Evonik opens its first zero liquid discharge plant in India

Evonik Catalysts has opened a new zero liquid discharge (ZLD) plant at its facility in Dombivli, India, said the company.

The new plant reduces the amount of fresh water required for production processes and turns material that was previously considered waste into saleable products. ZLD purifies and recycles wastewater at the end of an industrial process, leaving little to no effluent remaining when it is completed. This means not only more efficient water use, but also a significant reduction in waste liquid.

“Environmental excellence has always been a top priority for Evonik in India, and the ZLD plant at our catalysts site is a centerpiece in Evonik’s efforts to minimize its production-associated ecological footprint,” said Sanjeev Taneja, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Catalysts business line, at the inauguration of the plant. “The efficient reuse of process water, and products extracted from it, is in line with our circular economy principles, and a key contribution to the sustainability targets of Evonik and our customers."

Evonik is developing site-specific action plans as part of its global water management system. One focus is on sites in regions that could be affected by water scarcity. It also strives for the most efficient use of water. The main ambition with the Dombivli ZLD plant is to improve the treatment of process water. It goes through a multi-stage process and then the byproducts go through further processing. An estimated 600 m3 of wastewater – the equivalent of between 25 and 30 tankers – enters the ZLD plant every day and the plant is expected to recirculate around 55 percent of that – approximately 300-350 m3 – for process reuse and the balance water for re-use as cooling tower make up thus reducing Evonik water use requirements and thereby reducing Evonik’s dependence on municipal water supplies.

The requirement for fresh water will be reduced by 65 percent after stable operation of zero liquid discharge and the company is targeting further reductions through process optimization. In addition, processing leads to the production of 15-20 metric tons of sodium sulphate and certain mixed salts which can be resold as a commercial product.

The ZLD plant is set-up on a ‘BOOT’ Model between Evonik and Remondis, with the latter responsible for building, owning, operating, maintaining and transferring the ZLD plant to Evonik.

As MRC reported earlier, in March, 2022, Evonik launched a new biosurfactant produced from renewable feedstocks.
The rhamnolipids are produced at Evonik’s plant in Slovenska Lupca, Slovakia following a triple-digit million-euro investment in the site, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023. The biosurfactant range is made using feedstocks which are locally sourced and fully biodegradable, meeting demand for low-emission, low-impact cleaning products in the market.

We remind that 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 is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of EUR12.2 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of EUR1.91 billion in 2020. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable and sustainable solutions for customers. About 33,000 employees work together for a common purpose: to improve life today and tomorrow.
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Petron’s first-quarter net profit more than doubled year on year to pesos (Ps) 3.6bn (USD69m) on the back of strong crude prices, said the company.

Consolidated sales volumes for the March quarter grew 34% to 25.67m barrels on the back higher demand and easing of pandemic-related mobility restrictions, the company said in a statement. During the period, Dubai crude averaged USD95.6/bbl due to geopolitical tension and supply concerns triggered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Petrochemical volumes rose by around 30% brought about by the increased demand for resin used for PPEs [personal protective equipment] and online deliveries,” it said. “Fueled by the demand growth and higher prices of petrochemicals, Petron resumed operations of its polypropylene plant in January 2022 after a two-year shutdown,” the company said.

Petron expects to complete construction of its new power plant this year. The 184-megawatt (BW) power plant which would “allow the company to more efficiently generate steam and power for the Petron Bataan Refinery”. Petron operates a 180,000 bbl/day refinery in Limay, Bataan. “This would make the country’s lone refinery not only capable of supplying 40% of the national fuel demand but also self-sufficient in terms of its power requirement,” the company said.

As per MRC, the closure of Petron Corp.’s refinery in Bataan is imminent if all industry players will not be accorded a level playing field.

We remind, Petron swung into a net loss in the first half of the year due to fuel demand destruction brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Petron Corp. incurred a consolidated net loss of P14.2 billion in the first half of 2020, reversing the P2.6 billion net income it posted in the same period a year ago.
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Solvay has become sole owner of its Wyoming soda ash plant by buying a 20% stake from Japanese glass producer AGC, said the company.

The sale of the minority stake in the production site in Green River, Wyoming was set at the cash purchase price of USD120m and is expected to be completed on 4 May 2022. The partnership between the two firms started in 1992 when they formed the Solvay Soda Ash Joint Venture (SSAJV).

“This transaction will be significantly value accretive to Solvay, with a post tax cash return on capital in excess of 15%,” the specialty firm said in a statement. The facility operated by Solvay produces soda ash and sodium bicarbonate from trona, a naturally occurring mineral used in applications in the glass, chemicals, detergents and food industries, among others.

