Indorama Ventures and Capchem evaluate proposed carbonate solvents plant

Indorama Ventures, a global sustainable chemical company, has entered into a non-binding agreement with Capchem Technology USA to study the opportunity to build and operate a world-class lithium-ion battery solvents plant at one of IVL’s petrochemical facilities in the U.S. Gulf Coast, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The proposed plant will supply the lithium-ion batteries industry in North America, which is boosted by significant growth in the development of electric vehicles (EV). The proposed facility will produce ethylene carbonate and its chemical derivatives, which are essential components of the electrolytes solutions used in lithium-ion batteries. IVL’s Integrated Oxides and Derivatives (IOD) segment and Capchem USA, a subsidiary of Shenzhen Capchem Technology Co., Ltd., will study the proposal to develop and operate the plant. Capchem is a global leading company in lithium-ion battery chemicals. A new plant would significantly benefit the North American lithium-ion battery market, which currently depends on imports from Asia amid potential for accelerated growth in the EV industry.

Entering the lithium-ion battery market as a competitive new player reinforces IOD’s transition towards downstream specialty products, increasing IVL’s opportunities in attractive end-market applications. Under its Vision 2030 ambition, IVL is building on its global integrated petrochemicals model through investing in adjacent businesses that offer High Value Add (HVA) products which contribute to a more sustainable world.

The study will assess the opportunity to build a plant using Capchem’s established technology to produce ultra-pure ethylene carbonate, di-methyl carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, di-ethyl carbonate and derivatized electrolyte solutions. The study also includes an option to build a second module to meet expected growing market demand. The key raw materials for the proposed new plant, namely purified ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide, will be supplied from IVL’s integrated supply network as part the company’s strategy to enhance end-market exposure, technologies, and downstream portfolio breadth. The sequestered carbon dioxide used in the process has a positive sustainability impact.

Alastair Port, Executive President, Integrated Oxides and Derivatives (IOD), IVL, said, “IVL is constantly looking for ways to enhance our sustainability programs towards our vision of creating a more sustainable world. This mutual study with Capchem USA not only helps us to achieve that, but also supports the adoption of zero-emission electric mobility. Given our proven operational excellence, highly skilled workforce, world-class infrastructure, and access to captive raw materials, we believe we are well-placed to successfully implement the technology, which will help to reduce North American EV manufacturers’ reliance on imports."

As per MRC, Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global sustainable chemical company, today completed the acquisition of the wool spinning businesses in Italy and Poland of Tollegno 1900 S.p.A. (Tollegno 1900), a leading Italian manufacturer of fabrics and yarns.
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Mexican national oil company Pemex said one person was dead and another missing on Friday after an "incident" caused by a storm at the Madero refinery in the state of Tamaulipas, said Reuters.

Lightning caused a truck on site to burst into flames, Pemex said in a statement, causing an oil well to also catch on fire.

Around 6:30 a.m. Friday morning, the body of an employee of contractor Amarelo Power was found, Pemex said, while an employee of contractor GMG was missing.

We remind that n late January, 2022, Pemex signed a long-term crude supply contract with Royal Dutch Shell Plc as part of its acquisition of the Deer Park refinery in Texas. Pemex and Shell in May, 2021, announced the transaction, which is worth almost USD600 MM and will make the Mexican firm the sole owner of the refinery near Houston. The facility has capacity to process 340,000 bpd. Shell will supply about 200,000 bpd of foreign and US crude to the plant for at least 15 years.

As MRC informed previously, Mexico will reduce refining output at state oil company Pemex while it modernizes its oil refineries.
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Maire Tecnimont announced that its subsidiary NextChem has been awarded a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract by a market leader in plastics and chemicals for an advanced mechanical recycling plant of municipal plastic waste in Europe, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The aim of the project is to establish an advanced mechanical recycling plant for polyolefins, which shall manufacture products containing up to 100% post-consumer recycled materials (PCR). The waste processing capacity of the plant will be up to 75,000 tpy.

