Milliken to expand capacities it acquired last March

Milliken & Company is moving boldly to address anticipated market needs by expanding the facilities and capacity it acquired last March via its purchase of Germany’s Zebra-chem GmbH, according to SpecialChem.

Zebra-chem is a specialty compounder and chemicals company that makes additive and blowing agent concentrates for polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and engineering thermoplastics.

The expansion will enable Milliken to boost production capacity for the acquired Bad Bentheim plant by 60% by year’s end. Milliken plans to install new manufacturing equipment and hire additional employees at the plant, which will be renamed Birch I.

It also built a new warehouse, called Birch II, nearby. Milliken has been a trailblazer of sustainability for more than a century, and the company’s legacy of naming locations after trees is a tribute to that core company value.

“We are seeing very strong demand from several end markets where these products are adding value, and our customer base has welcomed our broader solution portfolio,” said Milliken sales manager Tugce Asici-van Houselt. “These facilities will continue to serve the global market, with a focus on Europe, the Middle East and Africa.”

The viscosity modifiers and performance modifiers made at the German plant increase melt flow of recycled polypropylene (PP) resins with little to no loss of physical properties, enabling more recycled content to be used by the converters and brand owners without compromising overall performance. “Milliken is known for its sustainable innovation,” notes Wim Van de Velde, global vice president, of Milliken’s plastic additives business.

“We are excited to be able to leverage its leading position in Europe to help accelerate market solutions that improve and increase manufacturing with recycled plastics. This expansion signals that the market is clearly responding,” added Velde. The facility also produces solid concentrates that serve as chemical blowing agents for the production of foamed thermoplastics.

Milliken says it is on track to fully integrate the acquired operations during this calendar year.

As MRC reported earlier, in February 2022, South Plastic Industry Co. Ltd., (or SPI) leveraged its close, working relationship with additives supplier Milliken & Company to develop a clear, anti-fogging PP lid for its microwaveable food packaging. Using Milliken’s Millad NX 8000 clarifier, the two parties produced an UltraClear polypropylene (PP) resin that delivers on all the performance promises for ready-meal packaging, while also offering additional processing benefits. SPI also recently began using Milliken’s Hyperform HPN performance additives in its PP formulations, as well.

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, whereas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased significantly.

Milliken is an innovation company that has been exploring, discovering, and creating ways to enhance people’s lives since 1865. The company creates coatings, specialty chemicals, and advanced additive and colorant technologies that transform the way we experience products from automotive plastics to children's art supplies.
MRC

Jet fuel prices are soaring on the US East Coast with buyers anticipating a worsening shortage as supply dwindles amid sanctions on Russian energy exports, reported Reuters.

Following Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, the US and allies slapped heavy sanctions on Russian industry, leading to a tightening in worldwide energy markets. Russia is the world's largest exporter of crude and petroleum products, and the supply crunch is filtering through to global markets.

The East Coast largely relies on shipments on the Texas-to-New Jersey Colonial Pipeline for refined products, as well as imports from Europe. However, Europe is dealing with its own supply strains, so distillate exports to the US East Coast - also known as PADD 1 - are down nearly 60% on a year-on-year basis, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.

East Coast jet fuel costs have reached record highs in recent days, with spot prices in New York Harbor exceeding $6.60 per gallon on Friday, more than double the seasonal average, according to data from oil traders citing OPIS and S&P Global Commodity Insights.

"It is ridiculous what's going on in PADD I with jet, and it's not sustainable," said Patrick DeHaan, lead petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.

Refiners spent most of 2020 blending excess jet fuel into their diesel pool or refining it further into gasoline as the coronavirus pandemic severely hit air travel. Demand for jet fuel is now about 5% below 2019 levels, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.

But US distillate inventories are currently about 20% below the average for the 2015-2019 pre-pandemic period, compared with deficits of 11% in crude and 1% in gasoline.

Western European refiners are unable to fill the gap in supply due to their own constraints - Russia is a major exporter of middle distillates like jet fuel to Europe.

Some of the US East Coast deficit results from problems in California, where in recent weeks a Chevron refinery and a PBF plant experienced malfunctions with fuel-producing units, according to people familiar with the matter.

US trading partners in Asia and the Middle East prefer to send barrels to the West Coast instead of the East Coast, according to Zachary Rogers, director of refining and biofuels at Rapidan Energy Group.

The spread between heating oil and US crude futures is USD43.55, compared with USD15.50 a year ago, according to Reuters data. Jet fuel is heavily aligned with heating oil as they are both middle distillates.

"Margins are higher than I've ever seen them, so high prices are great for any refinery that's not malfunctioning," said one West Coast refinery worker.

Relief could arrive in the coming weeks as West Coast refining capacity rebounds and the Biden administration approves waivers to the Jones Act - which requires shipments from one US port to another to be via US-flagged vessels - for barrels to move to the West Coast, Rogers said.

As MRC reported earlier, W. R. Grace & Co. a leading independent provider of polyolefin catalyst technology and process services, stated that it will increase prices for its fluid catalytic cracking catalysts and additives this year as contracts allow. As Grace offers products and services that continue to deliver increasing value, it faces rapidly escalating costs for key raw materials and energy, including aluminum-derived chemicals and natural gas. In addition, freight and logistics costs continue to rise at an extraordinary rate.

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, whereas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased significantly.
MRC

Honeywell announced that Petroperu, has implemented Honeywell Forge Workforce Competency solutions to train its industrial workforce for safer and more efficient operations, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Petroperu is investing in digital transformation as a key part of the refinery modernization megaproject at its 100+ year old Talara Refinery. The company has implemented Honeywell Forge Workforce Competency to provide realistic training simulations, on-demand desktop training and customized competency learning.

