Indonesia plans big changes to its energy infrastructure to stop LPG and fuel imports by 2030

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indonesia will stop both liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and fuel imports by 2030 and plans big changes to its energy infrastructure to meet that target, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

President Joko Widodo has tasked the National Energy Council, a board made up of seven ministries and other stakeholders that plans energy policy, to devise a strategy to allow for a halt on LPG and fuel imports, said the council's secretary general, Djoko Siswanto.

Once a former OPEC member, maturing fields and investment lags has turned Indonesia to a net importer of oil and gas. The president has for years announced steps to cut imports, in a bid to contain the country's current account deficit.

The strategy includes building or upgrading refineries, converting refineries to biodiesel refineries, increasing domestic LPG production and building a gas pipeline with a target of 10 million gas connections, Djoko told CNBC Indonesia in a live telecast. "The government will encourage gas infrastructure development for public transportation," Djoko said, adding that the government was also optimizing biofuel production and promoting electric vehicles.

Indonesia is aiming to increase domestic crude oil production to 1 million barrels per day by 2030 by developing new oil fields, using enhanced oil recovery methods in existing oil fields and boosting production in marginal fields, Djoko added.

Indonesia, the world's top exporter of thermal coal, has long vowed to cut LPG imports while maximizing use of domestic coal assets, and creating jobs in a downstream coal industry, Djoko said, reiterating plans to convert coal to dimethyl ether as a substitute to LPG.

As MRC informed earlier, Enterprise Products Partners LP (Houston) announced Dec. 17 that the first vessel powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been loaded at the Enterprise Hydrocarbon Terminal on the Houston Ship Channelm. The Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) BW Gemini, which had been retrofitted for dual fuel capabilities, was loaded with a record 590,000 bbl of LPG, including cargo and fuel.

We remind that in July, 2020, Enterprise Products conducted maintenance at its propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit in Mont Belvieu, Texas. This PDH unit has the capacity of 750,000 mt/y of propylene.

Propylene is the main feedstock for the production of polypropylene (PP).

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's PP shipments to the Russian market totalled 410,890 tonnes in January-March 2021, up by 56% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indorama Synthetics (India) Limited, one of India’s major polyester manufacturer, has announced its results for the quarter and financial year ended March 31, 2021, according to Kemicalinfo.

The company reported a net profit of Rs 128.65 crores (USD17.6 million) for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, against a net loss of Rs 50.08 crores (USD6.8 million) in the prior-year quarter.

The company’s net revenue increased 74% to Rs 835.93 crores (USD114.3 million) for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, as against Rs 480.65 crores (USD65.7 million) in the prior-year quarter.

For the year ending March 31, 2021, Indo Rama reported a net profit of Rs 113.38 crores (USD15.5 million) as against a net loss of Rs 316.54 crores (USD43.3 million) during the last financial year.

Net sales for the financial year ended March 31, 2021 dropped 3% to Rs 2063.71 crores (USD282.2 million) as compared to Rs 2127.95 crores (USD291 million) in the previous year.

The Board of Indorama Synthetics (India) at its meeting held on 19 May 2021 has approved capex plan up to Rs 600 crore (USD82 million) in the company and its wholly owned subsidiarie(s) at Butibori, Nagpur towards addition of balancing equipment for value addition, manufacture of specialty yarns including recycled filament yarns and also to install a 700 TPD PET Resin manufacturing facility to diversify the product portfolio of the company.

We remind that, as MRC informed before, Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global chemical producer, has announced its third quarter 2020 financial results. Reported net profit is THB 380 million in 3Q20 and THB 1,104 million for 9M20.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's total estimated consumption of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) reached 64,750 tonnes in March 2021, which corresponds to the the previous year's figure (64,520 tonnes). The estimated PET consumption decreased in Russia year on year by 5% in January-March 2021 to 182,300 tonnes.

