LyondellBasell makes decision to progress recycling plant in Wesseling

LyondellBasell announced it has made a decision to move forward with engineering to build an advanced recycling plant at its Wesseling, Germany, said the company.

Using LyondellBasell's proprietary MoReTec technology, this commercial scale advanced recycling plant would convert pre-treated plastic waste into feedstock for new plastic production. The final investment decision is targeted for the end of 2023.

The previously announced German Joint Venture Source One Plastics will provide plastic waste feedstock to the plant. Source One Plastics is planning to build a facility designed to recycle the amount of plastic packaging waste generated by approximately 1.3 million German citizens per year. This plastic waste will consist of materials such as multi-layered food packaging items or mixed plastic containers that are typically not recycled today.

"We are actively working to move the circular economy forward. Progressing our MoReTec technology represents another step LyondellBasell is making to accelerate the development and implementation of scalable sustainable and circular technology", said Yvonne van der Laan, LyondellBasell Executive Vice President, Circular and Low Carbon Solutions. "This high yield, differential technology will allow us to convert plastic waste into pyrolysis oil and pyrolysis gas for use in our crackers as feedstock leading to the production of new plastic materials. Solid process residues can be re-used or consumed in other applications, making this technology an energy efficient, zero waste process for the recycling of plastic waste."

The start-up of the MoReTec recycling plant is planned for end of 2025 with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year. The feedstock produced will be converted at the LyondellBasell Wesseling site into new CirculenRevive polymers for use in applications such as food packaging and healthcare products.

We remind, Lyondell Basell Industries is evaluating expansion of propylene production capacity at its Channelview Complex near Houston. The potential expansion would involve building a new propylene facility using LyondellBasell's existing technology to convert ethylene into propylene for use in the production of polypropylene and propylene oxide. The related product lines are used to make everyday items such as flexible foam for mattresses, cosmetic packaging, electrical covering for 5G network infrastructure, plastic wrap for food packaging, medical syringes, vehicle bumpers, furniture upholstery and pipe for home plumbing, to name a few.

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Solvay and Orbia recently announced their entry into a joint venture framework agreement to create a partnership for the production of suspension-grade polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), creating the largest capacity in North Americam said the company.

As it is further stated in a press release, the joint venture will create the largest PVDF production facility for battery materials in the region. The total investment is estimated around 850 million USD, partially funded by a grant to Solvay from the U.S. Department of Energy for a total of 178 million USD.

With more than half of U.S. car sales projected to be electric by 2030, demand for lithium-ion batteries and PVDF, a thermoplastic fluoropolymer used as a lithium-ion binder and separator coating, is revving up. The Solvay-Orbia joint venture would fill a significant supply gap and will build upon favorable regulatory conditions promoting regional production and material security. Solvay, a global leader in PVDF, brings process technology and unparalleled global market know-how to this venture.

With a vertically-integrated value chain and material holdings, Orbia’s Fluorinated Solutions business Koura and Polymer Solutions business Vestolit will supply hydrofluoric acid, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and chlorine respectively. In combination, Solvay’s “Solef” PVDF innovations and Orbia’s raw material assets and production expertise will enable delivery of PVDF that optimizes energy storage efficiency by increasing battery energy-density, safety and power.

The total investment is estimated to be around USD850 million, and is expected to be funded in part by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy of $178 million to Solvay to build a facility in Augusta, Georgia. Solvay and Orbia intend to use two production sites, one for raw materials and the other for finished product, located in the southeastern United States. Both plants are expected to be fully operational by 2026. Commencement of the joint venture is subject to finalizing and entering into definitive agreements between the parties and satisfaction of customary conditions, including obtaining regulatory approvals.

As per MRC, Solvay is partnering with two companies to collect and re-use the limestone residues from its soda ash production in Rosignano, furthering the company’s commitment to continually optimize the efficiency and sustainability of its operations. Pending further tests, the new partnerships could accelerate the decrease of limestone residues released into the sea, building upon the action plan announced in September to invest in new technical solutions at the site.
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Atkore Inc. announced the acquisition of the assets of Elite Polymer Solutions, a manufacturer of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) conduit, primarily serving telecommunications, utility, and transportation markets for a purchase price of USD91.6 mln, said the company.

