Sabic upcycles LNP ELCRIN resin with ocean-bound plastic

Sabic has introduced LNP ELCRIN WF0061BiQ resin, which uses ocean-bound PET bottles as a feed stream for chemical upcycling into polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin, said Interplasinsights.

Ocean-bound plastic is mismanaged waste that originates within 30 miles (50 km) of the coast and therefore likely to end up in the ocean. The new grade is the latest addition to SABIC’s extensive portfolio of chemically upcycled LNP ELCRIN iQ materials. LNP ELCRIN WF0061BiQ resin is a candidate for consumer electronics applications and automotive seating, as well as electrical connectors and enclosures.

Sabic intends to upcycle 10 billion plastic bottles into higher-performing, durable materials within the next 10 years through working within the plastics supply chain to find solutions to address urgent environmental issues.

The new LNP ELCRIN WF0061BiQ grade, a glass fibre-reinforced PBT material, features non-brominated, non-chlorinated flame retardancy meeting the UL94 V0 standard at 0.8mm and F1 rating. Heat-resistance, toughness and stiffness, and high flow qualities makes it suitable for moulding thin-wall applications for outdoor environments such as electrical equipment enclosures.

All LNP ELCRIN iQ materials can serve as possible drop-in replacements for conventional PBT. SABIC’s proprietary upcycling technology, which involves the repolymerisation of ocean-bound PET into PBT, delivers virgin-like performance properties. This process surpasses mechanical recycling in quality and consistency.

Sabic has introduced numerous innovative grades to the LNP ELCRIN iQ portfolio, including glass- and mineral-reinforced products and flame-retardant formulations that incorporate pre-consumer recycled glass fibre diverted from the waste stream of industrial processes. The use of recycled glass fibre further enhances the circularity of these upcycled PBT materials.

Alongside the creation of new, sustainable materials, Sabic also regularly formulating new resins and compounds using environmentally responsible and safer chemistries, such as non-brominated/non-chlorinated flame retardants.

As per MRC, Sabic has completed the acquisition of Clariant’s 50% stake in specialties company Scientific Design. The purchase makes SABIC a 100% shareholder of Scientific Design, which is a licensor of high-performance process technologies and catalysts producer.

As MRC informed previously, in January 2022, ExxonMobil and SABIC announced the successful startup of Gulf Coast Growth Ventures world-scale manufacturing facility in San Patricio County, Texas. The new facility will produce materials used in packaging, agricultural film, construction materials, clothing, and automotive coolants. The operation includes a 1.8 MM metric tpy ethane steam cracker, two polyethylene (PE) units capable of producing up to 1.3 MM metric tpy, and a monoethylene glycol (MEG) unit with a capacity of 1.1 MM metric tpy.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) ranks among the world's top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world's market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
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Maritime waste is increasingly emerging as a significant source of waste and pollution. On land, this waste is often landfilled or burnt; in the oceans, discarded ‘ghost’ fishing gear and ropes from the maritime industry form hazardous traps for marine life of all kinds, said Sustainableplastics.

Determined to address this issue, Danish cleantech recycling company Plastix has come up with technology that enables used and abandoned fishnets, trawls and ropes that would previously have ended up in the environment to be mechanically recycled into high-grade and virgin-like raw materials.

For international compounder Hexpol TPE, this presented an intriguing new resource. "We are continually investigating new recyclate sources to support the shift away from virgin materials. Reutilising what would be waste and giving it a new life to help keep valuable materials in circulation," according to Jill Bradford, global marketing manager at Hexpol TPE.

"What drew us to working with Plastix was the controls and quality of their products and that their work is evidence-based. They have conducted Life Cycle Assessment to provide data on the carbon footprint of their products." Hexpol TPE has now launched a new family of thermoplastic elastomer materials containing recycled content from post-use maritime ropes.

As the newest member of the Dryflex Circular TPE portfolio, the Dryflex Circular MWR TPEs are available in 40 Shore A to 50 Shore D hardnesses with 10 to 60 % recycled content and come in black, blue, green and mint colours.

The Dryflex Circular TPE portfolio also offers custom-formulated materials with PCR (Post Consumer) and PIR (Post Industrial) recyclate. Dryflex Circular TPEs are recyclable in closed-loop systems.

As per MRC, Hexpol acquired 100% of VICOM 2002 S.L., a Spanish Polymer Compounder active in the interesting and growing product segment “wire and cable”. VICOM’s turnover 2020 amounted to some EUR30 mln, is profitable and employs some 30 people in its production facility in Barcelona.

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 744,130 tonnes in the first four month of 2021, up by 4% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. At the same time, PP deliveries to the Russian market were 523,900 tonnes in January-April 2021, up by 55% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas shipments of PP random copolymers decreas
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Spanish oil company Cepsa will invest up to EUR5 billion in Andalucia to produce green energy, said Petrolplaza.

It represents 60% of the total amount (EUR8 billion) that the company will invest to lead the generation of sustainable energy in Spain and Portugal and to be a benchmark in the energy transition. The investment will place Andalusia at the forefront of Europe in the latest technologies for the generation of green hydrogen and biofuels.