"We are investing heavily in our Talara modernization project to ensure that Petroperu has industry-leading production capacity, quality and advanced technology to deliver world-class products to our customers and support the economic growth of Peru," said Arturo Rodriguez Paredes, corporate manager, Talara Refinery. "It's critical that our Talara workforce is well trained on our new control platforms, so we trust Honeywell Forge Workforce Competency to ensure that our workers have the best training to learn critical systems and tackle any knowledge gaps."

Honeywell worked with Petroperu to develop dynamic training simulators so that staff could learn how to control four new units at the Talara Refinery. A new training and certification program for operators and supervisors using Honeywell Forge Workforce Competency, called the Console Operators Competencies Management Program, now delivers robust competency development. The program utilizes Honeywell Forge Tutor and Honeywell's industry-leading simulator solution, Honeywell Forge Process Training Simulator, to teach Petroperu's operational staff, in a simulated environment, about the complex responsibilities needed as a control panel operator.

As MRC reported before, in March 2022, Honeywell announced an integrated olefin suite (IOS) of technologies that can increase ethylene production and improve profitability when added to a naphtha steam cracker. IOS provides customers the ability to improve return on investment, increase operating profits, opportunity to reduce CO2 footprint and increase the level of control over by-products. IOS features a collection of commercially proven technologies that create a step change in naphtha cracker performance. By economically improving the quality of naphtha cracker feeds, the yield of ethylene is increased and the production of lower-value by-products are reduced.

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, whereas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased significantly.
MRC

Dow, the world's petrochemical major, and Plastogaz SA announce a strategic investment which will help simplify the process of converting plastic waste to feedstock and provide another carbon-efficient option to keep plastic waste out of landfills and the environment, according to SpecialChem.

The collaboration marks another milestone in Dow’s ongoing mission to protect the climate and close the loop on plastic waste.

Plastogaz’s proprietary catalytic hydrocracking technology solution is unique in that it is more efficient, and less energy intensive than some other current forms of advanced recycling.

This technology promises to further simplify the process from waste to circular feedstock and then circular polymers. Ultimately, this aims to both increase the carbon-yields of advanced recycling (efficiency) and to minimize the energy needs for advanced recycling, hence fostering a more circular economy at lower CO2 footprint. The joint aim is to accelerate the commercialization of this process.

Dow will bring global reach and materials science expertise to further develop technologies with smaller innovative companies, like Plastogaz, who are developing circular feedstock for plastics, which the global brands require to eliminate plastic waste from their value chains and address the plastic waste crisis.

Advanced recycling is a complementary process to conventional, mechanical recycling (the method currently most used to recycle plastics). However, the bonus for advanced recycling is that it can recycle traditionally hard to recycle plastics such as multi-layer, flexible plastics used in packaging, usually considered ‘unrecyclable’ and which are frequently incinerated or sent to landfill.

Importantly, the recycled products will be suitable for use in food-contact packaging, unlike conventional recycling processes. With advanced recycling there is no limit to the number of times the same material can be recycled, meaning it has the potential to eliminate waste from single-use plastic, creating value not waste.

As MRC informed before, in March, 2022, Dow announced new product extension of VORASURF silicone surfactants to support the growing demand for enhanced energy efficiency and sustainable solutions in the rigid polyurethane foam market, with a specific focus on spray and construction applications.

We remind that in October 2021, Dow and Haldor Topsoe partnered to promote the circular economy. About 300 million tons of plastic waste is produced every year on a global scale. The partnership between Dow and Topsoe marks a new initiative to efficiently convert waste plastics to circular plastics, keeping them out of the environment and responsibly reclaiming their value. Plans include Dow to proceed with the design and engineering for a 10,000 ton per year market development unit using Haldor Topsoe’s PureStepTM technology to purify pyrolysis oil feedstock derived from waste plastics for use in circular products.

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, whereas shipments of PP random copolymers decreased significantly.

Dow combines global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation and leading business positions to achieve profitable growth. The Company's ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company, with a purpose to deliver a sustainable future for the world through our materials science expertise and collaboration with our partners. Dow's portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer care. Dow operates 106 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 35,700 people.
MRC

Senior Indonesian minister Luhut Pandjaitan said prices of 90-octane gasoline and subsidized liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in 3-kg canisters may be increased to reflect higher global energy prices, reported Reuters with reference to news sites Detik and Kompas.

The reports come as state energy firm Pertamina lifted price of 92-octane gasoline Pertamax by 39% to around 12,500 rupiah (USD0.8702) per liter, after a jump in crude oil prices due to the war in Ukraine.

Luhut said after the increase in Pertamax, the price of Pertamina's 90-octane gasoline known as Pertalite could be raised, followed by LPG, the reports said.

"We will do this gradually. The 3-kg gas price hasn't been increased since 2007. I think that isn't fair," he added.

Luhut was cited as saying the government might look at July through to September for the increase in prices of the fuels.

A spokesperson for Luhut confirmed that the minister had made the comments. When asked about how much prices might increase he said it would depend on further developments.

Indonesia's March inflation rate hit a two-year high, data showed on Friday, as economists warned prices would creep up further due to higher gasoline prices and value-added tax.

An energy think-tank executive said lifting prices was a rational decision, but it should be after Islamic holidays at the end of the upcoming fasting month given the hike in Pertamax.

As MRC informed previously, the fire, which broke out at one of Pertamina’s fuel storage tanks in the Cilacap refinery and petrochemical complex on 13 November 2021, did not affect operations at any other plants at the same complex. In fact, all other production lines were operating normally during the incident. The fire was completely extinguished after about 12 hours.

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