Jindal Poly Films plans to increase BOPP films capacity by 161,000 tpa

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Jindal PolyFilms Ltd, one of the leading manufacturers of polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP) films, is planning to invest about Rs 1000 crore over the next two years to increase its biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) capacity by 161,000 tpa, reported Plastemart.

For this, the company will set up three additional BOPP lines - one each in Nashik (Maharashtra), US and Europe, as per business standard. The company is also planning to increase its metalising and coating capacities.

Jindal Poly Films will set up three additional BOPP lines - one each in Nashik (Maharashtra), US and Europe - to raise the capacity from the current 425,000 TPA to 586,000 tpa by 2018. While new BOPP line in Nashik is scheduled for commissioning in H1 FY2017, the European and US lines are expected to go on stream by H1 FY2018.

As MRC wrote before, in 2012, Jindal Poly Films inked an agreement with ExxonMobil Chemical (ExxonMobil) to purchase ExxonMobil"s BOPP Global Film business.

Jindal Poly Films is a part of Rs 3,000 crore B C Jindal Group, a 50 year old industrial group offering a wide range of products. The company is the largest manufacturer of BOPET and BOPP films in India. It produces BOPET film, BOPP film, metalized BOPET film and BOPP film, coated BOPET and BOPP films, polyester chips (for captive consumption in the BOPET film).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said Iran will launch major petrochemical projects during the current Iranian calendar year (which began on 20 March 2016) with an investment of USD 5 billion, according to GV.

Zangeneh said the projects include a methanol production plant in Assaluyehl, in southern Iran. The plant will run with the nameplate capacity of 2.5 million tons per year of methanol.

Furthermore, three polyethylene projects in Sanandaj, Mahabad and Loresan, all located in western Iran, with a capacity to produce 300,000 tons of products annually, will also come on-stream.

Two more petrochemical plants in Assaluyeh and Bandar Imam will also come on-stream by the end of the current Iranian calendar year to 19 March 2017, Zangeneh said.

He said Iran's ministry of petroleum is seriously focused on bolstering downstream and petrochemical industries across the country, adding that completion of the value chain in the petrochemical sector will be in line with materialization of resistive economy requirements.

"Small petrochemical plants can supply 40,000 to 50,000 tons of products annually which can generate jobs in the country," he said.

We remind that, as MRC wrote previously, in March 2016, The National Petrochemical Company (NPC) of Iran and France-based Total signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build a petrochemical complex in Iran. Total sealed the cooperation agreement with NPC to build a petrochemical complex after signing a separate deal to buy 160,000 bpd of Iranian crude oil. The complex will include a world-scale steam cracker unit in the coastal area. It will be based on a combination of feedstocks comprised of ethane, naphtha and LPG, as well as other available feed.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Stepan Company has announced that the expansion of its polyester polyol facility in Brzeg Dolny, Poland, will be completed in mid 2016, with the addition of a new reactor, reported GV.

According to the company, the new asset will support its growth in the coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers (CASE) business for its European customers.

Stepan has also confirmed the completion of the project to relocate its European R&D and Technical Service center to new laboratories in Wroclaw, Poland. The expanded facilities will serve the company’s business in insulation foams as well as the diverse CASE business. In addition to providing increased space for its growing team of scientists, the expanded facilities include a wide range of test and production equipment to support customers with innovation and technical development projects, says Stepan.

Roger Stubbs, Vice President, Polymers Europe said, "The completion of this expansion to our facilities in Poland marks a significant milestone in our growth story within the European polyester polyol industry. Commitment to these plans by Stepan is an endorsement of our growth strategy. Together with manufacturing and technical centers in the Americas and Asia, Stepan is one of the leading suppliers of Polyester Polyols around the world. By utilizing Stepan's expertise in polyester chemistry and by bringing a focus to innovation and technical service, we are committed to further meet the demands of our Global and Regional customers now and in the future. We believe our unique chemistry, processing and consistent quality, combined with our dedicated Technical Service, gives us a truly differentiated position which adds real value to our customers."

As MRC informed before, in 2013, Stepan Company reported that it had completed the purchase of the North American polyester resins business, from Bayer MaterialScience
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ufaorgsintez, part of Bashneft, shut down some low density polyethylene (LDPE) production capacities for a scheduled turnaround, according to ICIS-MRC Price report.

The company's customers said Ufaorgsintez had stopped operations at some of its LDPE production capacities for maintenance by 2 June. The remaining polyethylene (PE) capacities are operating at the reduced capacity utilisation. The maintenance works will be carried out during 12 days. The plant's total LDPE capacity is 88,400 tonnes per year.

The company also planned to shut down its polypropylene (PP) production for a turnaround yesterday. The plant's annual production capacity is 100,000 tonnes.

As MRC reported earlier, Ufaorgsintez's Q1 net profit rose to Rb1.91 billion, up by 67% year on year. Revenues amounted to Rb7.58 billion, compared to Rb7.62 billion a year earlier. The cost of sales decreased by 8.4% to Rb5.51 billion. As a result, the company's gross profit increased by 29% to Rb2.07 billion, operating profit rose by 31% to Rb1.55 billion, profit before taxes (EBIDTA) reached Rb2.44 billion.

According MRC's ScanPlast report, Ufaorgsintez produced 33,700 tonnes of LDPE and 40,900 tonnes of PP in the first four months of 2016, compared to 33,100 tonnes and 42,000 tonnes in the same period of 2015.

Ufaorgsintez PAO was founded in 1956 and is based in Ufa, Russia. Ufaorgsintez manufactures organic synthesis products in Russia and Europe. Its products include ethylene, propylene, ethanol, cumol, ethyl benzol, phenol, acetone, copolymer rubber, polyolefines, poly vinyl chloride and polyethylene items, thinners, and dilutants.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Formosa Petrochemical Corp's 1.2 mln tpa No. 3 naphtha crackers will operate at reduced rates of 90-95% until late June due to ongoing technical issues, reported Reuters with reference to a company's spokesman.

"We were previously aiming to restore full runs at the unit around end-May, but more time is needed to rectify the technical issues," he said.

He now expects the 1.2 million tonnes per year (tpy) No. 3 cracker to hit full capacity in late June.

The unit's operating rates were reduced to about 90 percent of its capacity in the second week of May.

Its run rates are currently hovering around 90 to 95 percent, the spokesman said.

Formosa, Asia's top naphtha importer, operates two other naphtha crackers in Mailiao. Both these units, which have a total capacity of 1.73 million tpy of ethylene, are operating at full throttle.

As MRC reported earlier, Taipei- Formosa Plastics is considering construction of a plant in Louisiana to produce 1.2-million t/y of ethylene from shale gas.

Formosa Petrochemical is involved primarily in the business of refining crude oil, selling refined petroleum products and producing and selling olefins (including ethylene, propylene, butadiene and BTX) from its naphtha cracking operations. Formosa Petrochemical is also the largest olefins producer in Taiwan and its olefins products are mostly sold to companies within the Formosa Group. Among the company's chemical products are paraxylene (PX), phenyl ethylene, acetone and pure terephthalic acid (PTA). The company's plastic products include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resins, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and panlite (PC).
MRC