Cepsa will generate 17,000 jobs, including direct, indirect and induced jobs, during the construction and useful life of the projects. Of these, 13,000 will be direct or indirect jobs and 4,000 will be induced jobs. Cepsa will install plants for the production of green hydrogen in its industrial centres in Andalusia, which will allow it to lead the production of this energy in Spain and Portugal by 2030, with a capacity of 2 GW.

By 2030, 70% of the green hydrogen produced by the company will be used to decarbonize its customers: adjacent industries, road transport and maritime transport. At the same time, Cepsa aspires to lead second-generation biofuels production with a production of 2.5 million tons per year by 2030, thus helping to advance the circular economy.

The company will develop, both in Andalusia and in the rest of Spain, the largest electric mobility ecosystem, together with Endesa, developing the most extensive ultra-fast road charging network, which will reach a minimum ratio of one 150 kW charger every 200 kilometres on the main highways and interurban roads.

Cepsa service stations, with 280 outlets in Andalusia, will be transformed into digitized spaces offering a wide variety of ultra-convenience and catering services, including fresh food, cosmetics and beauty, e-commerce, parcel collection points and sustainable vehicle washing services, as well as multi-energy solutions for roadside refueling.

As per MRC, Cepsa reported a net income at current cost of supply of EUR58 MM (USD61.97 MM) in the first quarter, up by 9.4% year on year, pushed by high crude prices and stronger refining margins. Along with sharply higher crude prices, the value of refined products like gasoline and petrochemicals have been soaring globally, fueled by a strong post-pandemic recovery and most recently by the conflict in Ukraine.

Cepsa is a Spanish petrochemical company. Full name Compania Espanola de Petroleos S.A. The company is headquartered in Madrid. Refining is one of the main activities of CEPSA. The production of asphalt and other road surfaces is another of the company's core activities; nine CEPSA factories are engaged in the production of these products.
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Shell Retail and Convenience Operations LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell Oil Products US (Shell), has completed the acquisition of certain company-owned fuel and convenience retail sites from the Landmark group of companies (Landmark), said the company.

The acquisition also includes supply agreements for the independently operated fuel and convenience sites.

Building on the strength of its existing networks, this acquisition brings Shell closer to its customers and enhances Shell’s market presence by growing its mobility footprint in a key region in the U.S., which is one of the largest fuels and convenience retail markets in the world.

With this acquisition, Shell is advancing its Powering Progress strategy in three ways: by growing its retail footprint in a core market, by providing opportunities to offer customers expanded fuelling options (including electric vehicle charging, hydrogen, biofuels and lower-carbon premium fuels) and by allowing for the growth of non-fuel sales through an enhanced convenience offering.

As per MRC, Shell Overseas Investments B.V. and B.V. Dordtsche Petroleum Maatschappij, subsidiaries of Shell plc, have completed the sale of Shell Neft LLC, Shell’s retail stations and lubricants business in Russia, to PJSC LUKOIL.
This follows the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. The sale agreement was announced on May 12, 2022. All people currently working for Shell Neft, more than 350 in total, will remain employed by Shell Neft, which is now owned by LUKOIL.

In addition, Shell in its reporting for the first quarter of 2022 recognized the cost of leaving Russian assets at USD 3.9 billion after taxes. Earlier, she informed that the losses could amount to USD 4-5 billion.

Shell is a British-Dutch oil and gas concern engaged in the extraction, processing and marketing of hydrocarbons in more than 70 countries.
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South Korea's state-run Korea National Oil Corp (KNOC) is looking to secure more oil and gas, while stepping up energy transition efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030, said Reuters.

The Asian country is the world's fourth-largest oil importer after China, India and Japan, importing nearly all of the 2.58 MMbpd it used in 2020, according to KNOC data. With global energy markets in a flux after Russia's February invasion of Ukraine, energy security has become a pressing issue for KNOC and other national oil companies.

"As a national oil company, our primary goal is energy security. We are looking to expand exploration and development in both oil and gas strategically so in emergencies we can ship them easily," KNOC CEO Kim Dong-sub told Reuters. "However, we have to be very careful in selecting appropriate projects, because we need efficient investments."

KNOC has assets in 17 different countries. Kim said KNOC is "very happy" with the performance of an Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) drilling partnership, while further investment in Tolmount gas field in the British North Sea, which recently started after delays, will depend on its performance. The CEO said KNOC is less interested in deepwater area and more on onshore projects due to cost, and is looking for assets that have a high chance of success as well as less country risk.

KNOC declined to disclose its planned investment figure. It is in the process of selling its overseas assets to reduce its elevated debt levels. KNOC's consolidated debt was 19.96 trillion won (USD15.80 B) in 2021, exceeding assets worth 18.4 trillion won.

It is planning a project to capture 400,000 tpy of carbon emissions from refineries and other industrial plants at Ulsan to be stored at its depleted gas field off the east coast of Korea, Kim said, adding that the pilot project could be completed in 2026. KNOC has started initial talks with major energy companies for CCS technology at the World Gas Conference last week, he said.

We remind, U.S. crude oil and fuel stockpiles fell last week, as demand continued to outstrip supply, with commercial crude inventories drawing down even as more strategic reserves entered the market. Crude inventories fell by 5.1 MM barrels in the week to May 27 to 414.7 MM barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.3 MM-barrel drop. The fall comes even though the U.S. government released more than 5 million barrels of reserves in the most recent week and as net crude imports rose by 83,000 bpd, the EIA said.
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