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, listed in Thailand (Bloomberg ticker IVL.TB), is one of the world’s leading petrochemicals producers, with a global manufacturing footprint across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and Americas. The company’s portfolio comprises Integrated PET, Olefins, Fibers, Packaging and Specialty Chemicals. Indorama Ventures products serve major FMCG and automotive sectors, i.e. beverages, hygiene, personal care, tire and safety segments. Indorama Ventures has approx. 24,000 employees worldwide and consolidated revenue of US$ 11.4 billion in 2019. The Company is listed in the Dow Jones Emerging Markets and World Sustainability Indices (DJSI).
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill May 17 that will limit the use of single-use plastic across the state, said Recyclingtoday.

Introduced by Sen. Mona Das, Washington’s SB 5022 bans the manufacture, sale and distribution of certain expanded polystyrene (EPS) products. This includes packing peanuts, foam plastic coolers and dinnerware, according to the bill.

According to a press release by Oceana, a group focused on ocean conservation, the bill also requires dining establishments to omit single-use plastic utensils, straws, cold-beverage cup lids and condiment packaging unless requested by customers. This applies to dine-in, takeout or delivery.

Oceana also reports that only 9 percent of the plastic scrap generated is recycled.

"Washington demonstrated its leadership in the fight against the growing plastic pollution crisis threatening our environment, health and future,” says Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s plastics campaign director. “Washington residents will now be able to skip much of the unnecessary and previously unavoidable single-use plastic that accompanies their meals."

In addition, Washington state will be the first US state to require minimum recycled content for plastic bottles and jugs for household cleaning and personal care products. This includes laundry detergent, spray cleaners, shampoos, conditioners, and lotion, starting with 15% recycled content in 2025 and increasing 50% in 2031.

Washington will also be the first state to require customers to be provided single-use utensils only upon request. The law applies to most food establishments, including third-party delivery services. This comes after many other states have enacted legislation surrounding chemical recycling to help end plastic waste. This month, Arkansas became the 13th US state to enact legislation.

Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona have passed similar legislation to promote advanced recycling. In the last year, recycling legislation across many US state legislatures is seeing a resurgence as extended producer responsibility (EPR) bills take centre stage. These bills aim to shift recycling cost to product packaging producers. At the federal level, the Break Free from Pollution Act, which includes an EPR proposal, has been reintroduced.

As per ICIS-MRC Price Report, Prices of Russian EPS were not adjusted in the domestic market in the middle of the month. Prices for SIBUR-Khimprom's material remained at Rb157,000-165,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT, this week. The producer Plastik, Uzlovaya did not reduce prices of its material on the back of high feedstock prices and continued to sell EPS at Rb158,000-160,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT. A Russian EPS producer said EPS consumption increased in May.


MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Engro Corporation will use Honeywell UOP C3 Oleflex technology to produce 750,000 metric tons per year of on-purpose propylene at its new complex in Karachi, Pakistan, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Propylene is the primary component in a variety of plastic products that are rapidly growing in demand, and this project will mark the first use of C3 Oleflex in Pakistan. UOP will provide technology licensing and basic engineering design, in addition to services, equipment, catalysts and adsorbents for the proposed plant.

“Our proposed integrated propane dehydrogenation complex can be a significant milestone for Engro and Pakistan for the domestic growth of polypropylene, and enrichment of the petrochemicals landscape for the country,” said Ghias Khan, president and CEO, Engro Corporation. “With our commitment to further invest in projects that are catalysts for growth in Pakistan and after studying the commercial feasibility of a propane dehydrogenation complex, we have selected Honeywell UOP as a technology partner based on its extensive experience and cutting-edge solutions that have advanced Oleflex projects globally."

“This facility will allow Engro to expand its portfolio in the region, and optimize the production of polypropylene, a key ingredient in plastics, resins and fibers,” said Laura Leonard, vice president and general manager, Honeywell UOP Process Technologies. “Our Oleflex technology enables the conversion of propane into high-quality propylene, which is rapidly growing in demand in the Middle East and South Asia."

Since 2011, the majority of new dehydrogenation projects globally have been based on UOP C3 Oleflex technology. Global production capacity of propylene from Oleflex technology currently stands at approximately 10.2 million metric tons per year.

Honeywell UOP’s C3 Oleflex technology converts propane to propylene through catalytic dehydrogenation. The technology is designed to have a lower cash cost of production and higher return on investment when compared to competing dehydrogenation technologies. Its low energy consumption, low emissions and fully recyclable, platinum-alumina-based catalyst system helps minimize its impact on the environment. The independent reactor and regeneration design of the Oleflex technology helps maximize operating flexibility and onstream reliability.

