Chemtrade pursues land sale-leaseback at Vancouver chlor-alkali site

Chemtrade pursues land sale-leaseback at Vancouver chlor-alkali site

Canadian industrial chemicals producer Chemtrade Logistics is pursuing a land sale-leaseback structure for its chlor-alkali site in North Vancouver, British Columbia, province, said the company.

The company plans to offer about 40 acres (16 hectares) of industrial-zoned land for sale and leaseback, which could provide "significant liquidity" for investments in organic growth while also helping to reduce debt, CEO Scott Rook said in a statement on Tuesday.

The proposed sale-leaseback will not affect operations at the site. The remaining portion of the site is currently leased from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Financial details were not disclosed.

As per MRC, Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund has agreed to sell its potassium chloride (KCl) and vaccine adjuvants businesses to Vertellus for about USD155m.

Chemtrade operates a diversified business providing industrial chemicals and services to customers in North America and around the world. Chemtrade is one of North America’s largest suppliers of sulphuric acid, spent acid processing services, inorganic coagulants for water treatment, sodium chlorate, sodium nitrite, sodium hydrosulphite and phosphorus pentasulphide. Chemtrade is a leading regional supplier of sulphur, chlor-alkali products, liquid sulphur dioxide, and zinc oxide. Additionally, Chemtrade provides industrial services such as processing by-products and waste streams.
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VIBA presents bacteriostatic masterbatch for PE medical disposable gloves

VIBA presents bacteriostatic masterbatch for PE medical disposable gloves

VIBA offers its VIBATAN PE BACTERIOSTATIC 51A0150 to prevent contamination of plastic products, according to SpecialChem.

The addition of this masterbatch prevents and stops the growth and propagation of microorganisms and keeps its efficacy even after numerous washes of the end-product, due to the release of small dosages of active substance on each washing cycle.

VIBATAN PE BACTERIOSTATIC A0150 has been expressly developed for the extrusion of mono and multilayer films, even having thin thickness, and above all to produce medical disposable gloves in PE (in places like hospitals the presence of organic bacteriostatic additives is not always well accepted). The product is suitable also for polyolefin injection moulding.

The product also works as antiviral agent and confers to end products a reasonable protection against the proliferation of some types of Corona viruses.

Antibacterial protection also makes a product considerably cleaner, which implies that the product is less likely to facilitate the transfer of harmful microbes to another surface or person.

VIBATAN PE BACTERIOSTATIC A0150 is food approved according to the American FDA and to the European regulation and is suitable if used in contact with foodstuff.

As MRC reported earlier, in March 2021, Mondi, global leader in packaging and paper, started up new production lines for melt-blown nonwoven fabric and medical face masks at its site in Gronau, Germany to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Mondi Gronau has over 50 years of experience in the production and processing of films, nonwovens and elastic components for hygiene products. Last year Mondi announced it would start up production lines to produce both the important base material, melt-blown nonwoven fabric, as well as the medical face mask themselves. With the new lines, Mondi is building up a local value chain in Germany to address the needs of the pandemic.

We remind that in May 2020, Borealis started production of meltblown fabrics for face mask applications on its unique pilot line in Linz, Austria. Borealis managed quickly to convert the way of working from pure development to smaller scale pilot production to regularly produce rolls of fine fibre fabrics for face masks. Recently developed by Borealis, a new proprietary polypropylene (PP) meltblown resin has boosted filtration properties due to its capability for finer fibres. By exploiting a robust network of co-operation partners in the country, Borealis is helping bolster the supply of filtration media to increase face masks production.

Viba is a strategic and creative company focused on making more alive the brands and gives life to ideas that business and organizations want to promote and spread. Viba is formed for professionals from different fields related to strategy, creativity, design, public relations, advertising, marketing, digital and technological environment. Vibateam has experience in most key sectors of the economy: tourism, energy, financial services and many others.
MRC

Idemitsu to exit acrylic acid business

Idemitsu to exit acrylic acid business

Idemitsu, Japan's No. 2 oil refiner, is planning a complete withdrawal from acrylic acid and butyl acrylate (BA) production by March 2023, because of increasing international competition, according to Polymerupdate.

The company's petrochemical complex in central prefecture Aichi has a production capacity of 50,000 t/yr of acrylic acid, which is made from propylene. Idemitsu outsources its BA production. It has decided to exit the business on the back of increasing supplies within Asia.

