AmSty and Agilyx to jointly build advanced recycling facility in Louisiana

MOSCOW (MRC) – Americas Styrenics (AmSty, Woodlands, Texas), the largest polystyrene producer in the Americas, and Agilyx Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Agilyx AS, a pioneer in the advanced recycling of post-use plastics, have announced an agreement to explore the development of a jointly owned advanced recycling facility, according to CISION.

The initial scope of this project will be a 50 to 100 ton per day advanced recycling facility located at AmSty’s Styrene production facility in St. James, Louisiana.

The facility will be a next generation expansion of Agilyx advanced recycling technology already in use at the parties’ Regenyx joint venture operating in Tigard, Oregon, where post-use polystyrene (PS) products are converted back into virgin-equivalent styrene monomer. A feasibility study for the project is under way, with a timeline for construction and commissioning to be announced as progress continues.

"PS is an ideal material for the future of recycling,” said Dr. Randy Pogue, president, and chief executive officer of AmSty. "Not only can polystyrene products offer sustainability advantages where less material is required (e.g., a polystyrene foam cup is 95% air), but PS is particularly advantageous for advanced recycling because it can be "unzipped" back to its original liquid form, styrene monomer, using 40% less energy than other polymers. As the global plastics industry moves toward circular recycling to build value and grow access, PS becomes very attractive as a first mover with its inherent conversion advantages. AmSty is committed to keeping polystyrene products out of landfills through circular recycling. We are excited to expand our relationship with Agilyx in this new project to accelerate progress.”

“Development of this technology has picked up over the past decade, and it is time to reach a larger scale,” said Tim Stedman, chief executive officer of Agilyx. “We have been operating Regenyx with AmSty since 2019 and are pleased to expand our relationship toward a much larger facility at St. James. Joining AmSty as a co-investor underlines our commitment to accelerating the implementation of Agilyx advanced recycling technology and our licensing model. We believe that our technology will significantly increase the availability of recycled content for producers.”

As MRC informed previously, AmSty has announced a price increase for all its PS grades, effective as of 1 March 2021. The rise of 11 cents/pound (cts/lb) supersedes all other previously announced price changes. AmSty increased its PS prices by 3 cts/lb on 1 February this year. No comment on the reason for the increase was given by the company.

Styrene is the main feestock for the production of polystyrene (PS).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated consumption of PS and styrene plastics totalled 520,630 tonnes in 2020, which corresponded to the same figure a year earlier. December estimated consumption of PS and styrene plastics grew by 5% year on year to 47,490 tonnes.

Agilyx (AGLX), is an early leader in the advanced recycling of difficult-to-recycle post-use plastic streams. With Agilyx's chemical recycling technology, 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 advanced recycling solutions for mixed waste plastics.

AmSty is a leading integrated producer of PS and styrene monomer, offering solutions and services to customers in a variety of global markets. AmSty is a member of the American Chemistry Council and its Responsible Care initiative, and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. AmSty is a joint venture equally owned by Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP and Trinseo LLC.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), Malaysia’s fully integrated oil and gas multinational, has partnered with AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, driving digital transformation and sustainability, to provide a modern enterprise solution that promotes integration across the entire value chain, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Petronas selected AVEVATM Unified Supply Chain in the cloud to enable simplified business processes and deeper collaboration, while reducing value leaks and sustaining productivity. As the only industrial software company that offers unified design applications across all supply chain activities, AVEVA’s solution uses Enterprise Crude Knowledge Management, to drive Value Chain Optimization for the oil and gas industry.

The AVEVA solution will provide easy data management to deliver a single source of crude oil information that is easily shared across different teams and locations. The modern and intuitive software will eliminate the requirement for specific coding, drastically reducing the learning curve delivering high-performance computing and advanced data processing that will enable PETRONAS to run complex planning models at speed using the latest cloud technology.
“At PETRONAS, we are continuously looking to create value with disruptive technologies that offer optimum solutions. Utilizing AVEVA Unified Supply Chain software, we have been able to adopt a more integrated business process, that optimizes our productivity, allowing us to deliver with less,” said Mr. Yusri Yusof.

AVEVA’s strategy is to help forward-thinking organizations like PETRONAS create a collaborative environment enabling the business to be managed in a comprehensive, flexible, and connected manner that brings transparency to the decision-making process across the value chain.

As per MRC, Petronas Chemicals Ethylene, a subsidiary of the Malaysian state-owned petrochemical company Petronas, carried out preventive maintenance at its ethylene plant in Kerteh, Malaysia, in March. Repairs at the production facility with a capacity of 400,000 tonnes of ethylene per year will take approximately one month.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 241,030 tonnes in January 2021 versus 217,890 tonnes a year earlier. Only shipments of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 141,870 tonnes in January 2021 versus 123,520 tonnes a year earlier. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia has cut the supply of April-loading crude to at least four north Asian buyers by up to 15%, while meeting the normal monthly requirements of Indian refiners, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing with reference to refinery sources' statement to Reuters.

