European Commission Approves Takeover of HIP Petrohemija by NIS

The European Commission (EC) has approved to Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) the acquisition of HIP Petrohemija Pancevo, they announced from Brussels, said Ekapija.

The EC has concluded that the acquisition “would not cause concern in the market regarding competition”.

The Commission has concluded that the proposed acquisition would not cause concern in the market when it comes to competition, considering the moderate combined market position of the companies which is the result of the proposed transaction – says the statement by the EC.

It is added that the petrochemical company is active in the production and distribution of products such as ethylene, polyethylene and synthetic rubber, whereas NIS is “a vertically integrated energy company”.

The EC added that the procedure had been examined within the simplified merger review procedure.

We remind, HIP Petrohemija declares FM on PE supplies from Pancevo. According to a letter sent to its customers, Serbia’s HIP Petrohemija declared a force majeure on all of its products from Pancevo, Serbia. The company had to declare the force majeure on July 28 due to unexpected issues at the company’s ethylene plant. In its integrated petrochemical complex, HIP PetroHemija produces more than 600,000 tons/year of petrochemical products, while the company’s Pancevo complex houses a 200,000 tons/year steam cracker, a 90,000 tons/year HDPE plant and a 60,000 tons/year LDPE plant.

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Neste Corporation and Marathon Petroleum Corporation (Marathon) announced an agreement to establish a 50/50 joint venture to produce renewable diesel following a conversion project of Marathon's refinery in Martinez, California, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

All required closing conditions have been met, including the receipt of the necessary permits and regulatory approvals, and Neste and Marathon have today closed the transaction for the establishment of the joint venture to be called Martinez Renewables.

“With Martinez Renewables, we are taking one important step further in the execution of Neste’s renewables growth strategy. The partnership strengthens our footprint in the United States, with a renewable diesel production facility in the growing California market. This positions Neste as a global producer of renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel and renewable feedstock for polymers and chemicals, with production operations in Asia, Europe and North America,” says Matti Lehmus, Neste’s President and CEO.

Through Martinez Renewables, Neste obtains a 50% interest in the Martinez Renewable Fuels project. The facility will be operated by Marathon, and the production output will be split evenly between the joint venture partners. Upon completion, Martinez Renewables is expected to increase Neste’s renewable products capacity by slightly over 1 million tons (365 million US gallons) per annum.

Martinez Renewables is expected to commence production in early 2023. Pretreatment capabilities are expected to come online in the second half of 2023 and the facility is expected to be capable of producing 2.1 million tons (730 million US gallons) per year by the end of 2023.

As per MRC, Technip Energies has been awarded a significant contract by Neste for the expansion of their renewable products production capacity in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, as part of the existing Partnership Agreement between Technip Energies and Neste. The contract covers Engineering, Procurement services and Construction management (EPsCm) for the expansion of Neste’s existing renewables refinery in Rotterdam which will increase Neste’s overall renewable product capacity by 1.3 MMtpy.
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Air Liquide, Chevron, Keppel Infrastructure, and PetroChina announced they have signed an MoU to form a consortium which will aim to evaluate and advance the development of large-scale carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) solutions and integrated infrastructure in Singapore, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The consortium intends to research, test, and develop technological, logistical, and operational solutions for CCUS in Singapore. In doing so, the consortium will look to provide industry-wide CCUS integrated infrastructure, primarily to support the energy and chemicals sector, by capturing and aggregating carbon dioxide (CO2) from large industrial emitters at a centralized collection facility.

The CO2 could then be utilized to make useful products, such as plastics, fuels, and cement, and/or transported through either pipelines or ships to suitable reservoirs in the Asia Pacific region for sequestration via a process of injecting CO2 into deep underground geologic formations for permanent and secure storage.

Michele Gritti, vice president, Large Industries and Energy Transition, Air Liquide SEA Cluster, said: “Supporting the decarbonization of industry to help address the urgency of climate change is a priority. We are pleased to collaborate with Keppel Infrastructure, Chevron, and PetroChina in this decarbonization endeavor, leveraging our expertise and experience in carbon capture, purification, and liquefaction to build a comprehensive carbon capture decarbonization solution. In line with its Climate Objectives, Air Liquide is committed to support Singapore’s drive to achieve net-zero by 2050."

Chris Powers, vice president, CCUS, Chevron New Energies, said: “Chevron believes the future of energy is lower carbon, and we are committed to advancing technologies and forming strategic relationships to make it happen. We look forward to working with like-minded collaborators to progress and advance the development of large-scale CCUS solutions in the Asia Pacific region for decades to come."

