Clariant to supply petrochemical catalysts for production of ethylene, styrene and propylene to Lihuayi upcoming units

Clariant’s Catalysts business has been awarded three new contracts by China’s Lihuayi Group for its upcoming petrochemicals production units, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The agreements include three of Clariant’s high-performance catalysts for the production of ethylene, styrene, and propylene.

From Clariant’s ethylene catalyst line, Lihuayi chose the OleMax 101 catalyst for its 1000 KTA olefins plant for high-value olefins recovery from cracked gas and off-gas streams. The OleMax 100 series is used to purify gas streams for acetylene, dienes, oxygen, nitrogen oxides, and heavy metals, in a single reactor, enabling highly cost-efficient olefins production.

Lihuayi’s new 720 KTA styrene plant will rely on Clariant’s StyroMax UL 3 rib-shaped styrene catalyst. The catalyst is able to produce styrene monomer extremely efficiently due to its high activity, excellent selectivity, and reliable performance at ultra-low steam-to-oil conditions. Combined, these factors provide a greater yield of high-quality styrene with higher efficiency, as well as reduced energy consumption and lower CO2 emissions.

The third Lihuayi plant for propane dehydrogenation will have a design capacity of 600 KTA and operate with Clariant’s tailor-made CATOFIN catalysts and heat generating material. CATOFIN is a proven, highly reliable dehydrogenation catalyst used for the production of olefins, such as propylene or isobutylene, from light paraffin feedstocks. Since 2017, CATOFIN technology and catalysts have been selected for 33 new projects, representing more than 23,000 KTA of new propylene capacity globally. Over half of them are or will be constructed in China.

As MRC wrote previously, Clariant has recently announced that its StyroMax UL3 catalyst is demonstrating successful results at Risun’s new styrene monomer (MS) plant located in Tangshan, China.

We remind that in October 2020, Clariant announced the construction of a new state-of-the-art catalyst production site in China. This project represents a significant investment which further strengthens Clariant’s position in China and enhances its ability to support its customers in the country’s thriving petrochemicals industry.

The new facility will be primarily responsible for producing the Catofin catalyst for propane dehydrogenation, which is used in the production of olefins such as propylene. Thanks to its excellent reliability and productivity, Catofin delivers superior annual production output compared to alternative technologies, resulting in increased overall profitability for propylene producers, says the company. Construction at the Dushan Port Economic Development Zone in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province was scheduled to commence in Q3 2020, and Clariant expects to be at full production capacity by 2022.

Clariant AG is a Swiss chemical company and a world leader in the production of specialty chemicals for the textile, printing, mining and metallurgical industries. It is engaged in processing crude oil products in pigments, plastics and paints.
MRC

Russia is set to resume supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from a Sea of Azov port on Tuesday for the first time since Moscow started its military operation in Ukraine, reported Reuters with reference to data from the port and Refinitiv Eikon.

Supplies of LPG, which is used in the petrochemical industry and to fuel vehicles and stationary generators, had been halted from the Temryuk terminal since February 24 following a ban on shipments in the region imposed by the Russian sea and river transport regulator.

According to the port data, there are plans to load a gas tanker called Premier on Tuesday under the flag of the Comoro Islands. It is bound for the Bulgarian port of Burgas.

The cargo vessel is due to export an LPG cargo of around 2,400 tons, according to Refinitiv Eikon data and industry sources.

As MRC informed earlier, TotalEnergies reaffirms its firmest condemnation of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, which has tragic consequences for the Ukrainian population and threatens peace in Europe. To act responsibly, as a European company and in accordance with its values, TotalEnergies has defined clear principles of conduct for managing its Russian related business: ensure strict compliance with current and future European sanctions, no matter what the consequences on the management of its assets in Russia, and gradually suspend its activities in Russia, while assuring its workforce's safety.

We remind that in late February, 2022, TotalEnergies condemned what it called Moscow's military aggression in Ukraine but stopped short of joining rivals Shell and BP in planning to exit positions in resource-rich Russia. The French oil major, which holds a 19.4% stake in Novatek, Russia's largest producer of liquefied natural gas, said it "will no longer provide capital for new projects in Russia".

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 2,487,450 tonnes in 2021, up by 13% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market totalled 1,494.280 tonnes, up by 21% year on year. Deliveries of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whreas.shipments of PP random copolymers decreased significantly.
MRC

MRC -- LyondellBasell has announced Peter Vanacker will assume his role as the company's chief executive officer on May 23, 2022, as per the company's press release.

The company's Board of Directors appointed Vanacker to the position in December 2021.

"Peter's proven leadership capabilities and strategic vision will position LyondellBasell well for the future, and I look forward to partnering with him to drive accretive growth for our company," said Jacques Aigrain, Board Chair.

Vanacker brings more than 30 years of industry experience to his new role, including serving as President and CEO of Neste since 2018.

