Versalis acquires DSM Proesa technology

In Italy, Versalis, Eni’s chemical company, has acquired the technology to produce enzymes for second-generation ethanol from DSM, said Biofuelsdigest.

The agreement has a strategic value for Versalis as it integrates with proprietary Proesa® technology, applied at the Crescentino plant for the production of sustainable bioethanol and chemical products from lignocellulosic biomass, improving the competitiveness of technology and production.

The acquisition of this technology strengthens Versalis’ position as a leader in chemistry from renewable sources. This agreement also provides an important boost to both the Crescentino plant development program and the Proesa technology, which bolsters the path towards decarbonization for the Eni chemical company.

DSM enzymes have already been successfully tested at Versalis research centers for their use in conjunction with the proprietary Proesa technology. Furthermore, starting from the technology acquired, Versalis plans to proceed with research activities to ensure further development in this area.

We remind, Versalis Dunkerque cracker offline after fire. A major fire broke out this Friday evening, around 10:50 p.m. on the site of the petrochemical plant based in Mardyck, classified Seveso, in the industrial port of Dunkirk, said Francebleu. Firefighters extinguished the fire overnight at 1:30 a.m. No injuries are reported. A significant number of firefighters from the North lent a hand to the plant's own fire department, as required by procedure in this type of situation. The operation lasted from 10:50 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
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Industrial gas major Linde will expand nitrogen supply to a new USD4bn petrochemical project in Cilegon, Indonesia, owned and operated by Lotte Chemical Indonesia (LCI), said Gasworld.

Having today (14th Dec) signed a 20-year agreement with the company, Linde will build, own and operate a new pipeline across the Cilegon Industrial Park.

According to a statement released by the company, when the pipeline comes onstream in June 2024, it will have additional capacity to meet the needs of current and future customers located within the industrial cluster.

“We are pleased to expand our business relationship with Lotte Chemical in Indonesia,” enthused Vinayak Kembhavi, President of Linde Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. “This pipeline investment also opens new opportunities for Linde to expand our supply to additional industrial customers and is key to support Indonesia’s economic growth."

Some of the main industrial uses of nitrogen includes the manufacture of ammonia that is required for fertiliser, although the gas is also used in several commercial foods and drinks production processes such as in modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) and as an alternative to CO2 carbonation.

We remind, Linde, the world’s largest industrial gases company, said on Tuesday it has started producing green hydrogen at its facilities in Greece. Green hydrogen is made from water by electrolysis using renewable wind and solar power. The U.S.-German company, which supplies gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen to factories and hospitals, said it was the first green hydrogen production in Greece. Hydrogen is key in Europe’s energy transition to a sustainable environment and net zero emissions by 2050.

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Azelis, a leading global innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, announced a new distribution agreement with Sun Chemical, a global leader in inks, coatings, pigments, and advanced materials, said the company.

Effective from January 1st, 2023, this new mandate allows Azelis to strengthen its portfolio of pigment products in the coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers (CASE) and advanced materials & additives (AM&A) markets in France and Benelux. The agreement includes the pigment portfolio that Sun Chemical acquired from BASF in 2021.

This mandate is an expansion of the long-standing partnership between Sun Chemical and Azelis. Sun Chemical offers a variety of pigments that meet high performance as well as sustainability requirements for a range of coatings, inks, and plastics. The new products enable Azelis to position itself as a market-leading pigment provider.

To ensure a high and qualitative investment into innovation, Azelis’ team is now supported by a new Business Development Manager for Pigments, Berna Noyan. This addition strengthens Azelis’ capacity to assure that industrial chemicals customers will benefit from a broad product portfolio, solid backup, and technical expertise.

We remind, Azelis has agreed to acquire Chemiplas Agencies, a distributor of specialty chemicals, plastic raw materials and ingredients in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Chemiplas has about 100 employees who serve more than 1,900 companies from headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand and six other offices across Australia and New Zealand.

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The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a EUR 120 MM loan to Repsol to support the construction and operation of the first advanced biofuels production plant at the company's facilities in Cartagena, (Region of Murcia), said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The plant will produce second generation and advanced biofuels from different types of waste primarily from the agri-food industry, such as used cooking oils, as part of the transition process towards a more circular economy. Construction work began in March this year and is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2023.

While second-generation biofuels are derived from a broad range of biogenic residues including used cooking oils, certain animal fats and vegetable oils that cannot be used as food or are derived from crops that do not compete with food, advanced biofuels are produced specifically from a subset of biogenic feedstocks listed in Part A of Annex IX of the REDII directive.

