BASF, Petronas Chemicals to build 2-EHAcid plant in Malaysia

German chemicals company BASF and Malaysia's Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd announced on Monday that they will build a major new production plant for 2-Ethylhexanoic Acid (2-EHAcid), said Processingmagazine.

The new facility will be located at the site of their existing joint venture, BASF Petronas Chemicals, in Kuantan, Malaysia. Construction is anticipated to start in the second quarter of 2015. Financial details of the investment were not disclosed.

2-EHAcid is a chemical intermediate that is used as a compound in the production of synthetic lubricants as well oil additives. It is also used for functional fluids such as automotive coolants, metal salts for paint dryers, plasticizers, stabilizers and catalysts, and has other applications in various industries.

BASF already operates a 2-EHAcid production plant at its Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany. "With this new plant, we are responding to our customers' growing demands in Asia Pacific. Through this additional capacity BASF will become one of the leading suppliers for high purity 2-EHAcid in the region," said Stefan Blank, president of BASF's Intermediates division.

The new plant in Kuantan will be the first in Southeast Asia to produce 2-EHAcid, the two companies said. It will have an annual capacity of 30,000 metric tons, with production expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2016.

BASF Petronas Chemicals is also building an Integrated Aroma Ingredients Complex at its Kuantan site for the manufacturing of citronellol and L-menthol, as well as citral and its precursors, which are widely used in the flavor and fragrance industries.

The partners are investing USD500 million to set up the aroma ingredients complex and it is scheduled to start operating in 2016.

As per MRC, BASF Shanshan Battery Materials Co., Ltd. (BSBM) is expanding its battery materials capacity in China to meet fast-growing demands of the electric vehicle industry. The expansion project at its sites in Changsha, Hunan province, and Shuizuishan, Ningxia province, will enable BSBM to achieve 100,000 tonnes of annual capacity for cathode active materials, the company said in a statement.

As per MRC, BASF completed a double-digit million euro investment to increase production capacity for Tinopal CBS optical brighteners at its Monthey site. Following phase one of the stepwise capacity increase in 2021, the recent completion of the investment program has now brought significantly increased capacity on stream to meet growing global customer demand.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries.
mrchub.com

Solvay, a global market leader in fluorochemistry, has announced it will discontinue its Hyflon perfluoropolymer and Algoflon PTFE product lines manufactured with fluorosurfactants at Solvay’s Spinetta Marengo (Alessandria) plant in Italy. Sales for both product families will stop by June 30, 2023, said the company.

Algoflon® products already manufactured without the use of fluorosurfactants in Spinetta Marengo will not be impacted by this decision.

The decision aligns with Solvay’s One Planet sustainability roadmap, setting the direction for the fluoropolymers industry to support a more sustainable economy. This is also an important step to achieve the company’s goal of phasing out the use of fluorosurfactants. Solvay announced its voluntary commitment to manufacture nearly 100% of its fluoropolymers without fluorosurfactants at its Spinetta Marengo site by 2026.

In addition, Solvay is also applying state-of-the-art technology to eliminate nearly all of its fluorosurfactant emissions at Spinetta.

As per MRC, Solvay’s Changshu site has significantly increased production capacity for Solef® PVDF, demonstrating the Group’s commitment to meeting the needs of customers worldwide. Solvay continues to extend its leadership position in the global lithium-ion battery market with the early completion of its PVDF capacity increase in Changshu, China. The Group has now more than doubled the onsite production volume of its high-performance polymer Solef® polyvinylidene fluoride since mid-May 2022.

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.
mrchub.com

BASF will build a commercial scale battery recycling black mass plant in Schwarzheide, Germany, said the company.

This investment strengthens BASF’s cathode active materials (CAM) production and recycling hub in Schwarzheide. The site is an ideal location for the build-up of battery recycling activities given the presence of many EV car manufacturers and cell producers in Central Europe. This investment will create about 30 new production jobs, with startup planned for early 2024.

