Repsol will invest over EUR35 mln to build an XLPE plant to manufacture HV and EHV cables

Repsol will build a new plant in Tarragona, with an investment of over EUR35 M for the manufacture of Cross-linkable Polyethylene (XLPE), a polymer used in cable insulation, located between the conductor and the outer protective layers, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The plant will have an annual capacity of 27 kt and is scheduled to start in mid-2024. The LSHC (Linear Short Hyperclean) new technology selected for the plant, from Buss AG, will provide a product with very competitive properties, enabling Repsol to complete its product range for cables by incorporating materials for HV (high voltage) and EHV (extra-high voltage) cables.

HV and EHV are the most differentiated segments in cable insulation and would place Repsol among the leading producers of polyethylene for cables. Repsol, has been continuously growing in the wire & cable polymers market in the last decades, with a wide range of solutions for the different types of cables: energy, communications, and signals. Repsol's XLPE Ready-to-Use products allow manufacturing of any voltage while providing cable manufacturers with a ready-to-extrude compound including polymer, peroxide, and antioxidants.

The new range will be made up of seven grades, based on a base polymer that Repsol already produces – low density polyethylene (LDPE) or EBA copolymers – will target the Water-Tree-Retardant (WTR), HV (>66 kV), EVH (>220 kV) and direct current (DC) segments.

Considered a highly specialized material, after startup in June 2024, Repsol's XLPE will be shipped to state-of-the-art cable manufacturing facilities in different parts of the world to ensure the highest international standards in the HV and EHV cables produced.

Repsol reaffirms with this new investment its longstanding commitment to the wire & cable segment and to its cable manufacturing clients with whom it has been collaborating since the project's conception, that have shown great interest in having a new supplier with these quality products available.

As per MRC, Repsol's Board of Directors today approved the sale of a 25% stake in Repsol Renewables to the consortium formed by the French insurance company Credit Agricole Assurances and Switzerland-based Energy Infrastructure Partner (EIP) for EUR905 mln.

As per MRC, Repsol will invest EUR105 mln in the Puertollano Industrial Complex to build the first plant in the Iberian Peninsula capable of manufacturing ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), a material considered a 'super polymer' due to its exceptional properties. This new plant will be operational by the end of 2024 and will have an annual capacity of 15,000 tons. For the construction of the plant, Repsol has selected the technology of DSM, a renowned UHMWPE producer based in the Netherlands. This involves the use of cutting-edge, proven technology that adapts to the needs of customers.

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Chevron Corporation completed its previously announced acquisition of Renewable Energy Group, Inc. following approval by REG stockholders, said Hydrocarbonprocesing.

"We have brought together companies with complementary capabilities, assets, and customer relationships to make Chevron one of the leading renewable fuels companies in the United States,” said Mark Nelson, executive vice president of Downstream & Chemicals for Chevron. “Chevron now offers our customers an expanded suite of cost-effective, lower carbon solutions that utilize today’s fleets and infrastructure."

Further, Cynthia “CJ” Warner, formerly president and CEO of REG, has been appointed to Chevron’s Board of Directors, effective today.

"CJ Warner has deep experience across both the traditional and renewable energy sectors,” said Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth. “Her perspective and guidance will be invaluable as Chevron leverages its strengths to deliver lower carbon energy to a growing world."

As per MRC, QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company (CPChem) have awarded the early site works contract for the Ras Laffan Petrochemical Project (RLPP) to Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC). The contract award marks the commencement of execution of the RLPP. CCC has secured a lump-sum contract to prepare the site for the new facility within Ras Laffan Industrial City. Early works on the project will begin in June, at the conclusion of which the EPC contract for the project is expected to be awarded.
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Clariant, a focused, sustainable, and innovative specialty chemical company, announced that it has produced the first commercial cellulosic ethanol at its sunliquid® production plant in Podari, Romania1, said the company.

The entire offtake is contracted with a multi-year agreement to Shell, a leading global energy company. Over the last six months, the plant underwent a thorough commissioning process resulting in the successful start of production. Approximately 50,000 tons of second-generation biofuels will be derived from 250,000 tons of locally sourced agricultural residues. The cellulosic ethanol produced at this plant can be applied as a drop-in solution for fuel blending but also offers further downstream application opportunities for sustainable aviation fuel and bio-based chemicals.

"Protecting the climate is a central part of our purpose ‘Greater chemistry – between people and planet’,” said Conrad Keijzer, Chief Executive Officer at Clariant. “Biofuels and biochemicals made from agricultural waste play a crucial role, since they reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To establish their use more widely, their commercial production and availability must be increased rapidly, which is why the successful start of our sunliquid® plant in Podari is so vital."

