Agilyx signs agreement with A.Eon

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Agilyx Corporation (AGLX), a pioneer in the advanced recycling of post-use plastics, and A.Eon Holdings Pty Ltd, a market leader in the development of sustainable energy solutions, have announced the initiation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to evaluate the construction of a 50 ton per day commercial scale plastics to energy facility utilizing Agilyx technology, according to CISION.

This announcement is further progress of Agilyx’s target of 260 tons per day of projects in development by year end 2020.

The planned facility will be located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and will convert mixed waste plastic to Agilyx Synthetic Crude Oil ("ASCO") through Agilyx proprietary advanced plastics recycling technology. The output ASCO would be used by A.Eon to generate electricity for the Victorian State Government’s redeveloped Footscray Hospital project, local industry, as well as to supply peak energy demand. This initial 50 ton per day focus is a starting point, with an option for additional commercial scale facilities to be developed in Australia by A.Eon.

“We are delighted to be working with A.Eon on this truly impactful project,” said Tim Stedman, CEO of Agilyx. “Having an already proven track record in the U.S. converting mixed waste plastics to ASCO, we are looking forward to replicating this for A.Eon in Australia.”

“An exciting start to a great partnership,” said Andrew Lawson, A.Eon’s Managing Director. “A.Eon is pleased to be working with Agilyx. We look forward to seeing this project come to fruition, which will see up to 20,000 tons of waste plastic diverted from landfill and converted into more than 60,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.”

As MRC reported before, earlier this month, Agilyx Corp., Tigard, Oregon, and Toyo Styrene Co. Ltd., a Toyko-based affiliate of Denka Co. Ltd., announced they are 30% complete with the final phase of developing the front-end loading design to deploy Agilyx's technology near Toyo Styrene’s facility in the Chiba prefecture of Japan. According to a news release from Agilyx, the facility will focus on recycling postuse polystyrene (PS) plastic back to a styrene monomer. In April, Agilyx had announced the licensing of its technology to Toyo Styrene.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated consumption of PS and styrene plastics totalled 410,780 tonnes in the first ten months of 2020, which corresponded to the same figure a year earlier. High impact polystyrene (HIPS) and general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) shipments increased, whereas demand for other PS grades subsided.

Agilyx (AGLX), is a pioneer in the advanced recycling of difficult-to-recycle post-use plastic streams. With Agilyx's chemical recycling technology and intelligent feedstock management system, mixed plastic waste can be converted to new virgin-equivalent plastics, as well as chemical products and fuels – creating the opportunity for true circularity. The company has not only developed these first-to-market products, but has also developed a feedstock management company Cyclyx International, Inc. and is working with many waste service providers, municipalities, petrochemical, and brand and retail companies to develop closed-loop advance recycling solutions for mixed waste plastics.

A.Eon Holdings Pty Ltd, is a market leader in the development of sustainable energy solutions through the utilization of end-of-use plastics to energy. Established in 2013, the Australian based company has been working to create a comprehensive end-of-use diversion process to meet Australia’s demand for landfill diversion of end-of-use plastics and energy production.
MRC

Braskem, Agilyx explore PP advanced recycling project in North America

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Agilyx (Tigard, Oregon) and Braskem say they are studying the feasibility of an advanced recycling project in North America that would provide feedstock for polypropylene (PP), said Chemweek.

Agilyx would provide the recycling technology, and mixed waste plastic would be sourced through Cyclyx International, a feedstock management company founded by Agilyx in June 2020. Advanced, or chemical, recycling would allow Braskem to convert waste plastic into circular PP with properties identical to virgin material.

"Braskem is committed to evolving its feedstock portfolio to leverage more sustainable input sources and is currently evaluating various supply agreements and innovative projects to drive this shift,” says Mark Nikolich, CEO of Braskem America.

