Evonik to expand production of amorphous poly-alpha-olefins

Evonik to expand production of amorphous poly-alpha-olefins

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik is expanding its portfolio of amorphous poly-alpha-olefins for the adhesives industry to include a sustainable product range, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The new products are marketed under the brand name VESTOPLAST eCO and consist of more than 90% ISCC PLUS-certified, mass-balanced sustainable material. The use of these sustainable raw materials significantly reduces CO2 emissions compared to the qualitatively equivalent, petrochemical-based VESTOPLAST. By using renewable energy in production, the CO2 footprint can be further reduced.

VESTOPLAST is mainly used as a raw material for hotmelt adhesives applied in various industries, such as the hygiene, automotive, packaging, and wood processing branches. The biomass content of VESTOPLAST eCO is calculated according to the mass balance method: In other words, the product is manufactured using a mix of bio-based and fossil-based resources. The resulting physical properties are identical to those of the classic portfolio.

"As a specialty chemicals company, we are taking important steps to reduce the impact of our products on the environment. With the new VESTOPLAST eCO product portfolio, we want to reduce the use of fossil resources in the adhesives industry in favor of bio-based,” explains Roberto Vila-Keller, head of the Coating & Adhesive Resins business line. “With the mass-balancing approach, Evonik is committed to increasing the use of biomaterials and reducing our customers' dependence on fossil resources."

As per MRC, Evonik plans to launch new plasticizer products based on the raw material INA (Isononanol) next year. This will strengthen the Group's global business in plasticizers, which are used in particular for flexible PVC products such as cables, flooring and roofing membranes. The new products are to be manufactured at the Group's largest site in Marl, Germany.

As MRC informed earlier, in February, 2020, Dow and Evonik entered into an exclusive technology partnership. Together, they plan to bring a unique method for directly synthesizing propylene glycol (PG) from propylene and hydrogen peroxide to market maturity.

Evonik Industries is one of the world's leading chemical companies in the promising areas of specialty chemistry. The company's products are focused on the high growth rates of megatrends, especially healthcare, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization.
MRC

TotalEnergies and Plastic Energy formed chemical recycling JV in Spain

TotalEnergies and Plastic Energy formed chemical recycling JV in Spain

MOSCOW (MRC) -- TotalEnergies and Plastic Energy have formed a joint venture to build a 33,000 tonne/year chemical recycling plant for plastics in Seville, south Spain, said the company.

Financial details were not disclosed. The facility will be built within Plastic Energy facilities in Seville and expected to start up in 2025.

The plant will process and convert 33,000 tonnes of post-consumer end-of-life plastic waste yearly, that would otherwise be destined for landfill or incineration. The plant is expected to become operational in early 2025, with TACOIL to be used for the manufacturing of high-quality polymers in TotalEnergies’ European-based production units, following a successful processing experimentation in TotalEnergies’ petrochemical platform in Antwerp. With identical properties to virgin ones, the recycled polymers will be suitable for use in food-grade applications, such as flexible and rigid food packaging containers.

Plastic Energy and TotalEnergies are both firmly committed to develop plastics recycling to address the issue of plastic waste, and to build a circular economy in Europe and globally. In line with this commitment, TotalEnergies and Plastic Energy have announced in September 2020 a joint venture to build a plastic waste conversion facility with a capacity of 15,000 tonnes per year at the TotalEnergies Grandpuits zero-crude platform in France. The project is expected to be operational in 2023.

Additionally, Plastic Energy, Freepoint Eco-Systems and TotalEnergies announced a strategic partnership in October 2021 for a similar recycling plant in Texas, U.S.A. This plant, which is a joint venture between Plastic Energy and Freepoint Eco-systems, will have the capacity to recycle 33,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year, and is expected to be operational by mid-2024. Under the agreement, TACOIL will be converted by TotalEnergies in its Texas-based production units.

As per MRC, Plastic Energy Ltd has announced plans to partner with Freepoint Eco-Systems LLC and TotalEnergies to build a pyrolysis-based chemical recycling facility in Texas. According to a joint news release on the partnership, the project will process and convert 33,000 tons of postconsumer end-of-life plastic scrap annually. The plant is expected to become operational by 2024. TACOIL will be used to manufacture polymers in TotalEnergies’ Texas-based production unit to help create items such as flexible and rigid food packaging containers.

As MRC informed before, TotalEnergies has recently inaugurated the extension of Synova in Normandy, the French leader in recycled polypropylene production. TotalEnergies is therefore doubling its mechanical recycling production capacity for recycled polymers, to meet growing demand for sustainable polymers from customers, such as Automotive Manufacturer (Auto OEM) and the construction industry.

TotalEnergies is a broad energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables, and electricity. The company rebranded itself from Total to TotalEnergies during Q2 2021. The French firm has announced allocating part of surplus revenues to share buybacks. Its 105,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, clean, reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.
MRC

Crude oil prices hold near USD85/bbl on stronger demand outlook

Crude oil prices hold near USD85/bbl on stronger demand outlook

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Oil prices were steady on Thursday near two-month highs, with Brent crude trading near USD85 a barrel, buoyed by expectations that a strong economic recovery will boost demand, but rising US inventories and high inflation capped gains, reported Reuters.

Brent crude futures rose 26 cents, or 0.3%, to USD84.93 a barrel, by 1445 GMT.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 8 cents, or 0.1, to USD82.72 a barrel.

Oil prices rallied more than 50% in 2021 and some analysts expect this trend to continue this year, forecasting that a lack of production capacity and limited investment could lift crude to USD90 or even above USD100 a barrel.

