LANXESS and TotalEnergies to cooperate on sustainable styrene

LANXESS and TotalEnergies to cooperate on sustainable styrene

Specialty chemicals company LANXESS and French energy group TotalEnergies have entered into a cooperation on the supply of biocircular styrene. Unlike conventional styrene, the raw material used by TotalEnergies is based on tall oil, which is derived from a tree resin and is a by-product of pulp production, said the company.

LANXESS uses the styrene to produce sustainable ion exchange resins. These products are applied primarily in the treatment of wastewater and chemical process flows as well as in the food industry.

The sustainable origin of the styrene is certified in accordance with the mass balance approach of the ISCC PLUS standard (“International Sustainability and Carbon Certification”). Under mass balance approach, the certified and non-certified materials are mixed physically, but kept separately on a book keeping basis. This method allows companies to document and track the sustainable materials through the complex production process and ensures the full tracibility through the entire supply chain. The ISCC PLUS certification of the styrene is an important requirement, as LANXESS offers its products in accordance with this certification standard as well and therefore relies on the same transparency for its raw materials.

“Our customers are increasingly asking for sustainable solutions, and raw materials with a low carbon footprint are a key lever here. By partnering with TotalEnergies, we can further expand the respective offering for our customers,” says Marcel Beermann, Head of Global Procurement & Logistics at LANXESS.

“We are pleased to form this partnership with LANXESS, which demonstrates TotalEnergies’ ability to offer sustainable products to its customers, helping them reduce their carbon footprint. This is a perfect illustration of the orientation taken by the Refining and Chemicals branch of TotalEnergies to develop lower carbon intensity products, in line with TotalEnergies’ Climate Ambition to get to Net Zero emissions by 2050, together with society,” declares Jean-Francois Renglet, Vice President Marketing Base Chemicals Division at Total Refining and Chemicals.

In addition to styrene, the specialty chemicals company already sources many other sustainable equivalents of fossil raw materials. Biocircular acrylonitrile is used for another type of ion exchange resins. The preservative Preventol is also available with various fatty acid mixtures based on sunflower oil. Prepolymers under the Adiprene Green brand contain starch-based polyether polyols. The intermediate Trimethylpropane Scopeblue consists of about half sustainable N-butylaldehyde. The composite Tepex Scopeblue is based on flax and polylactic acid. And the high-performance plastic Durethan Scopeblue uses biocircular cyclohexane and waste glass.

We remind, on 31st May 2022, Advent and LANXESS announced the joint, Advent controlled, acquisition of DSM Engineering Materials, alongside its combination with LANXESS High-Performance Materials (subject to competition clearance), to establish a leading global engineering materials company with sales of around EUR 3 bn.
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Equinor and German energy major RWE to cooperate on energy security and decarbonization

Equinor and German energy major RWE to cooperate on energy security and decarbonization

Equinor and RWE have agreed to work together to develop large-scale value chains for low carbon hydrogen, said the company.

The partners aim to replace coal fired power plants with hydrogen-ready gas fired power plants in Germany, and to build production of low carbon and renewable hydrogen in Norway that will be exported through pipeline to Germany.

On 5 January, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly develop large-scale energy value chains, building on the partnership between Norway and Germany and the long-term relationship between Equinor and RWE. The cooperation has these main building blocks:

Construction of new gas power plants (CCGTs), contributing to Germany’s phase-out roadmap for coal. Equinor and RWE will jointly own the CCGTs which initially will be fueled with natural gas and then gradually use hydrogen as fuel with the ambition of fully to be run on hydrogen when volumes and technology are available.

Building production facilities in Norway to produce low carbon hydrogen from natural gas with CCS. More than 95 percent of the CO2 will be captured and stored safely and permanently under the seabed offshore Norway.

Export of hydrogen by pipeline from Norway to Germany. Joint development of offshore wind farms that will enable production of renewable hydrogen as fuel for power and other industrial customers in the future.