Having a rich history of over 50 years, Engro Corporation is Pakistan’s premier conglomerate with a diverse portfolio of businesses across the four verticals of energy and related infrastructure, agricultural outputs, petrochemicals and telecommunication infrastructure. With decades of experience in petrochemicals and a commitment to further develop its footprint in the petrochemicals vertical, Engro started conducting the commercial feasibility of the Polypropylene facility, based on PDH technology, in April 2019. Recently, the group had announced to invest over USD30 million to conduct engineering, design and technical studies for its proposed Polypropylene complex.

Before that Pakistani manufacturer Engro Corp has selected W.R. Grace & Co.'s polypropylene (PP) technology. Grace & Co for a new propane dehydrogenation unit (PDH) and PP production in Karachi. The 750 ktpa propane dehydrogenation unit is the first PP plant to be built in Pakistan and "aims to meet the growing demand in the local PP market and reduce the country's dependence on imports," W.R. Grace & Co.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's PP shipments to the Russian market totalled 410,890 tonnes in January-March 2021, up by 56% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indian refiners, anticipating a lifting of U.S. sanctions, plan to make space for the resumption of Iranian imports by reducing spot crude oil purchases in the second half of the year, company officials told Reuters.

The world's third-largest oil consumer and importer halted imports from Tehran in 2019 after former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 accord and re-imposed sanctions on the OPEC producer over its disputed nuclear programme.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration and Iran have been involved in indirect talks to revive the pact for Tehran to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for a lifting of sanctions. Analysts expect Iran to ramp up crude exports to 1.5 million barrels per day in the fourth quarter when sanctions are lifted.

India, used to be Iran's second biggest oil client after China, buying as much as 480,000 bpd in the fiscal year beginning April 2018. Several Indian state refiners, whose refineries are suited to the crude, have committed to buy Iranian oil once sanctions are lifted.

State-run Bharat Petroleum Corp, which plans to tap the spot market for 45% of its overall imports, will buy Iranian oil if sanctions are lifted, a company spokesman said. High sulphur distillate-rich Iranian crude suits BPCL's Kochi refinery and costs USD2-USD2.5/barrel less than similar grades, he said, adding that Iran's proximity means India also has lower freight costs.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) also said it would buy Iranian crude if the price is right and it is suitable. "HPCL will consider buying Iranian oil depending on techno economic suitability as and when sanctions are lifted and situations are conducive for commercial transactions," chairman M. K. Surana told Reuters.

Top refiner Indian Oil Corp is also expecting to reduce spot purchases and can easily process about 2 million tons (14.6 million barrels) of Iranian oil this fiscal year, said a company source, who declined to be named as he is not authorised to speak to media. The IOC plans to buy 56% of its imports through term contracts this fiscal year.

Indian refiners have raised the share of spot purchases versus term contracts to gain from cheaper barrels available in a surplus market. After the halt in Iranian oil, Indian had diversified its imports and raised its share of U.S. oil. An official at Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd said his company would also cut spot purchases and buy Iranian oil.

As per MRC, India's IG Petrochemicals Ltd (IGPL) plans to build a phthalic anhydride plant with an annual capacity of 80,000 tonnes in the western state of Gujarat. The company said the new plant will start operating in three years, adding that it plans to raise funds for the new project through its investments and loans. The new manufacturing facilities will help IG Petrochemicals meet the growing demand for manufacturing products such as paints, plasticizers, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), unsaturated polyester resins, and more, IGPL said in a statement.

According to MRC's ScanPlast Report, April production of unmixed PVC in Russia was 79,400 tonnes from 90,200 tonnes a month earlier, RusVinyl decreased capacity utilisation. Total PVC production in Russia reached 346,100 tonnes in January - April 2021 against 350,800 tonnes a year earlier, a decrease in production volumes was seen from all producers, the only exception was the Bashkir Soda Company, which showed a minimum increase.
The structure of PVC production by plants looked the following way over the stated period.
MRC