Building a more sustainable future is at the core of what drives Clariant to develop innovative solutions. Christian Librera, Head of Business Line Biofuels & Derivatives added: “The advanced biofuel produced by the sunliquid® technology process supports the decarbonization of the transport sector by providing up to 120 % CO2 savings compared to fossil fuel. It is particularly encouraging to see that despite the global pandemic, we have successfully managed to start production in our flagship sunliquid cellulosic ethanol plant on schedule. This proves that Clariant's technology is commercially deployable and accelerates our licensing business strategy. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all colleagues and partners involved."

Shell aims to be a material, profitable supplier of sustainable advanced low-carbon fuels as part of its wider work to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050. "Low-carbon fuels are essential for helping our customers to decarbonize their businesses,” said Geoff Mansfield, General Manager for Low-Carbon Fuels at Shell Trading and Supply.

The plant in Podari, Romania, is built on a 10-hectare area and employs a workforce numbering approximately 100. Contracts have been signed with more than 300 local farmers to ensure the supply of the necessary feedstock.

Clariant unveils its ground-breaking digital tool, to ease the research and selection of natural ingredients for personal care formulations. Powered by standardized data on the Renewable Carbon/Natural Origin indices of over 800 Clariant and non-Clariant ingredients for personal care applications the new tool offers formulators and brands the chance to calculate the percentage natural content of any formulation.

Lummus Technology announced it and its catalyst partner Clariant have been awarded a major contract by Fujian Meide to supply CATOFIN technology and catalysts for a new, world-scale propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit in Fuzhou, China. Already operating one PDH unit at its Fuzhou petrochemical complex, Fujian Meide is now building one of the largest PDH units in the world and has selected the CATOFIN process and catalysts for the project's second phase. The new unit will produce 900,000 mtons of propylene annually and is scheduled to commence operation in 2023.
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Record-high refining margins have renewed buyer interest in ExxonMobil Corp’s smallest oil refinery, a 61,500 bpd plant in Billings, Montana, said people familiar with the matter, said Reuters.

Exxon has sought unsuccessfully to sell the Billings refinery for at least four years, according to sources, drawing tire-kickers from major and small refiners. A sale now could bring in between USD300 MM and USD600 MM, one of the people said.

U.S. profit margins for processing crude into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel hit five-year highs this month, reviving the plant's appeal. Rising travel and fewer refineries from pandemic-shutdowns have U.S. gasoline prices headed toward an average USD6 a gallon this summer, say analysts.

At least three companies and a private investment group have shown renewed interest in the refinery this year, which returned to full production this week for the first time since a March 27 fire, the people said. “We don’t comment on rumors,” said Exxon spokesperson Julie King.

The nation’s largest refiner by volume, Marathon Petroleum Corp, along with Par Pacific Holdings and CVR Energy are potential buyers, the people said. Marathon Petroleum spokesperson Jamal Kheiry declined to comment. Par Pacific and CVR did not reply to requests for comment.

At least one interested buyer is said by the sources to be discussing the terms of a deal with Exxon for the refinery and could announce a sale agreement sometime this summer.

Exxon put the facility on the market to reduce its U.S. refining footprint to four plants: a trio of refineries in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baytown and Beaumont, Texas, which are among the nation’s largest and have adjoining chemical plants, and a 251,800 barrel-per-day refinery in Joliet, Illinois.

As per MRC, ExxonMobil has made three new discoveries offshore Guyana and increased its estimate of the recoverable resource for the Stabroek Block to nearly 11 billion oil-equivalent barrels. The three discoveries are southeast of the Liza and Payara developments and bring to five the discoveries made by ExxonMobil in Guyana in 2022.

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.

ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
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BASF is seeking a 22 cent/lb (USD485/tonne) increase on its caprolactam and nylon 6 in North America, effective 1 July, said the company.

The company did not provide a reason in the media release for the July increase initiative. US June contracts for upstream benzene settled at a 35% increase from May. Spot benzene last traded at USD6.50/gal.

We remind, in May, BASF increased prices for its Refinery Catalysts portfolio globally. With immediate effect, BASF’s Refinery Catalysts business will increase prices for its portfolio globally. The price adjustment is in response to continuously surging raw material, transportation, and energy costs.

BASF’s Catalysts division is the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. The group offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics and other products, including advanced battery materials. By leveraging our industry-leading R&D platforms, passion for innovation and deep knowledge of precious and base metals, BASF’s Catalysts division develops unique, proprietary solutions that drive customer success.
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