MOSCOW (MRC) -- Italy's Saras has agreed to team up with French firm Air Liquide to study plans for the possible decarbonization of its Sarroch refinery in Sardinia, the two companies said.
The companies will assess the feasibility of using carbon capture and storage technology to cut emissions at the plant on the Mediterranean island.
"This agreement is an important step in Saras's commitment to tackle the energy transition challenge, guaranteeing the sustainability of our plant in the medium-long term," said Saras CEO Dario Scaffardi.
In addition to the CCS partnership with Air Liquide, Saras has defined a series of projects which will focus on the reduction of CO2 emissions and preparation for the energy transition.
Commenting on the partnership, Dario Scaffardi, CEO, Saras, said that the agreement is an ‘important step’ in Saras’ commitment to address the challenge of the energy transition.
As per MRC, Air Liquide has signed a new long-term contract with Russian steel producer Severstal to supply oxygen to its CherMK site in Cherepovets, Russia. PJSC Severstal and Air Liquide signed a new long-term contract for the supply of oxygen, nitrogen and argon to Cherepovets. Air Liquide is investing about 50 million euros in the construction of a modern air separation unit (ASU), which will increase energy efficiency and reduce the complex impact of Severstal's production processes on the environment.
As per MRC, Air Liquide, one of the world's leading industrial gas companies, has three long-term gas supply contracts with BASF in Antwerp, Belgium. The company has signed a new 15-year agreement to resume air gas supplies to existing plants operated by BASF in the area, as well as to a new ethylene oxide plant being built by BASF.
Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,176,860 tonnes in the first half of 2021, up by 5% year on year. Shipments of exclusively low density polyethylene (LDPE) decreased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 727,160 tonnes in the first six months of 2021, up by 31% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased. Supply of statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) subsided.
MRC