OMV refinery in Austria to be down longer than expected

Borealis (Vienna, Austria) says it is running its polyolefins production at Schwechat, Austria, at reduced rates until “at least the end of the third quarter” following an incident at majority owner OMV’s integrated refinery in Schwechat, said Plasteurope.

The reduction by Borealis of its polyolefins output follows an incident earlier in June at OMV’s refinery that resulted in damage to the main crude distillation unit during a water pressure test on 3 June. OMV supplies the majority of monomers, including ethylene and propylene, to Borealis for the company’s polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) production. Borealis says polyolefin production rates were subsequently “significantly reduced,” with disruption expected until the end of the third quarter.

"Borealis has not declared force majeure on its polyolefins production in Schwechat. The company is currently working on a multi-sourcing strategy for polymers in order to limit supply disruptions,” it says. “However, reduced production will imply delays for Borealis polyolefins deliveries and reduced availability of specific grades."

OMV says that steam cracker operating rates at Schwechat were reduced, though naphtha is being sourced to feed the cracker from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region, Germany, Romania, and the Black Sea, according to S&P Global. The refinery is expected to be repaired and fully operational in second half of the third quarter, it has previously stated. OMV’s steam cracker has a nameplate ethylene capacity of 500,000 metric tons/year.

Borealis produces low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), and PP at its petchems site in Schwechat.

As per MRC, Borealis is investing around EUR200 mln to upgrade and expand its XLPE and semicon assets at existing production locations in Europe. This ambitious initiative will serve the W&C market by safeguarding the reliable supply of high-quality insulation and semiconductive materials in the long term, and particularly those required to support global offshore wind and interconnector projects.
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Trinseo, a specialty material solutions provider, and GMP Group (GMP), a circular business innovations company in the Netherlands, announced jointly today their intended concerted efforts in further unlocking the circularity of polystyrene (PS), said the company.

Food-contact PS is an ideal material for food packaging, and recycled food-contact PS helps contribute to the circularity of packaging materials, especially when packaging waste remains a concern in many domains. Food-contact PS is an ideal material for food packaging, and recycled food-contact PS helps contribute to the circularity of packaging materials, especially when packaging waste remains a concern in many domains.

PS is a common material used in numerous applications, including packaging and consumer goods. Food-contact PS is an ideal material for food packaging, and recycled food-contact PS helps contribute to the circularity of packaging materials, especially when packaging waste remains a concern in many domains.

Trinseo and GMP’s collaboration aims at providing a framework for cooperation, on an exclusive basis, the construction and operation by GMP of an advanced pretreatment or regeneration plant with a minimum 25kt capacity in the Netherlands. The plant will purify PS waste and deliver high-quality recycled PS pellets via the Super Clean recycling process. The anticipated startup date of the plant in the Netherlands is 2024. There is also an intended execution of a long-term tolling and off-taking agreement.

The intended collaboration will see the two companies conduct research into other supply and processing opportunities, utilizing their combined technology expertise to help develop more sustainable solutions.

As per MRC, Trinseo, a specialty material solutions provider, opened its new Global Business Services (GBS) office in Dublin City Centre, welcoming representatives from leading local businesses and organisations, staff and partners to an official unveiling ceremony attended by Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD.

Trinseo is a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber. Trinseo's technology is used by customers in industries such as home appliances, automotive, building & construction, carpet, consumer electronics, consumer goods, electrical & lighting, medical, packaging, paper & paperboard, rubber goods and tires. Formerly known as Styron, Trinseo completed its renaming process in 1Q 2015. Trinseo had approximately $4.8 billion in net sales in 2021 and has 26 manufacturing sites and one recycling facility around the world and approximately 3,400 employees.
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Neste and Fly Victor, the on-demand private jet company, announce a partnership which sets a new sustainability benchmark in business aviation, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Starting today, Victor members can purchase Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for every private jet booking globally. This enables private jet charterers to reduce the carbon footprint of their private air travel in a credible and measurable way.

Victor’s private and corporate members can reduce the carbon emissions of their air travel, meet the climate targets they have set, and credibly report on their CO?e emission reductions. Corporates signed up for Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) who are genuinely committed to reducing their Scope 3 emissions, and specifically emissions from their jet charter flights, can currently do this only by booking private jet charter flights with Victor.

As aviation in Europe sets its sights on increasing the share of SAF to up to 10% of all jet fuel use by 2030, this new partnership model also enables accelerated action towards this target. Given how fragmented the business aviation sector is, this “pay here, use there” solution is the first to offer SAF for every charter flight. This is crucial as it enables SAF demand to increase. Victor’s global base of influential members who have the ability and means to choose SAF and make their private travel with reduced climate impact, are offered a great opportunity to help increase the overall demand so this sustainable solution can develop more rapidly.

