ORLEN secures new petrochemical assets, advancing circular economy efforts

MRС) -- PKN ORLEN, finalised a transaction to acquire a part of Poland’s largest plastics manufacturer, Basell Orlen Polyolefins, in which the ORLEN holds an equity interest, said the company.

The acquisition was approved by the antitrust authorities in Poland and the Netherlands. The business segment, acquired by ORLEN, specialises in the production and sale of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as well as customer service in the Polish market. It is a polymer commonly used to make consumer and industrial products, found in plastic films, bags, canisters, food packaging, as well as components of electronic devices, such as wires and cables.

“Keeping a close eye on the market environment, we can see that demand for petrochemical products is growing strongly across the globe,’ said the CEO and President of the Management Board of PKN ORLEN, Daniel Obajtek. “According to forecasts, the value of the petrochemicals and base plastics market is expected to double by 2030. This is a big chance for our Company. We want to capture the largest possible share of that promising business in order to drive fast profit growth. The acquisition we have just completed is opening up such opportunities. We are also looking into a project that would allow us to add another petrochemical product to our portfolio, solidifying our position as a leading producer in Europe. It is this business segment that is expected to generate half of our future profits from oil processing.”

Poland is the largest consumer of LDPE in Central Europe, forecast to account for nearly 35 per cent of regional demand by 2025. At present, annual demand in the Polish market is about 300,000 tonnes, compared with close to 800,000 tonnes in Central Europe. The combined capacities of regional producers are estimated at 520,000 tonnes. According to forecasts referenced in ORLEN’s press release, by 2025, the LDPE market in Central Europe and in Poland will grow to about 890,000 tonnes and 312,000 tonnes, respectively, in which the company “is bound to have a significant share”.

In July 2022, PKN ORLEN signed a preliminary agreement to acquire a part of the assets of Basell Orlen Polyolefins. Once all antitrust approvals had been secured in Poland and the Netherlands, it was possible to finalise the transaction. Basell Orlen Polyolefins is a joint venture in which PKN ORLEN and the Dutch chemicals company LyondellBasell Industries each hold a 50 per cent stake. Following the separation of the LDPE production business from Basell Orlen Polyolefins, the company will focus on developing the PP technology, used to produce polypropylene and high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
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EQUATE has nominated its January 2023 monoethylene glycol (MEG) India Contract Price (ICP) at USD511/tonne, said the company.

Spot Asia MEG prices closed at USD485-485/tonne CFR China Main Ports (CMP) on 21 December.

We remind, EQUATE Group, a global producer of petrochemicals and the world’s leading supplier of Ethylene Glycol announced its earnings for the first half of 2022. The EQUATE Group reported total revenue of USD2,238 million in H1 2022, compared to USD2,041 million during the same period in 2021. The Group also reported a net income after tax of USD537 million and EBITDA of USD855 million, compared to USD543 million and USD869 million, respectively for 2021.

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MEGlobal has nominated its February 2023 monoethylene glycol (MEG) Asian Contract Price (ACP) at USD840/tonne, up by USD20/tonne from its January ACP, said the company.

The price is on a CFR (cost and freight) Asia basis.

Asia MEG prices have rebounded to above USD500/tonne CFR China Main Ports (CMP) since 10 January on the back of pre-holiday restocking before the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.

We remind, MEGlobal has nominated its January 2023 monoethylene glycol (MEG) Asian Contract Price (ACP) at USD820/tonne, up by USD20/tonne from the December ACP. The price is on a CFR (cost and freight) Asia basis.
Asia MEG market has bottomed out in December after China relaxed its COVID curbs, but the upcoming new capacities in China and India may weigh on the prices.

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Nexeo Plastics announced an expansion of its relationship with Teknor Apex. Nexeo Plastics will become a key distributor for Teknor Apex in Europe of its portfolio of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) under the Sarlink and Monprene brands, said the company.

This partnership provides Nexeo Plastics customers with a broad portfolio of TPE technologies, including styrenic block copolymer (SBC or TPS), thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) and specialty adhesion-modified grades for multi-shot molding onto a wide variety of engineering resins. The Teknor Apex TPE portfolio encompasses several product lines developed over time to meet specific industry requirements: Sarlink TPVsare ideal for sealing applications that require superior elasticity and long-term performance that well serve the automotive, industrial, consumer, and building & construction markets. Sarlink® styrenic-based TPEs provide automotive OEMs with more design flexibility and superior colorability for interior applications.

Monprene® TPEs are extremely versatile with a wide hardness range and broad thermal performance. These materials are ideal for consumer products, industrial applications and packaging, and include grades formulated for food-contact applications.

“This partnership with Teknor Apex enlarges our portfolio of high-value TPEs and complements the solutions we offer key industries, such as automotive, packaging, consumer, industrial and building and construction,” said Joost d’ Hooghe, Vice President EMEA at Nexeo Plastics.

“Nexeo Plastics and Teknor Apex complement each other well with our highly customer centric approach and similar broad customer base and market coverage. The European market is well served by our partnership; providing real value with our state-of-the-art systems and high level of technical support capabilities,” said Stef Hordijk, Director of Sales and Marketing for the TPE Division in the Europe. “Their extensive distribution in Europe significantly expands our reach in important target markets."

Nexeo Plastics is accepting orders for Teknor’s TPE products beginning Jan. 1, 2023.

MRC earlier said, Nexeo Univar Inc., announced that it has completed the acquisition of Nexeo Solutions, creating a leading global chemical and ingredients solutions provider. The combined company will conduct business as Univar Solutions, reflecting a commitment to combining the 'best of the best' from each legacy organization.

Nexeo Plastics is a leading global thermoplastic resins distributor, representing quality products from world-class suppliers, and serving a diverse customer base across North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. From material selection assistance to identifying supply chain and inventory solutions, we go beyond traditional logistics to provide value-added services across many industries, including automotive, healthcare, packaging, wire and cable,

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Air Liquide, through Air Liquide Engineering & Construction, is actively leveraging on its complete portfolio of innovative technology solutions to support the decarbonization of its industrial customers, said Polymerupdate.

Autothermal Reforming (ATR) is one of the latest technologies utilized enabling the efficient production of large scale, low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia, when combined with carbon capture technology. One of the leading companies for ATR, Air Liquide's technology has been selected for Japan's first demonstration project owned and operated by INPEX CORPORATION to produce low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia.

While other reliable solutions are available on the market today, such as Steam Methane Reforming with carbon capture, ATR is one of the most suitable options for specific larger scale low-carbon hydrogen production facilities. When ATR is combined with carbon capture technology, customers can achieve higher energy efficiency, lower investments and a simplified single train production process to facilitate carbon capture of up to 99% in highly integrated industrial facilities.

Air Liquide is one of the leading companies for Autothermal Reforming with proprietary technologies in the ATR process for large scale syngas production applications. Air Liquide Engineering & Construction will now provide the technology for low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia production to a pilot project owned and operated by INPEX CORPORATION, a Japanese oil & gas exploration and production company. ATR will be part of the development of the Kashiwazaki Clean Hydrogen and Ammonia Project in the Hirai area of Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The overall project will be Japan’s first demonstration project integrating low-carbon Hydrogen and Ammonia production with carbon capture.

We remind, Air Liquide has won a major contract to supply liquefaction equipment for Woodside Energy’s proposed H2OK hydrogen project in Ardmore, Oklahoma, in the US. Air Liquide will provide the engineering and fabrication of two 30 tonnes per day liquefaction units, which will liquefy hydrogen produced through electrolysis in preparation for storage, loading and transportation to customers.
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