Ukraine continued to increase import of injection moulding PET chips from Lithuania in September

MOSCOW (MRC) - Neo Group's import of injection moulding PET chips from Lithuania grew by 40% last month and reached a record monthly volume of 7,000 tonnes, according to MRC's DataScope.

Deliveries of Lithuanian PET accounted for 61% in September from total imports against a share of 45% in August and 26% in September last year. The volume of external supplies from Lithuania increased by 20% in three quarters compared to the same period last year and amounted to 31,400 tonnes against 26,200 tonnes. The main buyers of Lithuanian bottled PET were Coca-Cola Beverages Ukraine Limited and Retal.

The Neo Group company continues to increase the supply of material to Ukraine for the second month in a row, despite the force majeure announced in July of this year.
It was earlier reported that the Lithuanian Neo Group, one of the largest European producers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), announced force majeure circumstances on 10 July on the supply of PET from a plant in the city of Klaipeda (Lithuania) due to technical problems on the back of the shortage of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) - to a new PET line at this site.

Force majeure at this plant with a total capacity of three lines of 480,000 tonnes/year (160,000 tonnes/year each) is still in force. The lines operate at reduced loading.


Closed Joint Stock Company (CJSC) "Neo Group" is one of the largest producers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) chips in Europe. The company's enterprises are located in Lithuania, not far from Klaipeda seaport. The total production capacity of the plants is 320,000 tonnes/year, which is 12% of the quantity of PET produced in Europe. Neo Group CJSC is a part of Retal Industries Group, the leader in the production of PET preforms.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of Chinese bottle grade PET chips to Ukraine in September almost halved to the lowest level since the beginning of the year, according to MRC's DataScope.

Imports of Chinese bottle grade PET to the Ukrainian market in September amounted to 3,800 tonnes against 6,300 tonnes in September last year and 5,700 tonnes in August this year.
The share of imports from China in the total volume amounted to 33% in September against 52% a month earlier and 63% in September 2018.
The key suppliers of injection moulded Chinese PET chips to the Ukrainian market were producers Dragon, Wankai, Yisheng Petrochemical.

Despite the decrease in consumption of Chinese material, the total import supplies of injection moulding PET chips in September increased by 14% compared to the same period last year and by 5% compared to August of the current year.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ukraine's polypropylene (PP) imports totalled about 101,500 tonnes in the first nine months of the year, up 4% year on year. The greatest increase in imports accounted for homopolymer PP, according to MRC DataScope.

September PP imports into Ukraine increased to 11,400 tonnes from 11,100 tonnes a month earlier, local companies raised their purchasing of of homopolymer PP grades in Middle West. Overall imports of propylene polymers reached 101,500 tonnes in January-September 2019, compared to 97,700 tonnes a year earlier. Homopolymer PP accounted for the main growth in imports, while the demand for propylene copolymers declined with a few exceptions.

The structure of PP imports by grades looked the following way over the stated period.
September imports of propylene homopolymers to the Ukrainian market grew due to growth in supplies from Middle East and amounted to about 8,600 tonnes against 7,800 tonnes a month earlier. Overall shipments of homopolymer PP reached 77,900 tonnes in the first nine months of 2019 versus 73,800 tonnes a year earlier.

September imports of PP block copolymers was about 1,500 tonnes, which actually equal to the level in August. Imports of PP block copolymers into the country were about 10,500 tonnes in January-September, compared with 9,800 tonnes year on year.

September imports of PP random copolymers fell to 1,100 tonnes compared to 1,600 tonnes a month due to lower demand for pipe polypropylene. Overall imports of PP random copolymers exceeded 11,700 tonnes in January-September 2019, whereas this figure was about 12,400 tonnes a year earlier.

Total imports of other propylene copolymers over the reporting period were about 1,300 tonnes, compared with 1,700 tonnes in the same time a year earlier.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Koppers has restarted its phthalic anhydride (PA) unit following a maintenance turnaround, as per Apic-online.

A Polymerupdate source in the US informed that the company has resumed operations at the unit on October 10, 2019. The unit remained under maintenance for about 40 days.

Located in Stickney, Illinois, USA, the unit has a production capacity of 100,000 mt/year.

Phthalic anhydride is widely used in for the production of paints and varnishes and plasticizers for PVC products. In a small amount it is used in the manufacture of rubber products, tires. In addition, it is used in the light, pharmaceutical and electrical industries.

According to MRC's DataScope report, exports of suspension polyvinyl chloride (SPVC) into Russia totalled about 142,100 tonnes in the first nine months of 2019, up by 48% year on year. Imports increased by 211% year on year to 43,100 tonnes.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Air Liquide is partnering with ArcelorMittal in the first industrial scale demonstration plant to capture carbon gas from the steelmaking process and recycle it into chemicals, specifically advanced bioethanol, said the company.

In this project, Air Liquide Engineering & Construction will provide a technology solution that purifies the offgas coming from the blast furnace. These gases will then be injected into a bioreactor to produce bioethanol. This technology leverages Air Liquide’s extensive know-how and illustrates its capacity to develop sustainable solutions supporting its customers in the steel industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The project is led by the world-leading steel company ArcelorMittal together with its partner Lanzatech, and supported by EU Horizon 2020, the EU research and innovation program. Located at ArcelorMittal’s steel plant in Ghent, Belgium, this first industrial scale demonstration plant will produce advanced bioethanol from waste gases from the steelmaking process. Construction of the facility is underway at the ArcelorMittal site in Ghent Belgium and the plant is planned to become operational at the end of 2020. It is expected to produce 80 million litres of bioethanol annually.

Francois Venet, Senior Vice President Strategy and member of the Air Liquide group’s Executive Committee supervising the Large Industries Business Line and Engineering & Construction stated:

”This new partnership with ArcelorMittal demonstrates our shared commitment to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This is also a clear illustration of the initiatives Air Liquide has committed to as part of its Climate Objectives. We strive to push the boundaries of innovation to lower the carbon footprint of the industry and develop technology solutions for our customers to contribute to the energy transition."

As MRC said earlier, Air Liquide signs new long term contract with Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries (KPI) to build, own and operate a new nitrogen unit in the growing chemical basin of Karabatan, close to the Atyrau refinery.

As MRC informed earlier, Air Liquide in 2018 signed a new long-term agreement with LyondellBasell, one of the world’s largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies, to supply oxygen to LyondellBasell’s new large-scale petrochemical plant which will be constructed in Channelview, Texas. LyondellBasell’s new propylene oxide/tertiary butyl alcohol plant (PO/TBA), is expected to be the largest of its kind plant in the world when completed.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,436,390 tonnes in the first eight months of 2019, up by 9% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, the PP consumption in the Russian market was 909,260 tonnes in January-August 2019, up by 10% year on year. Shipments of PP block copolymer and homopolymer PP increased.
MRC