Вraskem Idesa PE production at new complex crosses 80,000 tons in Q2

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mexican petrochemical producer Braskem Idesa produced 83,538 mt of polyethylene resins during the second quarter at its new complex in Veracruz state, said the producer on its site.

Of this, a combined 54,000 mt was sold in domestic and international markets, including pre-marketing sales. Braskem Idesa is a joint venture between Brazil's Braskem (75%) and Mexico's Grupo Idesa (25%) and represents the first of a wave of new petrochemical projects in North America.

The first line, a high-density injection polyethylene line, began operations April 6 and the second line, an HDPE blowmolding line, came online April 28. The LDPE line started in June, Braskem said, adding that the LDPE plant is still considered a pre-operational asset, since it is in the commissioning phase. Once the complex is running at capacity, it will be able to produce 1 mln mt/year of polyethylene. Capacity utilization was 32% in Q2, the company said, adding that it had built up 74,000 mt of resin inventories.

As MRC informed earlier, Braskem SA will soon decide whether to build a plant in Texas or Pennsylvania to convert low-cost natural gas into polypropylene. The factory would produce at least 1 billion pounds (450,000 metric tons) of resin a year and would be the U.S. polypropylene industry’s first world-scale project in about 12 years, said Mark Nikolich, a vice president at Braskem. Preliminary engineering is under way for construction at existing Braskem sites in either La Porte, Texas, or Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania.

Braskem S.A. produces petrochemicals and generates electricity. The Company produces ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, xylenes, butadiene, butene, isoprene, dicyclopentediene, MTBE, caprolactam, ammonium sulfate, cyclohexene, polyethylene theraphtalat, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Japan's Asahi Kasei is in plans to brought on-stream its cracker following an unplanned outage, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the cracker is likely to be restarted mid-August 2016. It was shut in end-July 2016 owing to a technical glitch.

Located at Mizushima, Japan, the cracker has an ethylene production capacity of 570,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed before, on 12 February 2016, Asahi Kasei Chemicals shut down its cracker in Mizushima permanently. The cracker had an ethylene capacity of 504,000 mt/year and a propylene capacity of 300,000 mt/year. Feedstock ethylene for its 390,000 mt/year of styrene monomer (SM) plant now comes from a new 750,000 mt/year steamcracker which is a joint venture between Asahi Kasei and Mitsubishi Chemical. The new unified cracker started up on 1 April.

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

MOSCOW (MRC) -- In a bid to become a major player in the Indian dairy industry, German packaging supplier Greiner Packaging has established a joint venture with New Delhi-based Century Ultrapack, one of that country`s leading providers of plastic packaging, said Canplastics.

The new venture is doing business under the name Greiner Packaging India Pvt. Ltd., with Greiner Packaging acquired majority ownership.

The JV follows Greiner Packaging`s expansion in Turkey last year. "We see a very high development and growth potential in India, where food packaging is concerned,” said Axel Kuhner, chairman of the Greiner Group. “This expansion allows us to systematically pursue our globalization strategy and gives us even more opportunities to respond to the wishes of customers from abroad."

The JV "will make it possible to supply large multinational customers in the country for the first time, greatly improving product quality and safety, and focusing on hygiene and production by modernizing the available infrastructure," he continued. "In the first year alone, investments will also be made in a significant expansion of production capacities using Western technology."
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- China's petrochemical industrial development is hampered due to overcapacity and environmental or safety restrictions, according to the cabinet of China, as reported by Prensa Latina.

According to a directive issued by the country's leadership, China must shut down obsolete facilities, strengthen production and reduce pollution in search of greater competitiveness in the petrochemical industry. The Act establishes that foreign companies will be allowed to participate in mergers and acquisitions.

In addition, the Chinese cabinet announced a plan to build seven coastal petrochemical production bases. The current administration aims to reduce energy consumption by eight 8% by 2020 and lower CO2 emissions and water consumption by 10 and 14%, respectively.

As MRC informed earlier, China has imposed antidumping duties of 8.2%-16.1% on acrylic fiber imports from Japan, South Korea and Turkey for five years. The ministry calculated varying tariff rates for the imports from each country. Acrylic fiber imported from most Japanese producers are taxed at 16.1%, with the exception of Japan's Exlan, Mitsubishi Rayon, and Toray Industries, which face tariff rates of 16.1%, 15.8%, and 16%, respectively. China imported 76,334 mt and 9,606 mt of acrylic fiber from Japan and South Korea, respectively, in 2015, according to export statistics.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Mexican industrial conglomerate Alpek SAB de CV is in talks to buy a share of a plant making PET resin and PTA feedstock in Brazil, said Plasicsnews.

That stake currently is owned by Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras), the state-owned Brazilian oil firm. Monterrey-based Alpek has been given an exclusive 60-day period to negotiate for Petrobras’ stake in Petroquimica Suape and Citepe, two firms that operate an integrated complex in Ipojuca, Brazil.

The complex has annual production capacities of almost 1 billion pounds of PET and more than 1.5 billion pounds of PTA, as well as almost 200 million pounds of texturized polyester filament.

Alpek officials said in a July 28 news release that if it reaches a sale agreement with Petrobras, the closing of the transaction will require further corporate approvals and approval by the appropriate governmental authorities.

Petrobras has been linked to a corruption scandal as the Brazilian economy has struggled through a recession. Marcelo Odebrecht, former CEO of Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, was sentenced to prison earlier this year for his role in a corruption scheme involving Petrobras. Odebrecht and Petrobras jointly own Braskem SA, the Brazilian plastics and chemical giant that also ranks as North America’s largest PP resin maker.

As MRC informed earlier,Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) is in exclusive talks for 60 days with Mexico's Alpek over the potential sale of PetroquimicaSuape and Citepe assets in Brazil's northeast. Mexico's Alpek is the petrochemicals unit of Mexican conglomerate Alfa.

Alpek’s many holdings include DAK Americas, the Charlotte, N.C.-based firm that ranks as one of North America’s largest PET makers.
MRC