As MRC wrote before, in early February, Idemitsu Kosan had no plan to give fresh financial aid to Vietnam's Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical (NSRP), which ha cut production to 80% of capacity due to a funding problem. Vietnam's largest refinery avoided a lengthy shutdown that month after a major shareholder secured short-term funding following a disagreement between shareholders about financing for crude, having earlier cut its run rate.

We remind that in October 2018, Idemitsu Kosan finalized a deal to buy out Showa Shell Sekiyu through a share swap in a deal worth about USD5.6 billion.
MRC

ZPC selects LyondellBasell LDPE technology for its plant in Zhoushan City

ZPC selects LyondellBasell LDPE technology for its plant in Zhoushan City

LyondellBasell announced that Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical Co. (ZPC) will again license LyondellBasell's high-pressure low-density polyethylene (LDPE) technology at its complex in Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, China, according to Apic-online.

The Lupotech A and Lupotech T process technologies will be used for a 100,000-t/y autoclave and a 300,000-t/y tubular line, respectively. Both trains will mainly be producing ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers.

Furthermore, an additional 400,000-t/y tubular line producing LDPE homopolymers will be built at the same site. Value of the contract and a schedule for the project were not given.

In 2018, ZPC licensed LyondellBasell's polypropylene (PP), LDPE and high-density PE (HDPE) technologies for five new plants at the complex.

The project included two 450,000-t/y PP units, based on Spherizone process technology; a 300,000-t/y and 400,000-t/y LDPE plant, based on Lupotech T process technology, and a 350,000-t/y HDPE unit, based on Hostalen ACP process technology.

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, whereas 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

Lummus appoints Atanas H. Atanasov as Chief Financial Officer

Lummus appoints Atanas H. Atanasov as Chief Financial Officer
Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies and value-driven technology solutions, announced that its board of directors has appointed Mr. Atanas H. Atanasov to serve as the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), said the company.

In this role, Mr. Atanasov will have responsibility for Lummus’ financial management, accounting, reporting, audit, tax and treasury functions. Mr. Atanasov will assume the Chief Financial Officer role from Mr. John Albanese who is stepping down as CFO but will remain with Lummus for another 18 months to support several of the company’s strategic projects.

"We are very excited to welcome Atanas to Lummus,” said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lummus Technology. “Atanas brings to Lummus over 25 years of disciplined financial leadership experience with proven expertise in accounting, tax, financial planning and analysis, banking and capital markets. That, along with his chemical and energy-related experience, will prove valuable in driving growth and delivering value to Lummus’ customers, employees, partners and shareholders."

Mr. de Bruyn also noted the contributions of Mr. Albanese. “John has dedicated his entire career to Lummus, leaving a positive and long-lasting impact. He established the strong financial foundation we have in place today, which positions Lummus for success in the future."

Mr. Atanasov joins Lummus after previously serving as Executive Vice President, CFO and Treasurer of Kraton Corporation, a leading global sustainable producer of specialty polymers and high-value biobased products. Prior to Kraton, he was CFO of Empire Petroleum Partners, LLC and CFO of NGL Energy Partners. He also spent nine years with GE Capital in various finance roles of increasing importance and responsibility.

Mr. Atanasov holds a Master of Business Administration from the Collins College of Business at the University of Tulsa and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, graduating Summa Cum Laude, from Oral Roberts University. He is also a certified public accountant.

Lummus Technology is the global leader in developing process technologies that make modern life possible and focus on a more sustainable, low carbon future. Lummus is a master licensor of clean energy, petrochemical, refining, gas processing and renewable technologies, and a supplier of catalysts, proprietary equipment, digitalization and related lifecycle services to customers worldwide.

Lummus Technology's Green Circle and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) have announced the integration of multiple technologies from their portfolios for application in the circular economy.

As per MRC, Lummus Technology will supply 14 cracking furnaces for a Gas Chemical Complex that is part of the Ethane-rich Gas Processing Complex (GCC EGPC) located near Ust-Luga, Leningrad Oblast, Russia, on the Gulf of Finland.

Lummus Technology has been awarded a contract by Enter Engineering Pte. Ltd. for the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex in Uzbekistan. Lummus’ scope includes the design and supply of four proprietary Short Residence Time (SRT) VI and VII type cracking furnaces, which will more than double the production of ethylene at Shurtan’s facility.

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