“Through this collaboration we will strengthen the long-term energy security for Europe’s leading industrial country while at the same time offer a viable route to a necessary energy transition for hard to abate industries. The collaboration has the potential to develop Norway into a key supplier of hydrogen to Germany and Europe. This is a unique opportunity to build a hydrogen industry in Norway where hydrogen also can be used as feedstock to domestic industries,” says Anders Opedal, Equinor’s CEO and president.

We remind, Equinor is inspecting damage at a reformer at its 226,000 barrel per day (bpd) Mongstad refinery after a fire on Sunday and it is too soon to say when the unit will be operational. The fire at the oil refinery on Norway's west coast was extinguished early on Sunday, with the main part of the refinery still in operation. "It was in a reformer," an Equinor spokesman told Reuters by email, adding that there was no estimate yet on when the unit could be restarted.

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Braskem acquires taulman3D expanding its portfolio of materials for additive manufacturing applications

Braskem acquires taulman3D expanding its portfolio of materials for additive manufacturing applications

Braskem the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas, as well as a market leader and pioneer producer of biopolymers on an industrial scale, announced the acquisition of taulman3D, said the company.

The acquisition of taulman3D is a perfect complement to Braskem's existing portfolio of next-generation filaments (Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Carbon Fiber, Glass Fiber & Recycled Polymers), pellets, and powders designed specifically for 3D printing applications.

Founded in 2012, taulman3D is trusted by thousands of professionals around the world and offers a wide portfolio of filaments and polymers designed to address specific and varying customer applications. taulman3D products are available worldwide, through a variety of exceptional distributors on 6 continents. taulman3D's headquarters, research, and development as well as production and distribution facilities are in Linton, Indiana.

Jason Vagnozzi, Global Commercial Director of Additive Manufacturing, Braskem commented, "Braskem's acquisition of taulman3D brings a high-quality 3D filament producer with a globally diversified client list and a highly complementary product portfolio. With projections for the 3D printing industry expected to grow from USD15 billion today to USD78 billion by 2030 - growing at an estimated 20% CAGR - we see enhanced opportunities to serve this rapidly growing demand. Today's acquisition doubles Braskem's market share in the additive manufacturing market and further accelerates our growth strategy."

We remind, Braskem, the market leader and pioneer in bioproducts production on an industrial scale, and Sojitz, a Japan-oriented global trading company, have announced the launch of Sustainea, which will produce and market bioMEG (monoethylene glycol) and bioMPG (monopropylene glycol). The market launch of the brand follows the approval of the joint venture (the process began in March 2022) by antitrust authorities.

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Sinopec releases China Energy Outlook 2060

Sinopec releases China Energy Outlook 2060

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation officially published the “China Energy Outlook 2060” (the “Outlook”) on December 28 in Beijing, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

This is Sinopec’s first publicly released research findings of their medium and long-term energy outlook, providing a new perspective for the scientific planning of transformation and development of China’s energy and chemical industries. This in the context of the “Dual-Carbon” goals laid out by the Chinese government, with the core goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

According to the Outlook, a project of the Sinopec Economics & Development Research Institute, China’s primary energy consumption is expected to peak at approximately 6.03 billion tons of standard coal between 2030 and 2035, and reduce to about 5.6 B tons of standard coal in 2060. The energy-related carbon emissions are expected to peak at around 9.9 B tons by 2030 after excluding the carbon sequestration of raw material energy use, and drop to 1.7 B tons in 2060, achieving carbon neutrality through Carbon Capture Usage Storage (CCUS) technology, and carbon sinks, amongst other methods.

The report, detailing China’s energy consumption and carbon emission projections of major stages leading to 2060, has put forward the concept of an “energy balance triangle” based on the comprehensive research of the history of global energy development, key factors influencing energy transformation, major trends, and the future path of energy development.

It has proposed a roadmap for China’s energy transformation based on the energy triangle concept. This is based on tackling any security challenges that may arise in the transition, emphasizing the urgency of making the transformation towards green energy, and coordinating development goals. In addition, it has emphasized the importance of unifying the general direction, objectives and principles of national economic and social progress with the course of energy transformation.