“The acquisition of Elite Polymer Solutions strengthens our HDPE conduit product portfolio, expands our national presence and enables us to better serve increased demand for underground protection in the electrical, utility and telecom industries”, said John Pregenzer, President of Atkore’s Electrical business.

We remind, Atkore Inc. announced the acquisitions of two separate but related Oregon-based companies doing business as Cascade Poly Pipe & Conduit and Northwest Polymers. Cascade is a manufacturer specializing in smooth wall HDPE conduit made from recycled materials, primarily serving the telecommunications, utility and datacom markets; and Northwest Polymers is a leading recycler of PVC, HDPE and other plastics and a strategic supply partner to Cascade and other manufacturers in the region.

Elite Polymer Solutions is headquartered in Lovelady, Texas, with approximately 55 employees. It will continue operating at its current location.
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The city of Perm hosted the first contest of LUKOIL Group organizations among engineers of field development integrated modelling, said the company.

22 engineers presenting 7 regions of the Company's operations competed for the titles of Best integrated modelling engineer and Best engineer-technician team.

Their mastery was judged by heads of LUKOIL subsidiaries and specialized departments of PJSC LUKOIL. The contest was held at the premises of the Research and Education Centre for Sustainable Management of Resources.

An integrated model is a comprehensive mathematical model that describes hydrocarbon production processes and their impact on financials of an upstream enterprise. Since 2012, LUKOIL has been successfully employing this method as one of the most high-end tools to calculate production potential, optimize extraction and devise operating performance plans. ?

Introduction of integrated modelling enabled the Company to implement dozens of economically efficient engineering projects in Western Siberia, Perm region, Astrakhan region, as well as its Iraqi West Qurna-2 field.

The first prize of the contest was awarded to Alexey Taybarey of LUKOIL-Komi LLC. The second place went to Artyom Beslik of KogalymNIPIneft, the city of Tyumen (a branch of LUKOIL-Engineering LLC). Vladimir Shulenin of LUKOIL-Komi LLC became the third. The contest was also held among teams composed of employees of various LUKOIL Group organizations.

We remind, Lukoil finished construction of a Petroleum Residue Recycling Facility with production capacity of 2.1 million tonnes per year at its LUKOIL-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez LLC refinery. The facility is comprised of a delayed coking unit, diesel fuel and gasoline hydrotreatment unit, fractioning column, hydrogen and sulphur production unit, as well as infrastructure facilities.

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U.S. regulators will require a new Clean Air Act permit for a troubled oil refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which could cost its owners hundreds of millions of dollars and take three years or more to obtain, as per Reuters.

The idled St. Croix refinery, formerly the largest in the Western Hemisphere, was expected to boost overall supply in the Caribbean, a key transit point for petroleum shipments, but was shut after just a few months of operation.

The EPA shut down the refinery, formerly called Limetree Bay, in May 2021 after a series of chemical releases into the environment sickened neighboring residents. The refinery was sold for $62 MM in December 2021 to West Indies Petroleum and Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation, following the bankruptcy of its former private equity owners.

The plant owners intend to restart the facility, but have let it fall into disrepair, the EPA said last month. The agency cited equipment corrosion that presents risk of fire, explosion or other "catastrophic" releases of hazardous substances.

An August 2022 fire within the petroleum coke conveyor loading system burned for two weeks, prompting the inspection. The new Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit would require detailed air-quality analyses and the use of the best available air pollution control technology, the EPA said Thursday.

A PSD permit limits emissions to levels that would result from the best available air pollution control technology, which the EPA said would likely result in significant reductions of emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic chemicals, and reductions in sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter at the facility.

The EPA said the company may choose to install a low NOx burner, sulfur recovery units or scrubbers and carbon monoxide catalysts. The owners could also consider using low sulfur fuel oil and better combustion practices. The new owners must also negotiate a new consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and operate a flare gas recovery system, the agency said in March.

An earlier owner, Hovensa, was required to spend USD700 million on pollution control equipment, among other obligations after violating the Clean Air Act by increasing emissions without first obtaining pre-construction permits and installing required pollution control equipment.

Hovensa went bankrupt and shut down the plant the following year; later Limetree Bay Ventures bought the refinery in December 2015.

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