These biofuels are a sustainable solution for all segments of mobility, especially for those that have no other alternative to decarbonize their activity, such as maritime, long-distance or aviation transport. They can reduce net CO2 emissions by between 70% and 90% compared with the traditional fuels they replace. The EIB financing will also support research programs for advanced biofuels technologies conducted at Repsol's Technology Lab in Madrid.

The production plant will be located within the premises of Repsol’s industrial complex in Cartagena, Region of Murcia - an EU cohesion region. The plant will process 300,000 tpy of lipidic residues for the production of up to 250,000 tpy of 2nd generation or/and advanced biofuels for the transport sector.

Speaking at the signature event in Madrid, EIB Vice President, Ricardo Mourinho Felix said: “The EIB is committed to financing green transformation, the use of alternative energy sources and innovative research programs across Europe. The EIB loan contributes to Repsol’s strategy to transform its business model and to its decarbonization strategy. We are pleased to be collaborating with companies such as Repsol which are taking steps towards decarbonizing business activity and strengthening resilience to climate change."

Commenting on the agreement, Repsol’s CFO, Antonio Lorenzo, said: “We are proud to be the first company in the sector to obtain this type of financing, which is a result of our commitment to execute ground-breaking projects in support of a rapid, effective and just energy transition."

We remind, Repsol S.A. (Madrid, Spain), Naturgy and Reganosa are joining forces to develop a renewable hydrogen production center in Galicia, Spain. The project involves the installation of an electrolysis plant powered by 100% renewable energy on the grounds of the former Meirama thermal power plant in the municipality of Cerceda (A Coruna). With the promotion of this energy vector, the three companies reinforce their commitment to a fair energy transition.
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MOOSCOW (MRC) -- Trinseo, a specialty material solutions provider, announced updates to its asset restructuring initiatives, said the company.

In aggregate, these actions are expected to result in approximately USD60 million of annual profitability improvement versus the fourth quarter run rate, most of which will be realized in 2023. These actions consist of the following:

Closure of manufacturing operations at the styrene production facility in Boehlen, Germany. The closure is the result of an uncompetitive position in the global styrene market due to the site’s subscale size, industry capacity additions and elevated natural gas prices in Europe.

Closure of one polycarbonate production line in Stade, Germany due to an uncompetitive position in the global polycarbonate market. The Company will continue to produce polycarbonate for use in its downstream compounding business with the remaining assets. The line closure is expected to result in lower costs and significantly less exposure to the cyclical merchant polycarbonate market.

Consolidation of the PMMA sheet manufacturing site in Matamoros, Mexico into the continuous sheet manufacturing operation of Aristech Surfaces in Florence, Kentucky.

Capacity reduction of SB latex at the Hamina, Finland site starting mid-year 2023 due to over-capacity of SB latex in Europe.

Trinseo expects to incur USD79 million to USD89 million of pre-tax, non-recurring charges related to the cessation of manufacturing activities at these facilities. Of this, USD55 million to USD61 million is expected to be incurred in the fourth quarter of 2022, with the remainder expected to be incurred through 2024. The cash amount of these charges is expected to be USD67 million to USD77 million, including approximately USD40 million in 2023, with substantially all expected to be incurred through 2024. The actual timing and costs of these actions may differ from the Company’s current expectations and estimates, and such differences may be material. These charges are subject to ongoing negotiations with the works councils, industrial associations and government authorities.

Additionally, on November 29, 2022, the European Commission issued a final decision imposing a fine to Trinseo in the amount of EUR32.6 million related to the commission’s 2018 investigation of styrene purchasing practices in Europe. This amount was in line with our previously recorded liability and was paid in full in December 2022.

We remind, Trinseo, a specialty material solutions provider and Japan Steel Works Europe GmbH (JSW EU), a group company of The Japan Steel Works, Ltd. (JSW), a manufacturer of industrial and plastics machinery, recently announced a collaborative effort on chemical recycling of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

Trinseo a specialty material solutions provider, partners with companies to bring ideas to life in an imaginative, smart, and sustainability-focused manner by combining its premier expertise, forward-looking innovations and best-in-class materials to unlock value for companies and consumers. From design to manufacturing, Trinseo taps into decades of experience in diverse material solutions to address customers’ unique challenges in a wide range of industries, including consumer goods, mobility, building and construction, and medical.

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