Soda ash is also used to produce lithium carbonate for EV batteries, and is used in flat glass for solar panels. Solvay aims to increase supply of trona-based soda as it is less carbon intensive and complements its sustainability ambitions. Solvay has nine major soda ash and bicarbonate plants, with six in Europe, two in the US and one in Asia.

As MRC reported before, earlier this month, Solvay partnered with Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials to recycle end-of-life medical components. New collaboration will help customers reach sustainability goals for high-performance Udel PSU polymers in demanding applications.

We remind that Belgian chemicals group Solvay has suspended operations and new investments in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. The suspension is temporary and will be reviewed in due course, a spokesperson said in early March, 2022, adding that the company had put a task force in place to manage the impact of the measures.
We also remind that in August, 2020, through the acquisition of the Solvay polyamide (PA) business, BASF enhanced its R&D capabilities in Asia Pacific with new technologies, technical expertise, and upgraded material and part testing services. BASF is planning to integrate the R&D centers from Solvay into its R&D existing facilities in Shanghai, China, and Seoul, Korea. The enhanced capabilities will boost BASF’s position as a solution provider to develop advanced material solutions for key industries.

Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. With more than 24,100 employees in 64 countries, Solvay bonds people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress. The Group seeks to create sustainable shared value for all, notably through its Solvay One Planet plan crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering better life. The Group’s innovative solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices, health care applications, water and air purification systems. Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world’s top three companies for the vast majority of its activities.
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US-based acetyls and engineered materials producer Celaneses reported on Thursday a year-on-year rise in Q1 net income because sales rose faster than costs, said the company.

The following shows the company's Q1 performance. Figures are in millions of dollars. Quarter on quarter, income fell because of higher taxes and pension charges.

For Engineered Materials, Celanese said the business produced to meet elevated demand, led by the automotive sector. The segment fully passed through cost inflation for raw materials, energy and logistics. Quarter on quarter, volumes rose by 23% and price rose by 7%.

For Acetyl Chain, volumes rose 8% quarter on quarter and prices fell 3%. Moderation in acetic acid prices in China were largely offset by shifting volumes in the Western Hemisphere. That shift allowed Celanese to capture higher pricing in vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), emulsions, redispersible powders and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).

Looking ahead, Celanese expects to report USD4.50/share in second-quarter adjusted earnings. For the year, 2022 adjusted earnings should approach 2021 levels, which were USD18.12/share, Celanese said. Earlier, it expected adjusted earnings to be at least USD15/share.

As MRC reported earlier, in H2, 2021, Celanese Corporation announced a force majeure (FM) in China for vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) shipments from its plant Nanjing, China. Celanese temporarily shut down its acetic anhydride and VAM production in Nanjing to comply with requirements of government departments in order to achieve dual energy consumption targets in the Jiangsu Province in 2021. Thus, its VAM plan with the capacity of 300,000 mt/year was shut on 17 September, 2021, and its resumed operations on 9 October, 2021.

According to MRC's DataScope report, December EVA imports to Russia rose by 3,185% year on year to 3,530 tonnes from 3,420 tonnes a year earlier, and overall imports of this grade of ethylene copolymer into the Russian Federation grew in 2021 by 17,31% year on year to 44,720 tonnes (38,190 tonnes in 2020).

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs approximately 8,500 employees worldwide and had 2021 net sales of USD8.5 billion.
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Westlake’s Q1 sales rose 72.1% year on year and net income more than tripled on strong demand and higher prices and margins, said the company.

Significantly higher sales prices and margins across most of Westlake’s businesses, as well as contributions from recently acquired businesses, drove the Q1 results, it said. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 135% to USD1.3bn and the EBITDA margin rose to 32% from 23% in Q1 2021.

"We continued to see robust residential construction and remodeling activity drive demand for PVC [polyvinyl chloride] resin, as well as for products in our Housing and Infrastructure Products segment," said CEO Albert Chao.

"The growth in the US economy and the diminishing impact of COVID-19 continue to spur consumer and industrial demand with improvements in manufacturing and packaging benefiting caustic soda and polyethylene (PE) usage," Chao said.

As per MRC, Westlake Chemical Corporation, the world's petrochemical major, has officially changed its name to Westlake Corporation. Westlake is now organized under one unified brand name with two financial reporting segments: Housing & Infrastructure Products and Performance & Essential Materials.

According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated consumption of unmixed PVC was about 999,300 tonnes in 2021, up by 7% year on year. The emulsion and suspension PVC market showed stronger demand, despite over a twofold price increase. December estimated SPVC consumption was 81,200 tonnes (excluding deliveries to the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan) versus 74,690 tonnes a month earlier.

Westlake Corporation is a global manufacturer and supplier of materials and innovative products that enhance life every day. Headquartered in Houston, with operations in Asia, Europe, and North America, we provide the building blocks for vital solutions — from housing and construction, to packaging and healthcare, to automotive and consumer.
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