Toyo awarded Olefin expansion project in Thailand

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Toyo Engineering Corporation has been awarded offshore engineering and procurement services of olefin expansion project by Map Ta Phut Olefins Co., Ltd (MOC), a joint venture company of SCG Chemicals Co., Ltd (SCG Chemicals) and The Dow Chemical Company (DOW), as per Hydracarbonprocessing.

This project intends to increase the annual olefin production capacity of an existing plant by 350,000 tons from the current capacity of 1,700,000 tons (900,000 tons of ethylene and 800,000 tons of propylene). The plant is to be constructed adjacent to MOC’s existing olefin plant in Map Ta Phut, Rayong, Thailand and scheduled for completion in 2021.

This is an EP contract following the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) contract awarded to TOYO in the middle of last year. TOYO’s strong and long-term relationship with SCG Chemicals and various attractive and aggressive proposals under FEED were highly evaluated, leading to the awarding of this project.

TOYO focuses on the expansion of the business opportunity of ethylene projects as its core business and this award becomes TOYO’s brilliant track record as TOYO’s 46th ethylene plant projects worldwide following on the ongoing ethylene projects in USA, Malaysia and Turkmenistan. This is also the 4th ethylene project in Thailand following on the past ethylene projects for National Petrochemical Company (Current PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited), Rayong Olefin Co. Ltd (a subsidiary of SCG Chemicals) and PTT Polyethylene Co., Ltd. TOYO will continue to contribute to the development of the petrochemical industry in rapidly growing Southeast Asia, including Thailand.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd (IVL) has acquired French plastics recycler Sorepla Technologie SA, as part of its long-term sustainability objectives, as per Plasticsnewseurope.

The Thai chemicals supplier said the purchase was carried out through its PET recycling business, Wellman International Ltd, and includes Sorepla subsidiary Societe de Recyclage de Matieres Plastiques (Sorepla Industrie) SA in France.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Sorepla is a leading plastics recycler in Europe with a capacity to produce 52,000 tonnes of recycled plastics per annum.

Based in Neufchateau, France, Sorepla was founded in 1991 and has production lines for recycled PET, recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE) and food grade pellets.

In a 30 July statement, Indorama said the acquisition improved its position as a recycler in Europe, helping the company cater for the increasing demand for recycled PET (rPET).

IVL already has a strong recycling presence in France through its subsidiary, Wellman France Recyclage in Verdun. The company expects Sorepla’s proximity to its existing recycling business to create synergies of management and supply chain.

rPET resin is widely used for food and beverage packaging as well as fibre applications in Europe. According to IVL, demand for food-grade rPET in Western Europe is set to grow at a CAGR of 7% from 2018-2021, and is currently exceeding supply.

"We believe that the recycling of PET packaging is one of the most responsible solutions for the preservation of resources and the reduction of PET containers in landfills," said Aloke Lohia, Group CEO of Indorama Ventures commenting on the acquisition.

With a comprehensive European network for bottle sourcing and good supply chain efficiencies, IVL says the acquisition will help future growth in the sustainable recycling business.

Mechanical recycling is not the only solution IVL is exploring. Earlier this year, Indorama entered into a three-party project with consumer goods giant Unilever and start-up company Ioniqa to pioneer a new technology which converts PET waste back into virgin grade material for use in food packaging.

Eindhoven, Netherlands-based Ioniqa has developed a proprietary technology that is able to convert any PET waste back into transparent virgin grade material, a technology that the three partnering companies believe will ‘transform’ the industry.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's output of products from polymers grew in June 2018 by 7.4% year on year. Thus, this figure grew by 4% year on year in January-June 2018, reported MRC analysts.

According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, June production of unreinforced and non-combined films was 95,800 tonnes, compared to 98,900 tonnes a month earlier. Output of film products grew in the first six months of 2018 by 8.1% year on year to 513,600 tonnes.

