SIDPEC chooses Grace Unipol PP process for new PP facility

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals Co. (SIDPEC) has selected W.R. Grace & Co.'s Unipol PP (polypropylene) process technology for a new 450,000 t/y world-scale PP facility in Alexandria, Egypt, as per GV.

Grace's all gas-phase Unipol process provides the "most advanced and broadest range" of homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers in the industry, Grace noted.

"As the simplest of all PP process technologies, without any moving parts inside of the reactor and less equipment than any alternative, its reliable, safe and stable operation leads to lower capital, operating and maintenance costs," said Grace.

Earlier this year, SIDPEC chose Honeywell UOP's C3 Oleflex technology for a new 500,000 t/y propylene plant at SIDPEC's refinery in Amerya, near Alexandria. No other details of the projects were given.

We also remind that, as MRC wrote previously, in June 2018, Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global chemical producer, entered into a joint venture agreement with Dhunseri Petrochem Ltd. (Dhunseri) to acquire its Egyptian Indian Polyester Company S.A.E. (EIPET) PET facility located in Ain Sokhna free trade zone, North West of the Gulf of Suez in Egypt.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- PepsiCo Inc. wants to use 25% recycled content in its plastic packaging by the middle of the next decade, the Purchase, New York.-based company announced 26 Oct., as per Plasticsnewseurope.

"PepsiCo's sustainable plastics vision is to build a PepsiCo where plastics need never become waste. We intend to achieve that vision by reducing, recycling and reusing, and reinventing our plastic packaging — and leading global change through partnerships," said Mehmood Khan, vice chairman and chief scientific officer, in a statement.

"Already, PepsiCo is one of the world's largest users of food-grade recycled PET. To further boost recycled content across all plastic packaging and drive progress towards a circular economy for plastics, it is vital to dramatically increase global waste collection and recycling rates through investment in recycling infrastructure and technology," Khan said.

PepsiCo will use collaboration with suppliers and partners, consumer education, industry and public-private partnerships and advocacy for improved recycling infrastructure and regulatory reform to help achieve the goal, the company said.

While the 25% goal is across all plastics packaging, the company said it aims to use 33% recycled content in its PET bottles by 2025. PepsiCo recently struck an agreement with Loop Industries Inc. to use recycled PET in its products by the middle of 2020.

While the company is well known for its soft drinks, PepsiCo has a number of other brands that use plastics packaging. They include Frito-Lay, Gatorade and Tropicana.

While the company is well known for its soft drinks, PepsiCo has a number of other brands that use plastics packaging. They include Frito-Lay, Gatorade and Tropicana.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Spanish energy company Repsol and UK recycling specialist Saica Natur have joined forces to increase the recycling of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film waste and develop new polyolefins with post-consumer recycled materials, as per Plasticsnewseurope.

The two companies announced 31 Oct that the partnership aimed to develop materials with high quality consistency for more demanding applications.

The partnership, which falls under Repsol’s circular economy project Reciclex, will be carried out at the Repsol’s technology centre and will make use of Saica Natur’s expertise in waste management and production of LDPE recycled pellets.

"In an environment increasingly oriented to the circularity of resources, film waste recovery is a challenge and a business opportunity alike," said Roberto Gomez, circular economy manager at Repsol’s Chemicals Division.

The objective of the partnership, according Gomez, is to develop materials that meet the demanding requirements of the film market. The agreement is part of the two companies’ circular economy pact which they signed last year.

Nature Cycle Plus, a division from Saica Natur, is specialised in the recovery, classification and treatment of LDPE to produce recyclates.

Saica Natur analyses the supply chain of its clients and proposes alternatives to maximise the use of resources so they can become secondary raw materials.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- AkzoNobel has strengthened its business in Asia by acquiring (100% shares in) Colourland Paints Sdn Bhd and Colourland Paints (Marketing) Sdn Bhd – both referred to as “Colourland Paints” – a home-grown paints and coatings manufacturer with wide distribution across Malaysia, said the producer.

