Saudi Kayan awards olefins cracking furnace addition to CTCI

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company (Saudi Kayan, an affiliate of the country's petrochemical major SABIC), has awarded the construction of an additional cracking furnace at its steamcracker complex at Jubail Industrial City to Taiwan's CTCI, reported TPS with reference to the company's filing to the country's stock exchange Tadawul.

The award is for CTCI to provide preliminary engineering, procurement and construction work to add another furnace to the gas cracker, currently with an ethylene capacity of 1.48 million mt/year. The additional furnace is expected to increase Saudi Kayan's ethylene production by 93,000 mt/year.

Saudi Kayan said the total investment of the project is valued at an estimate $94.5 million and will be financed through local financial institutions. The expansion is expected to finish during the second half of 2017, the company said.

The additional furnace project forms part of Saudi Kayan's agreement with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources in exchange for increased ethane allocation signed on February 5, 2015, the company said.

Saudi Kayan's complex at Jubail is also capable of producing 630,000 mt/year propylene, which feeds its 350,000 mt/year polypropylene and 290,000 mt/year cumene plants; 109,000 mt/year benzene, also feeding the cumene plant; 400,000 mt/year high density polyethylene and 300,000 mt/year low density polyethylene plants; and 550,000 mt/year ethylene oxide and 566,000 mt/year monoethylene glycol plants, among other chemical products.

As MRC reported before, Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co on Tuesday brought forward by one month maintenance plans for some units at its complex in Jubail. The Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) affiliate will start the shutdown on March 1 rather than March 30, it said in a bourse filing. The shutdown had been postponed from Oct. 31, 2015.

Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company is a manufacturing affiliate of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic).
MRC

Thai refinery to use Axens reforming technology

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Axens announced today that Bangchak Petroleum will use Axens’ state-of-the-art reforming technology and catalysts for its energy, efficiency and environment improvement project in Bangkok, Thailand, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The project consists of a grassroots Octanizing unit (CCR reforming unit for gasoline production) with a design capacity of about 12,000 bpd to produce high-quality reformate, a blend component for high-octane gasoline.

The relationship between the refinery and Axens started more than 30 years ago, with a semi-regenerative reforming unit, hydrotreating unit for gasoline and diesel, and more.

More recently, it has continued with projects linked to the production of clean fuels and impurities removal.

For this specific project, detailed studies conducted by an independent party demonstrated that Axens’ technology solution was the most economically-attractive option for a given reformate RON target. This was a key element for the Bangchak Petroleum and for the viability of the project.

In addition, Axens said its reputation for clean fuel projects was also an important factor in the final decision for this refinery located close to the city. Because of that, creating an environmentally-friendly energy business is essential, officials said.

As MRC informed earlier, Malaysia's national oil and gas company Petronas selected Axens as a technology provider for its refinery and petrochemicals integrated development (RAPID) project in Pengerang, Johor.
MRC

Treofan wins European Plastics Innovation Award for ultra-thin film

MOSCOW (MRC) -- BOPP specialist Treofan won a trophy at the 1st European Plastics Innovation Awards for its "PHD 1.9" ultra-thin capacitor film, said Packagingeurope.

The first European capacitor film thinner than 2µm, developed in partnership with chemicals and plastics producer Borealis, took home the award for Best Lightweight Innovation.

Storing and rapidly releasing large amounts of energy plays a crucial role in key next-generation technologies such as electric cars and wind power. Ultra-thin films increase storage capacity per unit area while also reducing the weight of the capacitor, which in turn means less cooling is required. This saves energy and lowers operating costs. Overall, a 1.9µm film boosts the efficiency of a component by around 30 percent compared to a conventional 2.4µm film.

The main challenge when developing ultra-thin films is combining the extreme mechanical strength demanded by high production speeds with outstanding homogeneous electrical and thermal properties.

Treofan and Borealis worked together intensely to optimize the molecular structure of the award-winning new solution. In parallel to this, improvements were made to the specialized production line at Treofan’s Neunkirchen site. Further enhancements are planned, with the goal of producing even thinner and more efficient films in the medium term.