“The Outlook is Sinopec’s latest achievement in exploring the high-quality energy development in China and reflects our observations and understandings on the laws of energy evolution with systematic judgement on the future trends of China’s energy development,” noted Zhao Dong, president of Sinopec. “We hope to work with all partners to further strengthen academic exchanges and deepen all-round cooperation to promote more high-quality energy research and results, and contribute to accelerating the planning and construction of a new energy system and safeguard national energy security.”

We remind, Saudi Aramco and China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) have signed a deal to build a refinery and a petrochemicals plant in China. The 3,20,000 barrels-per-day refinery and 1.5 million tons-per-year petrochemical cracker complex will be in operation by the end of 2025, Aramco said in a statement on Sunday.
Aramco and Sinopec, along with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), have also signed a an agreement to study the feasibility of developing petrochemicals complex to be integrated with an existing refinery in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.
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Topsoe and Fidelis new energy form carbon neutral hydrogen technology alliance

Topsoe and Fidelis new energy form carbon neutral hydrogen technology alliance

Topsoe and Fidelis New Energy, LLC have entered into a global alliance for technology used for producing carbon neutral hydrogen, said the company.

The alliance pairs Topsoe’s hydrogen process portfolio with FidelisH2™ technology for reduction of lifecycle carbon emissions in hydrogen production. Combined, the alliance solution enables the production of hydrogen from natural gas with a lifecycle carbon intensity of 0 kgCO2e / kgH2.

Producing decarbonized products, materials, and fuels through proven technologies such as the Topsoe Blue Portfolio and FidelisH2 is a critical contribution to decarbonizing carbon intense sectors of society, including industry, digital infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and transportation. Topsoe and Fidelis are dedicated to continue to play their roles in this important endeavor to accelerate the energy transition and to join forces to provide an offering for life cycle carbon neutral hydrogen utilizing renewables and natural gas.

Fidelis and Topsoe will jointly and exclusively license FidelisH2™ alongside Topsoe’s blue hydrogen technology portfolio. Topsoe will lead engagement with potential licensees interested in utilizing FidelisH2™ to produce carbon neutral hydrogen at world scale using proven technologies.

Henrik Rasmussen, Managing Director, The Americas, Topsoe, said “This is an exciting partnership to lead the way to achieve net-zero in 2050. I look forward to working with Fidelis in setting the bar high regarding transitional energy technologies. With this alliance, we can offer clients across all industrial sectors , a proven and exceptional carbon neutral hydrogen solution."

Co-Founder and CEO of Fidelis, Dan Shapiro, said “We are excited to partner with Topsoe, the leading provider of hydrogen production technology and catalysts. After several years of work with Topsoe leadership, catalysts, and technologies, we are pleased to formally join forces with them through this Global Alliance Agreement to deliver carbon neutral hydrogen produced from Topsoe’s Blue Portfolio and the innovative and novel FidelisH2™ process."

Fidelis Co-Founder and COO, Bengt Jarlsjo added, “We look forward to deploying FidelisH2™ across our future projects and to providing other select users a path to zero carbon intensity clean hydrogen utilizing certified natural gas and renewable energy.”

Topsoe’s industry leading hydrogen process portfolio includes both steam methane reforming and SynCOR™ autothermal reforming solutions to produce hydrogen with integrated carbon capture. FidelisH2™ is a proprietary solution for incorporation of renewable energy into reforming processes to achieve clean hydrogen production. The novel integration of these proven technologies offered through the alliance provides a scalable solution well suited for generating valuable climate and environmental incentives such as the 45V tax credits provided in the United States Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

We remind, Topsoe to move ahead on setting up solid oxide electrolyser plant in Denmark, said the company.
Topsoe has announced that its board has approved the final investment decision (FID) to start the construction of the "world's largest" solid oxide elctrolyser cell (SOEC) electrolyser manufacturing plant in Herning, Denmark.
The plant will have a production capacity of 500 MW/y with an option to expand to 5 GW. Construction of the plant will start in 2H 2022.

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