Last month's production of non-porous boards, sheets and films was 31,100 tonnes, compared to 31,600 tonnes in May. Thus, output of these products reached 168,100 tonnes in January-June 2018, up by 3.3% year on year.

June production of non-porous boards, sheets and films was 28,300 tonnes, compared to 25,000 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of these products reached 136,800 tonnes in the first half of 2018, up by 12% year on year.

Last month's production of plastic windows and door blocks was 2,400,000 sq metres and 115,000 sq metres, respectively, versus 2,120,000 sq metres and 105,000 sq metres in May. Overall output of these products was 9,900,000 sq meters and 474,600 sq meters, respectively, in the first six months of 2018, up by 9% and 11% year on year, respectively.

June production of plastic bottles and flasks did not exceed 2,000,000 items, which virtually corresponded to the same figure a month earlier. Overall output of these plastic products totalled 10,315,000 units over the stated period, compared to 10,082,000 units a year earlier.

June production of polymer pipes, hoses and fittings grew to 58,300 tonnes from 52,000 tonnes a month earlier. Overall output of these products was 264,200 tonnes in January-June 2018, up by 3% year on year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Honeywell announced that Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. has begun using Honeywell UOP's new R-364 Platforming catalyst to produce more aromatics for chemical production at its Sodegaura Refinery on Tokyo Bay in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The R-364 catalyst converts naphtha feedstock into aromatics, which are used to make petrochemical compounds, or blended into gasoline to improve its octane rating. The high-activity catalyst features an innovative design that can increase production of a CCR Platforming unit by up to 10 percent.

"We count on UOP to develop new catalysts that improve our economics," said Daiki Imai, General Manager of Operation Management Department for Fuji Oil. "The R-364 catalyst is a drop-in replacement catalyst that effectively increases our capacity and flexibility."

"Fuji Oil selected the R-364 catalyst because it can increase the refinery's production of aromatics by boosting throughput of the existing CCR Platforming unit," said Mike Cleveland, senior business director for Honeywell UOP's refining catalysts product line. "The catalyst meets Fuji Oil's requirements for performance, product quality and economics without modifications or investment in new equipment."

Demand for gasoline in Japan has been declining since reaching a peak in 2004. Japanese refiners such as Fuji Oil have turned to manufacturing higher-value aromatics such as chemical grade benzene and mixed xylenes instead of gasoline. These aromatics have a greater value than motor fuels.

Honeywell UOP introduced the R-364 catalyst in 2017. It retains all the properties of the previous R-264 catalyst, but with better activity and lower coke production, which improves the efficiency of catalytic reactions. As a result, the R-364 catalyst is a drop-in replacement for the R-264 catalyst that increases yields of gasoline, aromatics and hydrogen while producing less coke.

The CCR Platforming process is a continuous catalytic reforming process used throughout the petroleum industry to convert low-quality naphtha into blending stocks for gasoline, aromatics for plastics production and high-purity hydrogen. The CCR Platforming process is in operation at more than 250 customer sites.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sinopec Yangzi Petrochemical has completed turnaround at its No. 2 high density polyethylene (HDPE) unit in Jiangsu, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in China informed that the company has planned to resume operations at its unit on July 29, 2018. The unit was shut in mid-July 2018 for maintenance.

Located in Jiangsu province, China, the No.2 HDPE Unit has a production capacity of 80,000 mt/year.

As MRC informed previously, in the second week of March 2018, Sinopec Yangzi Petrochemical Company restarted an HDPE/linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) swing plant, which was taken off-line for maintenance on February 24, 2018. Located at Jiangsu in China, the plant has a production capacity of 200,000 mt/year.

Sinopec Corp. is one of the largest scale integrated energy and chemical companies with upstream, midstream and downstream operations. Its refining and ethylene capacity ranks No.2 and No.4 globally. The Company has 30,000 sales and distribution networks of oil products and chemical products, its service stations are now ranked third largest in the world.
MRC