As MRC wrote earlier, in July, 2021, Neste and LyondellBasell announced a long-term commercial agreement under which LyondellBasell will source Neste RE, a feedstock from Neste that has been produced from 100% renewable feedstock from bio-based sources, such as waste and residue oils and fats. This feedstock will be processed through the cracker at LyondellBasell’s Wesseling, Germany, plant into polymers and sold under the CirculenRenew brand name.

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 2,487,450 tonnes in 2021, up by 13% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market totalled 1,494.280 tonnes, up by 21% year on year. Deliveries of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whreas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased significantly.

As a leader in the global chemical industry, LyondellBasell strives every day to be the safest, best operated and most valued company in our industry. The company's products, materials and technologies are advancing sustainable solutions for food safety, access to clean water, healthcare and fuel efficiency in more than 100 international markets. LyondellBasell places high priority on diversity, equity and inclusion and is Advancing Good with an emphasis on our planet, the communities where we operate and our future workforce. The company takes great pride in its world-class technology and customer focus. LyondellBasell has stepped up its circularity and climate ambitions and actions to address the global challenges of plastic waste and decarbonization. In 2022, LyondellBasell was named as one of FORTUNE Magazine's "World's Most Admired Companies" for the fifth consecutive year.
MRC

Proceeding on the target of commercializing chemical recycling of waste plastic, Neste is conducting a feasibility study to examine investing in capacity for processing liquefied waste plastic at its refinery in Porvoo, Finland, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The goal is to scale up processing capabilities for liquefied waste plastic by implementing proprietary technologies to pretreat and upgrade liquefied waste plastic and integrating the technologies into the refinery operations. The targeted pretreatment and upgrading capacity of this first step is 400,000 tpy. This development would be a major step towards Neste’s target to process over 1 MMtpy of waste plastic from 2030 onwards.

To produce drop-in petrochemical feeds from liquefied waste plastic (e.g. pyrolysis oil), intermediate refining is needed to remove detrimental impurities as well as optimize the chemical composition of the material.

“To turn chemical recycling into a viable and industrial-scale feed source for our downstream partners in the polymers and chemicals value chain, we have to bridge the quality gap between unprocessed liquefied waste plastic oil and our customers’ raw material requirements,” said Mercedes Alonso, Executive Vice President, Renewable Polymers and Chemicals at Neste. “We are a forerunner in refining liquefied waste plastic into drop-in petrochemical feeds. By scaling up our processing capabilities, we enhance our ability to process hard-to-recycle waste plastics and help enable our value chain partners to deliver substantial volumes of high-quality materials from recycled feedstock.”

In 2021, as MRC reported earlier, Neste successfully concluded the first series of trial runs processing liquefied waste plastic in its Porvoo refinery. Additional trial runs with larger volumes will continue in the course of 2022. While unprocessed liquefied waste plastic is usable for trial-scale runs, continuous processing at industrial scale will require the pretreatment and upgrading step to remove impurities and unwanted components.

“We are excited to continue to develop liquid waste plastic processing capabilities at our Porvoo refinery. The goal is to turn waste plastics into valuable resources and a sustainable replacement for crude oil. The planned new pretreatment and upgrading capabilities are part of our target to be the most sustainable refinery in Europe by 2030, while supporting the transition to circular polymers,” said Markku Korvenranta, Executive Vice President, Oil Products at Neste.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,487,450 tonnes in 2021, up by 13% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market totalled 1,494.280 tonnes, up by 21% year on year. Deliveries of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whreas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased significantly.

Neste (Helsinki) creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. The company refines waste, residues and innovative raw materials into renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock for plastics and other materials. The company is the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, developing chemical recycling to combat the plastic waste challenge. In 2020, Neste's revenue stood at EUR11.8 billion, with 94% of the company’s comparable operating profit coming from renewable products.
MRC

MEGlobal has announced its Asian Contract Price (ACP) for monoethylene glycol (MEG) to be shipped in April 2022, according to the company's press release.

Thus, on 20 March, 2022. the company said ACP for MEG would be at USD930/MT CFR Asian main ports for arrival in April 2022, up by USD40/tonne from the previous month.

The April 2022 ACP reflects the short term supply/demand situation in the Asian market.

As MRC reported earlier, MEGlobal announced its March ACP for MEG at USD890/MT CFR Asian main ports, up by USD10/tonne from February.

MEG is one of the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

According to ICIS-MRC Price report, the shortage of free PET quantities are expected to remain in Russia in April, whereas prices will continue to rise. PET prices for contract clients will also increase next month. Market participants said last week's deals for small lots of PET chips were done at Rb240,000-260,000/tonne CPT Moscow, including VAT.

MEGlobal is a fully integrated supplier of monoethylene glycol (MEG) and diethylene glycol (DEG), collectively known as ethylene glycol (EG).
MRC