Chua Yong Hwee, executive director (New Energy), Keppel Infrastructure said: “Hard-to- abate sectors need to leverage technology and innovation to transit towards net zero CO2 emissions. Keppel Infrastructure is well-positioned to support efforts to decarbonize key sectors, given our experience as a leading developer, technology solutions provider and operator of energy and environmental infrastructure in Singapore and the region. In line with Keppel’s Vision, 2030, which places sustainability at the core of its strategy, our collaboration with Air Liquide, Chevron and PetroChina will enable us to take another step towards addressing Singapore’s needs for a low carbon economy."

Li Shaolin, managing director of PetroChina International (Singapore), said: “There are various pathways to decarbonization, and CCUS has been identified as a strategic pathway to be thoroughly evaluated and developed. PetroChina is pleased to be part of this consortium with Air Liquide, Keppel Infrastructure and Chevron; a partnership that will leverage one another’s strengths, capabilities and respective ecosystems towards the advancement of large-scale CCUS solutions in Singapore. Participating in this initiative is our commitment to ensure harmony between the development of the energy industry and the environment, as we endeavor to make meaningful contributions towards Singapore’s goal of achieving Net Zero."

We remind, Air Liquide confirms its intention to withdraw from Russia. Taking a responsible and orderly approach, the Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the local management team with the objective to transfer its activities in Russia in the framework of an MBO (Management Buy Out). This project is notably subject to Russian regulatory approvals. In parallel, as a consequence of the evolution of the geopolitical context, the activities of the Group in Russia will no longer be consolidated starting September 1, 2022.
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Strike action has reduced output at Exxon Mobil’s 240,000 barrel per day (bpd) Port Jerome-Gravenchon oil refinery and Notre Dame de Gravenchon (NDG) petrochemical site in France, said Reuters.

French unions CGT and Force Ouvriere called for a strike at the plants on the evening of Sept. 20.

This followed wage negotiations with Exxon Mobil related to growing inflation in Europe.

“Refinery and petrochemical operations are then impacted with reduced throughput, supply and truck loading are also impacted… This situation may impact our customers, contractors, suppliers, and employees in a challenging energy market environment,” an Exxon Mobil spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

As per MRC, PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG), the petrochemical arm of PETRONAS, and ExxonMobil have signed a memorandum of understanding to assess the potential for large-scale implementation of advanced plastic recycling technology to help create a circular economy for plastics in Malaysia. The companies will also evaluate opportunities to support improvements to plastic waste collection and sorting in the country. Representing PCG at the signing was Ir. Mohd Yusri, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, and for ExxonMobil, Dave Andrew, Vice President of new market development.
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Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co Ltd has announced plans to double the laminating adhesives production capacity from the current level at its Malaysia-based subsidiary Toyochem Specialty Chemical Sdn Bhd, said Polymerspaintcolourjournal.

By strengthening its global supply chain, the Toyo Ink Group plans to expand sales of high-functionality and environmentally friendly solutions such as solvent-free adhesives, the demand for which is expected to grow worldwide. Expansion work is now under way at the Malaysian site with full operation slated to begin in Q3 of 2023. Once in operation, Toyochem Specialty Chemical is expected to serve as the mother factory of laminating adhesives to the Asian region, especially high-performance products, an area of core competency for the Group.

At present, the demand for laminating adhesives, which are mainly used to coat multilayered films in flexible packaging structures, is expanding in use for retort food pouches and pharmaceutical packaging primarily in Asia. This includes applications such as PTP (press through package) sheets, a common form of blister packing for drug tablets. Rising populations in countries across Asia are expected to further propel the growth of the retort pouch sector by about 10% over the next five years.

"The Toyo Ink Group has long been a pioneer in developing high-performance adhesive solutions together with our subsidiary Toyo-Morton, who is Japan’s largest producer of laminating adhesives,” said Toshinori Machida, Executive Operating Officer of Toyo Ink SC Holdings. “We’re now looking to bring our unique brand of packaging adhesives, coatings and inks to other regions of the world, in line with our global expansion plan. In addition to Malaysia, we’ve recently bolstered our production infrastructure in China and Turkey. And our Turkish facility is set to serve as the supply hub for markets in the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. To ensure a stable supply to meet future demand, we’ve set a target to increase our global production capacity for laminating adhesives by one-and-a-half times the current level by the end of 2027."

We remind, Toyo Engineering India Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyo Engineering Corporation, has been awarded a contract by Indian Oil Corporation Limited for the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning of a new 2.5 MMTPA Vacuum Distillation Unit planned by Indian Oil Corporation Limited in Vadodara, Gujarat, Western India. IOCL is a largest Public Sector Undertaking governed by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Gujarat Refinery is one of India's largest oil refineries. The refinery is currently planning to expand its existing refinery from 13.7 MMTPA to 18 MMTPA, the total investment in this expansion project is more than 300 billion yen, aiming for more efficient refinery operation and high-value-added product production. This project is expected to be completed in the first half of FY 2024.
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