Azoty stops capro, PA6, nitrogen ferts production on gas pricing

Record natural gas pricing for Poland-based chemicals producer Grupa Azoty has driven the company to halt some caprolactam (capro), polyamide 6 (PA6), and nitrogen fertilizers production, the firm said.

The company is planning to halt production of nitrogen fertilizers, PA6, and capro at its Grupa Azoty SA division – the overall company parent, based in Tarnow, Poland – and reduce production at its Pulawy site in the country.

The temporary shutdowns at its Grupa Azoty SA operations are expected to come into effect from Tuesday (23 August), the company said, driven by “record” natural gas prices.

Azoty estimates that its natural gas pricing has increased from EUR72 per megawatt hour (MWh) on 22 February to EUR276/MWh on 22 August.

Azoty is understood to have already reduced production of melamine, ammonia, and urea in July.

The company had not responded to requests for comment on the extent of the production cuts at its Pulawy operations at the time of publication.

Earlier it was reported that Grupa Azoty Zak plans to shut the production of dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) at its plant in Kedzierzyn (Poland) in the second half of August for repairs. Grupa Azoty intends to close this production facility with a capacity of 65 thousand tons of DOTP per year in Kedzierzyn by the second half of August.

Grupa Azoty S.A. - a large diversified chemical holding, is the fifth largest producer of polyamides in Europe, the only Polish producer of polyoxymethylene and one of the leading producers of mineral fertilizers in the European Union. The largest shareholder is the State Treasury of Poland (32.05%), the rest of the owners are institutional investors. Grupa Azoty Tarnow is engaged in the production and distribution of building plastics, as well as raw materials for their production and mineral fertilizers.
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European recycling group GreenGroup has acquired Lithuanian low-density polyethylene (LDPE) recycling company UAB Ecso, said Packaging-gateway.

The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Founded in 2009, UAB Ecso claims to be one of Lithuania’s leading polyethylene recyclers, with an annual film waste processing capacity of 20,000t.

The company converts film waste from household and industrial post-consumption into recycled LDPE granules. The acquisition is part of GreenGroup’s mergers and acquisition (M&A) strategy and marks the company’s entry into the polyolefin recycling market.

It is also expected to help the group expand in the LDPE sector across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Over the coming years, the company plans to invest between €150m and €200m to strengthen its position as an integrated recycling group in the CEE region.

GreenGroup board chairman Constantin Damov said: “The Lithuanian model proved to be a local success for closed-loop resourcing of plastic waste, aligned with the circular economy objectives. “With this investment, we are positioning the Group as the first line of defence for limiting the environmental impact of single-use plastics – a group fitting both PET and polyolefins. “Our objective is to scale this model in the region and other countries as well.”

Abris Romania partner and head Adrian Stanculescu said: “This latest acquisition consolidates GreenGroup’s recycling activities over the past 20 years and is a decisive step in the Group’s strategy to become a key player in polyolefins recycling in the region.

“Furthermore, it is a strategic investment that reinforces the Group’s commitment to sustainability and to tackling the most pressing environmental issues, such as plastic pollution and reducing carbon footprints.” The deal with UAB Ecso comes nearly a month after GreenGroup acquired SIGAD, a Romanian company that develops environmental reporting software.

Acording to ICIS-MRC Price Report, Kazanorgsintez shut down one of its two reactors of the third LDPE production line on 10 August due to technical problems. The downtime is expected to last for two weeks. The Kazan producer also intends to shut down the second LDPE production line (the 108 grade) for scheduled maintenance from 20 September till 12 October.

The group is backed by Abris Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Poland.
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EQUATE Group, a global producer of petrochemicals, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Omniya Project Management Company, a plastic recycling firm, in a bid to help close the loop on the plastics economy through the implementation of a joint community recycling program, said the company.

Signed by Naser Aldousari, President & CEO of EQUATE Group, and Sanaa AlGhemlas, CEO of Omniya, the agreement marks the strengthening of a collaborative partnership to develop and support environmental initiatives in Kuwait to minimize resource consumption and reduce waste.

Throughout the program, EQUATE Group will be the exclusive provider, responsible for the design, implementation, and delivery of the 45 Omniya’s plastic recycling containers across various locations in Kuwait. The initiative aims to encourage the community to reduce plastic waste. EQUATE Group will also support the initiative with the maintenance of two compressors used to collect, sort, and recycle waste.

Naser Aldousari, President & CEO of EQUATE Group, said: “Omniya has been a long-standing partner of EQUATE Group, and we are proud to expand the horizon of our cooperation by helping their latest efforts to develop and support recycling initiatives in Kuwait. We are committed to minimizing resource consumption and reducing waste as we aim to shrink our carbon footprint and help the plastics industry transition to a circular economy. Operating in a sustainable economy is a critical area of focus for EQUATE, and we will continue to support initiatives that strive to achieve this goal."