"The main factors driving prices up are ... the generally positive market sentiment as Omicron concerns abate and the expectation of continued dynamic economic development," Commerzbank said.

Cold weather in North America also supported prices.

Rising US fuel inventories last week and high inflation in the world's biggest economy weighed, however.

Data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Wednesday showed fuel demand has taken a hit from Omicron, with gasoline stockpiles increasing by 8 million barrels in the week to Jan. 7, compared with analyst expectations for a 2.4 million-barrel rise.

"In reality, the weekly EIA report was less bullish than the headline number, as total crude oil inventories fell 4.8 million barrels but were more than offset by a stock build across refined products," Citi said in a note.

The drop in crude inventories "might have been related to end-of-year tax issues on oil stocks onshore in Texas and Louisiana", the bank added.

As MRC informed before, US commercial crude stocks fell 3.48 million barrels to 413.96 million barrels in the week ended Sept. 17, to more than 8% below the five-year average, Energy Information Administration data showed. Stocks were last lower Oct. 5, 2018.

We remind that in late August, 2021, US crude stocks dropped sharply while petroleum products supplied by refiners hit an all-time record despite the rise in coronavirus cases nationwide, the Energy Information Administration said. Crude inventories fell by 7.2 million barrels in the week to Aug. 27 to 425.4 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 3.1 million-barrel drop. Product supplied by refineries, a measure of demand, rose to 22.8 million barrels per day in the most recent week. That's a one-week record, and signals strength in consumption for diesel, gasoline and other fuels by consumers and exporters.

We also remind that US crude oil production was expected to fall by 160,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2021 to 11.12 million bpd, EIA said in a monthly report earlier last year, a smaller decline than its previous forecast for a drop of 210,000 bpd.
MRC

Reliance acquires UK-based firm Faradion for GBP 100 mln

Reliance acquires UK-based firm Faradion for GBP 100 mln

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd, a Reliance Industries subsidiary, has acquired 100% shareholding in UK-based firm Faradion Limited for GBP 100 million, reporte Business Standard.

Reliance will spend an additional GBP 25 million to accelerate its roll out, Reliance Industries said in a press release.

Faradion Limited is a leading global battery technology firm that has patents of sodium-ion battery technology. The Sheffield and Oxford-based firm has a wide range of IP portfolios covering several aspects of the sodium-ion technology.

The technology provides next generation, high density, safe, sustainable and low cost energy storage technology solution, the company said.

Reliance will use Faradion’s state-of-the-art technology at its proposed fully integrated energy storage giga-factory as part of the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex project in Jamnagar, the Mukesh Ambani-led firm said.

On the acquisition, Ambani said, "We welcome Faradion and its experienced team to Reliance family. This will further strengthen and build upon our ambition to create one of the most advanced and integrated New Energy ecosystem and put India at the forefront of leading battery technologies."

Ambani also said that Faradion's technology will help secure India's energy storage requirements for its fast-growing renewable energy and EV charging market.

As MRC reported earlier, Indian refining giant Reliance Industries is doubling its polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling capacity by setting up a recycled polyester staple fiber (PSF) manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh. The move is part of RIL's commitment to lead the industry on circular economy, enhance its sustainability quotient and bolster the entire polyester and polymer value chain.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PET consumption grew to 737,590 tonnes in the first eleven months in 2021, up by 14% year on year. PET consumption in Russia grew by 25% in November and reached 75,760 tonnes versus 60,520 tonnes a year earlier.

Reliance Industries is one of the world's largest producers of polymers. Thus, the company produces among others polypropylene, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride.
MRC

DIC acquires Italian adhesives maker SAPICI and its holding company

DIC acquires Italian adhesives maker SAPICI and its holding company

MOSCOW (MRC) -- DIC Corp’s Sun Chemical subsidiary has acquired 100% of the shares of Italian adhesives and polymers manufacturer SAPICI for an undisclosed sum, said the Japanese chemicals company.

SAPICI, which stands for Societa Azionaria Per l’Industria Chimica Italiana, has two production sites in Italy: Cernusco sul Naviglio, Milan; and San Cipriano Po, Pavia. Sun Chemical has marketed SAPICI’s lamination adhesives portfolio under the Sun Chemical commercial brand name since 2017.

Access to SAPICI’s production technologies, in particular for ultra low monomer polyisocyanate (ULM), would give DIC a competitive edge in Europe's environment-conscious adhesives industry, it said in a statement.

"Markets for adhesives continues to expand around the world, with those in Europe and the Americas - which together represent half of the overall global market - in particular projected to see further growth as needs for environment-friendly products increase against a backdrop of rising concern for environmental impact and safety," DIC added.

As per MRC, SAPICI and the Chinese Wanhua Chemical Group have signed an agreement on a distribution and tolling cooperation for aliphatic polyisocyanates for the European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) markets. Under the agreement, Sapici will warehouse and distribute Wanhua’s polyisocyanates (HDI trimer and HDI biuret) portfolio throughout the EMEA region. In addition, Wanhua will have access to Sapici’s manufacturing capacities and technical resources.

Societa Azionaria Per l’Industria Chimica Italiana (SAPICI) was founded in Italy in 1936. The company offers very low monomer adhesives (less than 0.1%) and zero migration adhesives for flexible packaging, as well as polyisocyanates and prepolymers for coatings. SAPICI is one of the few companies capable of processing all types of isocyanates: TDI, MDI, HDI, IPDI, H12MDI, XDI.
MRC