“I’m excited that we are in this pioneering partnership together with Victor, a leader in charter aviation. It enables Victor members to purchase Neste’s SAF for any flight booked through Victor globally. It is an industry-leading blueprint that we hope other companies will follow as the aviation sector strives for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. SAF is essential to reaching this goal, immediately reducing greenhouse gas emissions from flying. Neste is committed to supporting aviation’s emission reduction goals and believes that requires a joint effort where everyone’s choice matters,” said Jonathan Wood, Vice President Europe, Renewable Aviation, at Neste.

As per MRC, Neste and United Airlines announced that they have signed a new purchase agreement that provides United the right to buy up to 160,000 mtons (52.5 MM gallons) of Neste MY SAF over the next three years to fuel United flights at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, and potentially other airports, as well. With this agreement, United became the first U.S. airline to make an international purchase agreement for SAF.

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.
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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 specialty lubricant (L&MWF1 ) distribution assets of Ak-tas in Turkey, said the company.

The transaction includes the oil additive business of Ak-tas as well as the base oil distribution business of Whitechem, a subsidiary of Ak-tas. Ak-tas and WhiteChem partner with blue-chip principals and have long-standing relationships with customers in Turkey and the surrounding region.

The acquisition further strengthens Azelis’ lateral value chain (LVC) in the L&MWF market segment, following the acquisition of Umongo in South-Africa earlier this year. It is a further reflection of Azelis’ commitment to sustainability, expanding key relationships with principals with a strong agenda in renewable and sustainable base oils. With an application laboratory dedicated to L&MWF, Azelis’ technical specialists aim to consistently drive innovation and sustainability within the segment, as well as the wider market. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022, after fulfilment of customary closing conditions.

As per MRC, Azelis, a leading global innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, announces that it has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Ashapura Aromas Private Limited (“Ashapura”), a leading distributor of ingredients in the flavors & fragrances (“F&F”) market in India.

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.
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Exports of Ecuador's flagship Oriente crude remain suspended under a force majeure declaration as the spread of anti-government protests hurts oil output, state-run Petroecuador said, sai Reuters.

At least eight people have died and road blockades have led to food and medicine shortages. The crisis has halved oil output, the country's main source of revenue, to some 234,500 bpd while forcing reductions in fuel prices, though protest leaders have called the price cuts insufficient.

On Wednesday, the government of President Guillermo Lasso imposed a curfew and restricted transit in four provinces to restore public order, control violence, secure basic supplies and protect state property, while marking oilfields and facilities as secured zones. The energy minister said on Sunday that output could be completely halted in a matter of days over acts of vandalism.

Petroecuador has not yet rescheduled the suspended Oriente cargoes, it said in a release. The firm issued a wide force majeure declaration over oil exploration, production, transport and exports on June 18, and enforced the cargo suspension on June 28. "Once the force majeure is overcome, the company will timely notify companies about operations to coordinate the (cargo) rescheduling," it said.

Exports of Napo heavy crude have continued flowing, according to trading and company sources, as the privately held OCP pipeline, which transports that grade from oilfields, is working with "relative normality." But the state-owned SOTE pipeline remains halted since Monday due to low flows.

Customers including BP and Marathon Petroleum , which had resorted to Ecuadorian oil to try and replace cargoes of Russian crude lost due to sanctions, are now in talks with other Latin American and Middle Eastern producers, including Brazil's state-run Petrobras, to buy oil cargoes for refining, the trading sources said. U.S. refiners have increased purchases of Ecuadorian crude since Washington imposed a phased wind-down of Russian oil imports.

Peru's state-run Petroperu also had won a tender to receive Ecuadorian crude in coming weeks for its Talara refinery, which is set to restart this year after an expansion project. But cargoes were ultimately resold to BP, which is waiting for a rescheduling to get the oil delivered. BP, Petrobras and Petroperu did not reply to requests for comment. Marathon declined to comment. Lasso on Tuesday survived an attempt by opposition lawmakers to oust him after he insisted his government would not negotiate further with an indigenous leader to end more than two weeks of paralyzing protests.

As per MRC, BP is beefing up its hydrogen management team as the energy company prepares to accelerate investments in the low-carbon fuel which it believes will play a key role in the world's shift away from fossil fuels.
The revamp of the hydrogen team is the first clear sign of changes Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, a former head of RWE Renewables, has made since becoming BP's head of natural gas and renewables in March. It also comes as BP announces it has agreed to buy a 40.5% stake and become operator of an Australian renewable energy project that could become one of the world's biggest producers of green hydrogen.
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