Sanaa AlGhemlas, CEO of Omniya, added: “We are delighted to continue the over 5-year partnership with EQUATE Group and introduce a sustainable plastic recycling model. At Omniya, we’ve been doing a great deal in the region to reduce plastic waste, but in order to reach a circular economy, we need a variety of stakeholders throughout the entire supply chain to participate. EQUATE Group is paving the way among leaders in the plastics industry."

We remind, EQUATE Group has added a new global award to its list of accomplishments, as the MEGlobal BOOKRAMEG Oyster Creek Project has been named an Award of Merit winner in the Power/Industrial category of the ENR Best Project Awards of 2020. The world-scale 750,000 metric-ton-per-annum monoethylene (MEG) glycol and di-ethylene glycol facility (DEG) was constructed in Oyster Creek, Texas ahead of schedule, below budget and with an excellent safety record. It was the first time the EQUATE Group constructed a new EG facility in the United States.
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US-based packaging company Charter Next Generation (CNG) has revealed plans to acquire Polymer Packaging’s extrusion business, Polymer Film & Bag (PF&B), as well as certain associated assets, said Packaging-gateway.

The addition of PF&B is intended to allow CNG to enter new vertical markets. PF&B provides enhanced quality and environmentally friendly films for industrial and food service markets using advanced co-extrusion lines.

The company’s films are thin in design compared with conventional films, but are claimed to deliver stronger performance. PF&B is certified as a Safe Quality Food (SQF) manufacturing company. CNG chairman and CEO Kathy Bolhous said: “PF&B is a perfect fit for CNG and will help us continue to outpace industry growth in the future.

“The team in Massillon shares many of our core values, as well as a focus on creating sustainable solutions. “We also share a commitment to focus on our customers’ success by providing the most advanced, highest quality films available. “We are thrilled to welcome the PF&B team to CNG."

CNG is an independent producer of high-performance, sustainable films in North America. It serves the flexible packaging and other end-use markets. Polymer Packaging CEO and owner Larry Lanham said: “As I considered divesting this business, my primary concern was to find the best possible home for my employees while providing the best possible care for our customers.

“I immediately thought of CNG, the preeminent supplier in this marketplace, with a reputation for delivering both." In May this year, CNG joined a Minnesota-based initiative to expand film recycling infrastructure and the supply of recycled resin for use in new products.

Led by Minnesota’s MBOLD coalition and film recycler Myplas USA, the scheme aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste output. It will involve Myplas building a flexible film recycling plant in the state, which is scheduled to begin operations next year.

As per MRC, Amcor has completed its acquisition of a flexible packaging plant in the Czech Republic. Commissioned as a greenfield in 2019, the plant is fitted with advanced, specialised equipment to allow it to serve various segments, including coffee and pet food. In addition, the purchased land and buildings offer the capacity to expand the facility’s operations and establish a production hub at the site.
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Mitsubishi HiTec Paper has partnered with Wipperfurth-based pouch packaging machines maker SN Maschinenbau to offer paper-based packaging solutions, said Nspackaging.

Both firms will work together to develop sustainable and flexible packaging solutions for the food and non-food sector. Mitsubishi HiTec Paper has provided barricote, an advanced line of recyclable barrier sheets for flexible packaging of food and non-food for many years.

SN Maschinenbau is known for its top-notch horizontal form, fill, and seal (HFFS) equipment for a variety of items, particularly food. After extensive testing and close collaboration, the two businesses have now established that films and water-coated barricote papers can be processed on SN Maschinenbau pouch packing machines with equal reliability.

This avoids the need for pricey machine technology upgrades, said Mitsubishi. SN Maschinenbau Development & Global Accounts director business Reiner Muller said: “As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of horizontally operating pouch packaging machines, we are delighted with the excellent cooperation with Mitsubishi HiTec Paper and the positive test results.

“This proves once again that a large part of today’s sustainable mono packaging materials can be processed reliably without extensive adaptation of the machine technology. “Furthermore, together with Mitsubishi HiTec Paper, we offer a solution for the increasing demand for paper packaging in the market."

As per MRC, Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) hereby announces that it has invested in Eridan Communications, a company developing power transceivers for the 5G communications environment, through its CVC subsidiary Diamond Edge Ventures, Inc. Eridan and its next-generation radio-frequency (RF) transceiver technology enable improved connectivity for more people, using less energy, less expensive infrastructure, and less spectrum, addressing the main obstacle for the shift from 4G to 5G. In its initial stages of deployment, Eridan’s MIRACLE RF Front End Module will be utilized by telecom equipment manufacturers building small cells and Massive MIMO systems for urban and suburban locations.
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