurred for the supply of raffia grade polypropylene from Turkmenistan (about 3,300 tonnes). Some Russian companies have build additional stocks inventories of PP for a period of scheduled shutdowns of local producers. Total imports of homopolymer PP into Russia were 26,800 tonnes in January - June 2015, compared with 30,200 tonnes year on year.

June imports of block copolymers of PP increased to 2,200 tonnes, compared with 1,800 tonnes in May on an increase in the supply of injection moulding grades. Russia's imports of block copolymers of PP decreased to 13,200 tonnes in the first six months of the year. Local producers of pipe decreased import purchases more than twice; imports of injection moulding PP block copolymers decreased by 30% in the reported period.

Imports of PP random copolymers exceeded the level of 2,700 tonnes in June, compared with 1,800 tonnes in May because of an increase in purchases from the local producers of biaxially-oriented polypropylene film (BOPP films). Russia's imports of PP random copolymers decreased to 15,100 tonnes in January - June 2015, down 1% year on year. Reduction of import deliveries occurred for local producers of BOPP films and producers of pressure pipes.

Imports of other propylene polymers for the reported period decreased to about 13,500 tonnes, compared with 18,400 tonnes in the same time a year earlier.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- India-based Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) plans to expand its Bina oil refinery in central India by 30% to 156,000 bpd, said Hydrocarbonprocessing, citing chairman S. Varadarajan.

The expansion will cost about USD472 million.

The expansion of the refinery, operated by a joint venture of BPCL and state-owned Oman Oil Co. in the state Madhya Pradesh, will be completed by 2018, the chairman said.

Oman Oil, which has a minority stake in the venture, is not currently slated to participate in the 30-billion-rupees expansion, Varadarajan said.

As MRC wrote before, the proposed project envisages increasing the capacity of Kochi refinery from the present 9.5 mln mtpa to 15.5 mln mtpa, modernisation of the refinery to produce auto-fuels complying with Euro-IV/Euro-V specifications, upgradation of low value refinery residue stream to value-added products and production of propylene, which is a major petrochemical feedstock.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is an Indian state-controlled oil and gas company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The Corporation operates two large refineries of the country located at Mumbai and Kochi.
MRC