Black mass production is the first step in the battery recycling process and is based on mechanical treatment of the batteries. The produced black mass contains high amounts of the key metals used to produce CAM: lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese. It will be the feedstock for the commercial hydrometallurgical refinery for battery recycling that BASF plans to build mid of this decade.

"With this investment in a commercial scale battery recycling black mass plant, we take the next step to establish the full battery recycling value chain at BASF. This allows us to optimize the end-to-end recycling process and reduce the CO2 footprint,” said Dr. Peter Schuhmacher, President, Catalysts division at BASF. “The closed loop from end-of-life batteries to CAM for new batteries, supports our customers along the entire battery value chain, reduces the dependency from mined raw materials and enables a circular economy."

Battery recycling is an important lever to reduce the CO2 footprint of battery electric vehicles, and is key to meet ambitious, circularity-driven policy requirements, expected under the proposed EU Battery Regulation. These will cover recycling efficiency of lithium-ion batteries, as well as material recovery and recycled content targets for nickel, cobalt and lithium.

As per MRC, BASF Shanshan Battery Materials Co., Ltd. (BSBM) is expanding its battery materials capacity in China to meet fast-growing demands of the electric vehicle industry. The expansion project at its sites in Changsha, Hunan province, and Shuizuishan, Ningxia province, will enable BSBM to achieve 100,000 tonnes of annual capacity for cathode active materials, the company said in a statement.

As per MRC, BASF completed a double-digit million euro investment to increase production capacity for Tinopal CBS optical brighteners at its Monthey site. Following phase one of the stepwise capacity increase in 2021, the recent completion of the investment program has now brought significantly increased capacity on stream to meet growing global customer demand.

BASF is the leading chemical company. It produces a wide range of chemicals, for example solvents, amines, resins, glues, electronic-grade chemicals, industrial gases, basic petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals. The most important customers for this segment are the pharmaceutical, construction, textile and automotive industries.
mrchub.com

Azelis, a leading global innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire the majority shares of ROCSA Colombia S.A., a renowned specialty chemical distributor active in both life sciences and industrial chemical markets in South America, said the company.

The acquisition represents a strategic expansion of the group’s footprint, reinforcing its platform to execute its growth strategy in the region.

ROCSA is one of the leading specialty chemical distributors in Colombia, with a rapidly-growing presence in Peru and Central America. It is active in the life sciences market, primarily in Food & Nutrition, Personal Care, and Home Care & Industrial Cleaning, as well as in industrial chemicals, with a strong presence in CASE (coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers) and Plastic Additives. With over 130 employees, including a strong and experienced sales force and logistics team, the company serves 1,900+ customers from its headquarters in Colombia and four other offices across the region.

Given ROCSA’s long-standing relationships with global strategic principals, as well as large domestic and regional suppliers, the company’s principal portfolio and product expertise significantly expand Azelis’ lateral value chain. This expansion allows the group to serve customers and accelerate its growth in the region. Following the establishment of the group’s regional innovation center (RIC) in Mexico, the addition of ROCSA’s portfolio of products and capabilities is a significant milestone in Azelis’ strategy in South America.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022, after fulfilment of customary closing conditions. Dr. Hans Joachim Muller, Azelis Chief Executive Officer, comments: “Through the acquisition of ROCSA, we are proudly entering into South America with a market-leading company. This strategic platform provides Azelis with significant foothold in the market, as well as the opportunity to expand with our customers and principals, in-line with our strategic vision in the region. Together, our combined capabilities and expertise will bring forth a compelling range of new and innovative solutions."

Frank Bergonzi, CEO & President Azelis Americas, comments: "We are delighted to welcome ROCSA to the Azelis family. ROCSA brings a robust portfolio and performance track record, which is an important step in our growth strategy in South America. ROCSA maintains numerous strong relationships with principals and customers, and they share our commitment to innovation and sustainability. We look forward to growing together to become the preeminent innovation service provider in the region."

Carlos Yaipen, CEO at ROCSA Colombia S.A., adds: “We are looking forward to joining forces with the Azelis team, to serve our customers and principals even better, and expand in the region together. Our market-leading regional expertise together with Azelis’ strong global network brings us a powerful international reach, which will benefit our diverse range of principals and customers. We look forward to leveraging Azelis’ leadership in sustainability, digitalization and innovation, and we’re confident that ROCSA will thrive under Azelis’ ownership."

