SCG Chemicals to complete plastics recycling capacity increase in Portugal in 2023

SCG Chemicals or SCGC has recently invested in new technologies and machinery at Sirplaste in Portugal, following the acquisition of a 70% stake in Sirplaste-Sociedade Industrial de Recuperados de Plastico, S.A. (Sirplaste) through SCG Chemicals Trading (Singapore) PTE in April 2022, said the company.

This investment is undertaken to expand the production capacity of recycled high-density polyethylene or High Quality Post-Consumer Recycled Resin (PCR) by 9,000 tonnes per year, or 25% of the current total production capacity. As a result, Sirplaste will have a total PCR production capacity of more than 45,000 tonnes per year by the second quarter of 2023. The goal is to address the ever-increasing market demand in Europe and Africa. This strengthens Portugal's position as a leader in PCR and fits with SCGC's corporate strategy of "Chemicals Business for Sustainability".

Tanawong Areeratchakul, Chief Executive Officer and President of SCGC, said, "SCGC has a clear business strategy for the green polymer that fulfills the market's need for sustainability. The decision to invest in new technologies and machinery at Sirplaste in Portugal at this time is to strengthen the High Quality Post-Consumer Recycled Resin or PCR business and expand the commercial potential to become more competitive in the global market."

As per MRC, Siam Cement Group (SCG) will invest on a USD22.7m project to produce biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BOPET) in Vietnam. AJ Plast (Vietnam) Co Ltd, a 45:55 joint venture between SCG subsidiary SCG Chemicals and Thailand-listed flexible packaging producer AJ Plast, will carry out the project, SCG said in a bourse filing on 22 August.
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Saint-Gobain has now obtained approvals from all relevant competition authorities for its acquisition of GCP Applied Technologies Inc., a major global player in construction chemicals, announced on December 6, 2021, said the comany.

The acquisition will close on September 27, 2022. GCP will delist from the New York Stock Exchange.

With approximately USD1.0bn revenues generated in 2021 by 1,800 employees working on 50 production sites in 38 countries, GCP Applied Technologies provides a global platform with established success in cement additives, concrete admixtures, infrastructure and commercial and residential building materials.

This acquisition is a major milestone in establishing Saint-Gobain’s leading position worldwide in construction chemicals and furthers the Group’s strategy as worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction.

The specialty building materials business in North America (USD250 million of sales) will be integrated into the CertainTeed business serving local customers in its Region. All other businesses, consisting of mainly concrete admixtures and cement additives (USD750 million of sales) will be combined with the Chryso business and be part of the High Performance Solutions segment.

Last December, Saint-Gobain signed an agreement to acquire US-based construction-chemicals producer GCP Applied Technologies for USD2.3bn.The price comes to USD32/share and represents a multiple of 13.2x of GCP's 2022 estimated adjusted earnings before interest, tax depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), Saint-Gobain said. That 2022 estimate for adjusted EBITDA comes to USD170m.
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Saudi Basic Industries Corp.’s (SABIC) board of directors approved the resignation of Vice Chairman and CEO Yousef Al-Benyan after a royal decree was issued to appoint him as Minister of Education, according to a bourse statement, said the company.

The resignation is effective as on, Sept. 28. In a separate statement, Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh was appointed as acting CEO for six months, starting today.

Al-Fageeh holds a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from King Saud University and an MBA from Bradford University in UK. He assumes the position of Executive Vice President, Petrochemicals at SABIC and Chairman of Al?Jubail Petrochemical Co. (Kemya), Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Company (YANPET) and Gulf Coast Growth Ventures.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz issued three royal decrees, on Sept. 27, reshuffling the Kingdom’s Cabinet and appointing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Prime Minister.

As per MRC, SABIC participated in the Local Content Forum in Riyadh on September 5 and 6 to promote localization, support national industries, and stimulate national workforce development through its NUSANED™ local content initiative. Organized by the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority, the Forum was attended by Khalid Al-Dabbagh, SABIC Chairman, Yousef Al-Benyan, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, and Faisal Al-Bahair, CEO, Nusaned Investment. In addition, a number of ministers and other dignitaries also attended and participated in panel discussions and workshops. Members of the Local Content Coordination Council, which includes a number of leading companies, were among the prominent participants.
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Borealis and ITC Packaging, a leading European manufacturer of thin wall packaging for food-contact applications, have jointly developed a series of new and more sustainable rigid packaging formats that are suitable for food contact, said the company.

The partners used resins from the and portfolios to upgrade a number of iconic food packaging formats found on European supermarket shelves, primarily in the ice cream and ready-to-eat segments. These more sustainable formats containing chemically recycled polypropylene (rPP) and renewable-based PP were launched in record time in the course of 2022. The successful launches underscore the efficiency of value chain collaboration in the spirit of , the Borealis platform created to accelerate action on plastics circularity.

Brand owners and converters are keen to find ways to reduce their carbon footprint by enhancing the sustainability of their packaging. At the same time, ensuring the safety of food-contact packaging is crucial. Grades in the Borcycle C portfolio guarantee the high purity and safety required for food-contact applications because they are gained through the chemical recycling process, which turns plastic waste which is difficult to recycle back into virgin-grade materials. Grades in the Bornewables portfolio are composed of renewably-sourced feedstocks derived from residue and vegetable waste streams.

Because both Borcycle C and Bornewables grades are composed of ISCC PLUS-certified (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) sustainable feedstock produced in accordance with the mass balance method, using them enables manufacturers and brand owners to reduce the CO2 footprint of their packaging formats. As these grades are virgin-grade resins offering the same high purity and performance as polyolefins made using fossil fuel-based feedstocks, they offer the added bonus of not requiring grade revalidation, because they can be used as drop-in solutions.

“As packaging pioneers, ITC has always been at the forefront of innovation. Our long-term strategic partnership with Borealis has enabled us to consolidate our position as sustainability trailblazers in the European rigid packaging industry,” says Jose Luis Olmedo, ITC Packaging Managing Director. “Our ultimate aim is to maintain high food safety standards while implementing an added-value circular economy model that meets market demands. This is what strengthens our relationships to both our customers and value chain partners.”

“Working together with ITC in the spirit of EverMinds has allowed us to identify and implement the ideal technologies and material solutions for making rigid PP packaging food-contact compliant yet more circular,” says Peter Voortmans, Borealis Global Commercial Director Consumer Products. “Building on the success story with Bornewables and Borcycle C, Borealis and ITC are now exploring the use of mechanically recycled compounds from the portfolio to further reduce the carbon footprint of ITC’s non-food packaging. This is how we advance value chain collaboration to close the loop on plastics circularity and at the same time underline how we manage to re-invent essentials for sustainable living.”

We remind, Borealis and Trexel, a leading expert in foaming injection and blow moulded parts, announce that they have co-developed a new plastic bottle based on a grade from the Bornewables portfolio of polyolefins made using renewable feedstocks derived 100% from waste and residue streams.
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LyondellBasell announced the ethylene cracker at its integrated olefins and polyolefins production site in Berre, France will not restart until early 2023, said the company.

The chemical company's French ethylene cracker was damaged by a fire on August 2. While repairs should be completed by November, the combination of persistently high energy costs, compressing margins and falling demand for products in the region contributed to the decision to delay the restart.

We remind, LyondellBasell announced that Polski Koncern Naftowy ORLEN S.A. (PKN ORLEN) will be using the LyondellBasell Lupotech T high-pressure polyethylene technology. The Lupotech T process technology will be used for a 250 kiloton per year (KTA) low density polyethylene (LDPE) line. The new line will be located at their existing complex in Plock, Poland.

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