In late November, Toyo Styrene said it is on target to bring online a new polystyrene (PS) recycling plant based on Agilyx's pyrolytic depolymerization technology in early 2022. In September, Styrolution and Americas Styrenics (AmSty) announced plans build a 100-metric tons/day PS recycling facility in Channahon, Illinois, using the Agilyx technology. In May, Lucite International announced an exclusive agreement with Agilyx to use the technology for the chemical recycling of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

According to MRC's DataScope report, Russian companies increased external purchases of polypropylene in November, imports reached 20,400 tonnes against 17,900 tonnes a month earlier. Thus, overall PP imports into Russia reached 202,000 tonnes in January-November 2020, compared to 167,400 tonnes a year earlier. Purchasing of all grades of propylene polymers in foreign markets increased, with homopolymer PP imports accounting for the most noticeable rise.

MRC

EU planning sustainable fuel target to cut airline emissions

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The European Commission is drawing up targets for airlines to use a minimum share of sustainable fuels, it said last Wednesday, after dropping a draft 5% goal that it deemed too low, reported Reuters.

The pledge came as the EU executive outlined measures to tackle transport's climate impact, including a goal previously reported by Reuters to have 30 million zero-emission vehicles on Europe's roads by 2030.

A late draft had included the 5% share of low-carbon fuels to be reached by airlines in 2030, rising to above 60% in 2050. Both targets were cut from the published version.

EU climate chief Frans Timmermans said the Commission now intended to set higher goals for sustainable aviation fuel.

"We will come out with an ambitious proposal later, because we thought we could do better than what was written in the initial draft," Timmermans said.

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which can be produced from biomass or renewable energy, currently account for less than 1% of Europe's jet fuel consumption.

Their uptake has been stunted by high costs and weak demand from airlines, which have traditionally opposed mandated quotas. The industry's position is, however, evolving amid increasing scrutiny of its environmental impact.

"The EU proposal for a SAF mandate could, under certain conditions, be a positive development in providing a degree of certainty to the market and driving production," said Michael Gill, head of ATAG, a global aviation sector lobby group.

Those conditions include policy support for SAF development and avoiding anti-competitive effects, Gill said.

Finland, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden are among European states already considering their own binding targets.

The EU plan would also seek to make transport services carbon-neutral for journeys under 500 kms (310 miles), encouraging a shift from air to rail.

Campaigners such as clean energy group Transport and Environment urged the EU to promote hydrogen produced with renewable energy over biofuels that can worsen deforestation.

Brussels also wants zero-emission large aircraft to be market-ready by 2035, a deadline Airbus has set itself to put a carbon-free plane into service.

As MRC informed before, ExxonMobil said in mid-December it plans further reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the next five years to support the goals of the Paris Agreement and anticipates meeting year-end 2020 reductions. ExxonMobil plans to reduce the intensity of operated upstream greenhouse gas emissions by 15% to 20% by 2025, compared to 2016 levels. This will be supported by a 40% to 50% decrease in methane intensity, and a 35% to 45% decrease in flaring intensity across its global operations. The emission reduction plans, which cover Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from operated assets, are projected to be consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The company also plans to align with the World Bank’s initiative to eliminate routine flaring by 2030.

We remind that ExxonMobil underttook a planned shutdown at its cracker in Singapore. The company halted operations at the cracker for maintenance on September 14, 2020. The cracker was expected to remain off-line till end-October, 2020. Located at Jurong Island, Singapore, the cracker has an ethylene production capacity of 1 million mt/year and a propylene production capacity of 450,000 mt/year.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,760,950 tonnes in the first ten months of 2020, up by 3% year on year. Only high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 978,870 tonnes in January-October 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports minus producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply of exclusively of PP random copolymer increased.
MRC

Asia distillates-jet fuel cracks hit over 9-mos high as aviation demand starts to take of

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Asian refining margins for jet fuel climbed for a third consecutive session on Tuesday, hitting a more than nine-month high, as aviation demand begins to find some support from increasing number of scheduled operating flights, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Refining margins, or cracks, for jet fuel gained 26 cents to USD5.09 per barrel over Dubai crude during Asian trade on Tuesday, a level not seen since March 13. After the COVID-19 pandemic brought air travel to a virtual halt this year, refining profits for the aviation fuel have surged to multi-month highs in all key trading hubs in December on hopes of higher demand in 2021.