The acquisition enhances AkzoNobel’s global portfolio with a much-loved local brand. It also means the company will be able to provide an improved customer experience through an expanded product offering and distribution network. Financial details were not disclosed.

“As a leading global paints and coatings company, we are proud to add the well-established brands and expertise of Colourland Paints to our business,” said AkzoNobel CEO Thierry Vanlancker. “We are looking forward to unlocking the value it will bring as we accelerate our Winning together: 15 by 20 strategy and increase our footprint in this fast-growing region.”

Added Oscar Wezenbeek, Managing Director of AkzoNobel Decorative Paints in the region: “This deal marks another milestone in ensuring that we continue to deliver the best brand and customer experience. The combination of global and local expertise is also an excellent strategic fit and will accelerate our development as we further build on our strong market position in Malaysia.”

The transaction includes all relevant technologies, patents, trademarks and assets of Colourland.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Sempra Energy and Total S.A. have announced that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that provides the framework for cooperation in the development of North American liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The scope of the MOU covers continuing development of the Cameron LNG liquefaction-export project in Louisiana and Energia Costa Azul (ECA) liquefaction-export project in Baja California, Mexico.

The MOU between Sempra Energy and Total contemplates Total potentially contracting for approximately up to 9 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of LNG offtake across Sempra Energy's LNG export development projects on the U.S. Gulf Coast and West Coast of North America, specifically Cameron LNG Phase 2 and ECA LNG. Total, which already is a partner in the Cameron LNG joint venture with a 16.6-percent stake, also may acquire an equity interest in ECA LNG.

"The US is increasing its global leadership position in the production of oil and natural gas," said Jeffrey W. Martin, CEO of Sempra Energy. "In large measure, the next step in fulfilling our country's energy potential is the development of critical export infrastructure for LNG. Sempra Energy has a long-term goal of developing more than 45 Mtpa of LNG export capacity in North America. That is why our relationship with Total is so important. We plan to leverage the competitive strengths of both companies to accelerate development of North American LNG exports to global markets."

"This relationship with Sempra Energy will support our goal of building a diverse portfolio of LNG supply options that offers our customers flexibility, reliability and low-cost North American natural gas," said Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and CEO of Total S.A. "We are pleased to collaborate with Sempra Energy and the other Cameron LNG co-owners to extend the Cameron LNG project and to further enhance its competitiveness, but also participate in the development of export capacity on the West Coast of Mexico, which will benefit from synergies with existing infrastructure and from a significant shipping cost advantage for customers in Asia."

The USD10 billion Phase 1 of the Cameron LNG joint-venture liquefaction-export project includes three liquefaction trains with approximately 14 Mtpa of export capacity under construction in Louisiana. Commissioning of the first train is now under way and all three trains are expected to be producing LNG in 2019. Phase 2 of the Cameron LNG project, previously authorized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and being developed jointly by the Cameron LNG co-owners, encompasses up to two additional liquefaction trains and up to two additional LNG storage tanks with approximately 9 Mtpa of capacity.

ECA Phase 1 is a one-train facility with an expected total export capacity of 2.5 Mtpa, utilizing the existing LNG receipt terminal's tanks, loading arms and berth. ECA Phase 2 is expected to have additional export capacity of 12 Mtpa of LNG.

Development of LNG export facilities is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including obtaining binding customer commitments, required regulatory approvals and permits, securing financing, completing the required commercial agreements and other factors, as well as reaching a final investment decision. The ultimate participation by Total remains subject to finalization of definitive agreements, among other factors.

As MRC informed previously, in April 2015, Total announced that its proposed new ethane cracker near its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, is being designed to have a capacity of 1 million tpy.

Total S.A. is a French multinational oil and gas company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world with business in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. The company's petrochemical products cover two main groups: base chemicals and the consumer polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) that are derived from them.
MRC