"Developing ultra-thin capacitor films is the perfect reflection of our innovation strategy, which focuses on including the entire value chain – from raw materials and processing to the end consumer," says Dr. Yvonne Dupre, Head of Innovation at Treofan Germany.

The European Plastics Innovation Awards were created in 2015 by three organizations: European Plastics Converters (EuPC), PlasticsEurope and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). The initiative aims to reward new ideas, products and technologies in the plastics industry that address a societal need while respecting the 3 Ps of sustainability – people, planet and profitability. The inaugural ceremony was held in Brussels on January 25.

As MRC informed earlier, in August 2015, Treofan developed a new film known as Treofan EPT for in-mould labelling in deep drawing or thermoforming. The new film with a special surface that attaches perfectly to deep-drawn films, enabling stable fusing of thermoforming and label film at low temperatures and pressures, while delivering look and feel as good as injection-moulded products.

Treofan Group is a global technology leader for biaxially oriented polypropylene film (BOPP). Treofan, which develops and sells BOPP films in over 90 countries around the world, has already production facilities in Europe and the Americas. Company offers the most diverse and comprehensive product range within the industry, providing packaging, label and tobacco film applications as well as films for electronic devices, such as capacitors.
MRC

Maximizing Iranian petchem production will be top priority of new NPC head

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Maximizing Iran's production of petrochemicals by utilizing its hydrocarbon assets, especially via the country's vast natural gas reserves, will be the top priority of state-owned National Petrochemical Company (NPC), said its newly-appointed head Marziyeh Shahdaei, reported TPS with reference to a report from state-supported media agency Petroenergy Information Network.

Shahdaei, the first-ever woman head of the company and deputy petroleum minister in petrochemical affairs, told a ceremony held to bid farewell to the previous head of the company, that developing downstream industries in the country and maximizing production of petrochemical products by tapping the country's massive oil and gas reserves are the company's chief targets under her presidency.

"Planning to create and develop the required petrochemical infrastructure across the country are top on NPC's agenda in a bid to materialize the resistive economy requirements," she was quoted as saying.

Shahdaei said facilitating foreign investments in the sector and upgrading the petrochemical industry with the latest technological developments are also minded by NPC.

"NPC is seriously trying to woo leading chemical firms from around the world into Iran for investment and transfer of their technologies and then localize them before promoting the industry," she said.

As MRC informed previously, currently number of active Iranian Petrochemical complexes are 53, with total production capacity of 59 million metric ton, producing range of polymers, chemicals, aromatics & liquid gas, located mainly at Iranian south region, next to Persian Gulf, called Assaluyeh and Mahshahr Special Economic Zones.

At the moment, there are 67 developments projects in the country which are under construction, adding 61 million metric ton on total production and estimated to fully run till 2018.
MRC

Iran plans to build propylene via methanol plant

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Iran is in discussions with Air Liquide regarding prospects of building a Propylene via Methanol (PVM) plant in the country, as per an Iranian petrochemical official, reported Plastemart.

PVM technology is used to convert methanol into propylene. Over the past two years, Iran focused on acquiring PVM technology, launching its first PVM pilot plant in Mahshahr city in early 2015, producing 120,000 tons of propylene from methanol, as per Xinhua.

Esmaeil Qambari, managing director of Iran’s Petrochemical Research and Technology Company said, "we discussed with Air Liquide the potential for a scientific partnership to develop a 500,000 ton PVM plant in Iran."

As MRC informed previously, currently number of active Iranian Petrochemical complexes are 53, with total production capacity of 59 million metric ton, producing range of polymers, chemicals, aromatics & liquid gas, located mainly at Iranian south region, next to Persian Gulf, called Assaluyeh and Mahshahr Special Economic Zones.

At the moment, there are 67 developments projects in the country which are under construction, adding 61 million metric ton on total production and estimated to fully run till 2018.
MRC