Global jet fuel markets are coming back to life, resuscitated by a rebound in air cargo demand, gradually recovering passenger traffic and hopes that COVID-19 vaccines will spur more international flights next year. Scheduled flights operating globally were 43.5% lower in the week to Monday, an improvement from 46.1% a week earlier, according to aviation data firm OAG.

Flights in India were down 36.4% year-on-year in the week to Dec. 14, compared with a 38.3% drop in the preceding week, while flights in Australia were 45.5% lesser from the corresponding period last year, as against a 51% drop in the previous week. Cash discounts for jet fuel narrowed to 13 cents a barrel to Singapore quotes on Tuesday, compared with a discount of 27 cents per barrel on Monday.

As MRC informed earlier, Asian refining margins for 10 ppm gasoil rose on Friday, posting their seventh consecutive weekly gain, but the pace of demand recovery is expected to take a hit as several regional economies continue to battle COVID-19 infections.

We remind that PetroChina has nearly doubled the amount of Russian crude being processed at its refinery in Dalian, the company's biggest, since January 2018, as a new supply agreement had come into effect. The Dalian Petrochemical Corp, located in the northeast port city of Dalian, was expected to process 13 million tonnes, or 260,000 bpd of Russian pipeline crude in 2018, up by about 85 to 90 percent from the previous year's level. Dalian has the capacity to process about 410,000 bpd of crude. The increase follows an agreement worked out between the Russian and Chinese governments under which Russia's top oil producer Rosneft was to supply 30 million tonnes of ESPO Blend crude to PetroChina in 2018, or about 600,000 bpd. That would have represented an increase of 50 percent over 2017 volumes.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing PE and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,760,950 tonnes in the first ten months of 2020, up by 3% year on year. Only high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 978,870 tonnes in January-October 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports minus producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply of exclusively of PP random copolymer increased.
MRC

Lummus, CLG license process technologies to Pertamina/Rosneft JV in Indonesia

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lummus Technology (Houston) and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) announced multiple technology contracts with PT Pertamina Rosneft Pengolahan dan Petrokimia (PRPP), a joint venture (JV) between Indonesia’s PT Pertamina (Persero) and Russia’s Rosneft Oil Company for a grassroots refinery and petrochemical complex in Tuban, Indonesia, said Chemweek.

"This award is an excellent example of Lummus’ distinct ability to provide integrated, multi-technology solutions, which is a major benefit for large operators in Southeast Asia,” said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lummus Technology. “By selecting our best in class technologies, PRPP will minimize its risk of implementation for this project and achieve competitive process economics in the future."

"The CLG and Lummus technologies we are licensing will lead to reliable and profitable operations for PRPP’s grassroots complex in Indonesia,” said Ujjal Mukherjee, Managing Director of CLG. “Our residue desulfurization technology will help optimize their product quality, product yield, run-length, capital investment and operating cost."

Lummus will provide the license and basic engineering for the following technologies: ethylene technology, including Pyrolysis gasoline hydrogenation, C4 total hydrogenation and BASF SELOP selective hydrogenation technology; ethylbenzene/styrene technology; and CDMtbe technology. CLG will provide the license and basic engineering for its residue desulfurization technology.

Once complete, the olefins complex will be largest liquefied petroleum gas steam cracker in the world and highly integrated with the refinery to maximize propylene.

As part of the license agreement, Lummus Technology will offer its Short Residence Time (SRT) heaters, a proprietary technology ideally suited to achieve maximum yields, at a later stage of the project. CLG will also later be providing ISOMIX-e proprietary reactor internals to optimize its state-of-the-art catalyst system for higher yields and longer run lengths.

Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing PE and polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,760,950 tonnes in the first ten months of 2020, up by 3% year on year. Only high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 978,870 tonnes in January-October 2020 (calculated using the formula: production minus exports plus imports minus producers' inventories as of 1 January, 2020). Supply of exclusively of PP random copolymer increased.
MRC