Saudi Arabia's reduction in supplies come as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, decided in March to extend most of its supply cuts into April. Thus, Saudi Arabia has pledged to continue with an extra 1 million barrels per day voluntary output cut for a third month in April.

Chinese refiners received a small cut in their Saudi supply, while the reduction in volumes for Japanese buyers was between 10% and 15%, the sources said.

Saudi Aramco is also commissioning its 400,000-bpd Jizan refinery in the south west of the country which may have reduced its exports, one of the sources said.

For India, Saudi Aramco has rejected Indian refiners' requests for extra supplies in April, but will keep average monthly supplies to the country unchanged, three Indian refining sources said.

As MRC reported earlier, Saudi Arabian state oil giant Aramco is betting on an Asian-led rebound in energy demand in 2021 after it reported a steep fall in last year's net profit and scaled back its spending plans. The COVID-19 pandemic took a heavy toll on the company and its global peers in 2020, but oil prices have rallied this year as economies recover from last year’s downturn and after oil producers extended output cuts.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 241,030 tonnes in January 2021 versus 217,890 tonnes a year earlier. Only shipments of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 141,870 tonnes in January 2021 versus 123,520 tonnes a year earlier. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.

Saudi Aramco, officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, is a Saudi Arabian national oil and natural gas company based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco"s value has been estimated at up to USD10 trillion in the Financial Times, making it the world"s most valuable company. Saudi Aramco has both the largest proven crude oil reserves, at more than 260 billion barrels, and largest daily oil production.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Texas should consider a central clearinghouse around natural gas availability in the case of future cold weather events like Winter Storm Uri, reported Reuters with reference to a Phillips 66 refining executive speaking at an industry conference Monday.

The refining industry in the US Gulf Coast took several weeks to recover from a deadly deep freeze that sent temperatures below freezing for several days in February.

As MRC wrote previously, in line with US olefins capacity, over 80% of US polyolefins capacity was downed by the recent winter storm. There remained a considerable amount of capacity offline or in the early stages of restarting a full month later. This was partly due to the limited feedstock availability for olefins monomer, comonomer, and additives in the region.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 241,030 tonnes in January 2021 versus 217,890 tonnes a year earlier. Only shipments of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 141,870 tonnes in January 2021 versus 123,520 tonnes a year earlier. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Chevron Corporation and Honeywell announced the commissioning and start-up of the world’s first commercial-scale ISOALKY process unit that utilizes ionic liquids to produce alkylate. The ISOALKY™ technology represents a major innovation in alkylation technology, said the company.

First used in Chevron’s Salt Lake City refinery, the ISOALKY™ technology is designed to meet the refining industry’s needs for a cost-effective alternative to conventional liquid acid systems that offers process safety advantages. Using a non-aqueous liquid salt, or ionic liquid, the revolutionary new catalytic process is handled with standard personal protective equipment and produces a valuable high-octane blending component that helps lower the environmental impact of gasoline. Pioneered by Chevron U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Chevron, and licensed to Honeywell UOP, the technology is offered to the entire industry under the ISOALKY brand name.

Through a partnership with Honeywell UOP, the ISOALKY process unit at Chevron’s refinery in Salt Lake City will be able to meet the growing demand for higher-octane blending components that lower the environmental impact of gasoline.

Through a partnership with Honeywell UOP, the ISOALKY™ process unit at Chevron’s refinery in Salt Lake City will be able to meet the growing demand for higher-octane blending components that lower the environmental impact of gasoline.

ISOALKY™ technology can be used in new refineries as well as in existing facilities undergoing capital expansion or retrofit applications. ISOALKY™ technology has wider and improved feed flexibility relative to conventional alkylation technologies. Ionic liquids are regenerated on-site, eliminating the need for road or marine transportation for offsite regeneration and polymer byproduct handling. More information about ISOALKY™ technology can be found here.

As MRC informed earlier, Chevron Phillips Chemical (CP Chem) halted production at its cracker in Sweeny (Old Ocean, TX, USA) on February 15 due to cold weather. Extreme cold and instability of power supply and fuel gas supply systems led to shutdowns of existing cracking units No. 22, 24 and 33 and the production of polyethylene (PE). The company's total ethylene production capacity in Sweeney is 1.975 million tonnes per year of ethylene, 165 thousand tonnes of propylene, 500 thousand tonnes of HDPE and 500 thousand tonnes of LDL.

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

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 241,030 tonnes in January 2021 versus 217,890 tonnes a year earlier. Only shipments of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market reached 141,870 tonnes in January 2021 versus 123,520 tonnes a year earlier. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.

Honeywell UOP is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions, a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries.
MRC