NextChem will be responsible for the Front-End Engineering Design, also assisting the client in the development of the execution phase. Completion of the FEED is expected by mid-2023. Once completed, the plant will be one of the largest advanced mechanical recycling facilities worldwide.

Alessandro Bernini, Chief Executive Officer of Maire Tecnimont Group and NextChem, commented “Enabling leading producers to include in their product portfolio partially or completely recycled polymers is one of the most effective ways to give plastics a sustainable life cycle, reducing both consumption of fossil sources and the carbon footprint. This new recycling plant will also integrate NextChem’s knowhow and technology solutions, in order to convert waste sources into new second-life products. We are proud to enable this solution thanks to our technological know-how”.

As per MRC, NextChem, Maire Tecnimont's energy transition technology company, has completed the construction of the first demonstration plant in Italy for the chemical recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyester from textiles, as part of the European Union’s DEMETO project. The plant is located in Chieti, in the Abruzzo Technology Park.
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Univar Solutions Inc., a leading global provider of solutions for specialty ingredient and chemical product users, announced today that it has acquired Vicom Distribucion Productos Quimicos, S.L., a leading regional distributor of specialty chemicals in Spain and Portugal, said the company.

The acquisition of Vicom will further expand the company's strong specialist portfolio of coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE) by enhancing its range of additive solutions and increasing its presence in Europe with more sustainable options.

"I am delighted to welcome the Vicom team to the Univar Solutions family," said Nick Powell, President of Global Ingredients & Specialties. "Vicom advances our strategic growth priorities by deepening our ability to offer market-leading ingredients, specialty chemicals and solutions to our customers. With a highly-skilled sales organization, strong partnerships with both new and existing Univar Solutions suppliers, and a proven track record of service excellence, Vicom is a highly complementary fit and will add even more value to our customers as we expand our solution offerings to meet trends and drive sustainable options as we continue to grow together."

Teresa Garcia, Chairman of the Board of Vicom, said, "We are very excited to join Univar Solutions in offering our customers an even broader portfolio of critical solutions for their applications. We share a deep commitment to customer service through an enhanced experience and I am confident that we have a very bright future ahead of us as part of Univar Solutions."

As per MRC, ASF’s Glyoxal is utilized by customers as a cross-linking agent in numerous industries, said the company.
Effective June 1, 2022, Univar Solutions has been named the exclusive distributor for BASF's Chemical Intermediates’ Glyoxal in the US and Canada. With this agreement BASF and Univar Solutions expand their collaboration to better serve customers through a host of sustainable solutions across a range of applications.

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Valvoline Inc is selling its unit that makes lubricants, coolants and other automotive products to state-owned Saudi Aramco for USD2.65 B in cash to sharpen focus on its retail services business, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The deal announced on Monday builds on the company's plan to separate the two units, with the sale proceeds set to fuel an expansion of the vehicle service center business Valvoline operates across the United States. For Aramco, it deepens a bet on the long-term demand for petrochemicals. The oil giant has been expanding its presence in the sector, known as downstream, and bought petrochemical maker Saudi Basic Industries Corp in 2020.

Valvoline shares rose nearly 4% in premarket trading, while Aramco was a tad higher. "Valvoline's Global Products business fits perfectly with Aramco's growth strategy for lubricants as it will leverage our global base oils production, contribute to R&D capabilities and strengthen existing relationships with OEMs (original equipment makers)," said Mohammed Qahtani, senior executive at Aramco.

The business brought USD1.76 B in revenue last year, accounting for nearly 60% of Valvoline's sales, and is forecast to grow 24% in the third quarter. Valvoline said it would also use the sale proceeds to accelerate share repurchases and reduce debt. Aramco will own the Valvoline brand for all product uses globally, though the Lexington, Kentucky-based company will continue to procure motor oil and related products from the lubricant business through a long-term supply deal.

As per MRC, South Korean oil refiner S-Oil has signed four MOUs with Saudi Aramco to collaborate in the alternative energy business, including Thermal Crude to Chemicals (TC2C) technology, research and development (R&D) on the production of lower carbon future energy, and investment in venture capita.
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