Eduardo Salinas, Managing Director, Latin America, Azelis, comments: “Having interacted with the ROCSA team, it is clear that they are an outstanding group of professionals that will bring significant value to Azelis. Their expertise in markets served, work ethic, enthusiasm, and customer focus fit perfectly with our values. Through this strategic acquisition, Azelis further demonstrates our commitment to becoming the leader in specialty distribution services for our customers and principals in Latin America. We look forward to welcoming ROCSA to the Azelis family."

As per MRC, Azelis announces that it has reached an agreement to acquire Chemo India and Unipharm Laboratories’ distribution assets. Both companies are renowned local distributors of specialty chemicals and ingredients for the CASE (coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers), L&MWF (lubricants & metalworking fluids) and pharmaceutical market segments in India.

Nearly two weeks earlier, on Jul. 1, Azelis revealed it had purchased MH, a local distributor in the food ingredients market, providing the multinational specialty chemicals distribution group with a foothold in the food and health segment. Also headquartered in Seoul, MH is a family-owned business, supplying products such as gluten, starches, sweeteners and functional food ingredients.

Azelis is a leading distributor of speciality chemicals and food ingredients present in over 50 countries across the globe with around 2,200 employees. Our knowledgeable teams of industry, market and technical experts are each dedicated to a specific market within Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals.
mrchub.com

Finnish shipping company ESL Shipping will become the world's first shipping company to start utilizing new low-emission Neste Marine 0.1 Co-processed marine fuel in its vessels in Finland and Sweden, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The ISCC PLUS certified* marine fuel enables up to 80% reduced greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle compared to fossil fuels without compromising the product quality and performance. ESL Shipping is the leading carrier of dry bulk cargoes in the Nordic and Baltic regions. Constantly in search of sustainable shipping solutions, ESL Shipping strives to minimize the adverse environmental impacts of its fleet.

“The co-processed marine fuel is something we have been waiting for a long time. ESL Shipping is committed to leading the way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions of the maritime industry, and we are now fortunate to be able to use this low-emission alternative without having to do any fleet modifications. We believe this is the right thing to do, and I’m convinced we in the Nordics are well-positioned to show the way for the global maritime industry,” says Mikki Koskinen, Managing Director of ESL Shipping.

"Supporting the shipping industry towards carbon neutrality requires partnerships, all available solutions and further innovations. We are proud of the solutions we have provided to the global aviation and road transport sectors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and it is a big step for Neste to be able to offer similar solutions to maritime transport, too. After all, as 90% of world trade and 13% of global transport emissions are the result of the shipping industry, it needs lower-emission solutions that are available already today,” explains Sveta Ukkonen, Head of Marine Fuels and Services at Neste.

Neste Marine 0.1 Co-processed marine fuel is currently in the piloting phase and it is produced at Neste’s refinery in Porvoo, Finland, where part of the fossil raw materials have been replaced with renewable raw materials in the conventional refining process. The drop-in fuel can be taken in use without any fleet modifications as it has a similar composition to conventional bunker fuels.

The co-processed marine fuel is ISO 8217 compliant with consistent refined quality. The sustainability characteristics of the co-processed marine fuel are certified with International Sustainability and Carbon Certification with a mass balance approach.

As per MRC, Neste, Covestro and South Korean petrochemical company SK geo centric are cooperating to enable the production of a major polyurethane raw material based on renewable raw materials via mass balance. The cooperation will see Neste provide SK geo centric with renewable Neste RE, an ISCC certified feedstock for polymers and chemicals made from 100% renewable raw materials such as waste and residue oil and fats.

As MRC reported earlier, Neste has a target to process annually over 1 MM tons of waste plastic from 2030 onwards. The company plans to use liquefied plastic waste as a raw material at its fossil oil refinery to upgrade it into high-quality drop-in feedstock for the production of new plastics.
mrchub.com