Evertis ramps up plant in Mexico

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Portugal-based plastic film and packaging producer Evertis hosted customers and supporters during a mid-December 2022 tour of its new production facility in Monterrey, Mexico, said Recyclingtoday.

Evertis, which describes itself as a producer of mono- and multilayer semirigid barrier films for food packaging and other applications, has announced a target of using 50 percent recycled content by 2025. In 2021, the firm says it consumed more than 30,400 metric tons of scrap materials, including more than 9,300 metric tons of postconsumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) companywide.

The facility in Monterrey has an annual capacity of over 22,000 tons and, in 2023, “will further expand to 36,000 tons,” says Evertis. The company says it chose to invest in the new manufacturing site “to enhance its strong leadership position in Mexico and growing presence in the United States and Canada."

The December event was attended by Madalena Matos Gil, who Evertis describes as “the matriarch of the family-owned business.” Also in attendance were “clients, suppliers, partners and media,” according to the company.

Evertis has had a presence in Mexico for more than 20 years, the company says, adding, “The Monterrey manufacturing facility is well positioned to support strong growth in high barrier materials and, through the introduction of new products, penetration into new end use segments such as medical and pharmaceutical packaging."

Evertis operates facilities in Portugal, Brazil, Mexico and Italy and is part of the IMG Group, which includes its sister company Selenis, a producer of co-polyester resins used in a variety of applications.

We remind, PureCycle Technologies Inc. and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges have announced that PureCycle will build its first polypropylene (PP) recycling facility in Europe at the port’s NextGen District in Belgium. The Orlando, Florida-based company says it expects the new plant to have an annual capacity of 59,000 metric tons, with opportunities to expand operations down the road since the 34-acre plot can support up to four processing lines, increasing total capacity to around 240,000 metric tons per year.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- BP PLC on Wednesday revealed plans to evaluate the construction of an ammonia cracker in Wilhelmshaven, Germany and utilize repurposed oil/gas facilities to transport hydrogen, said the company.

The project, which would be located in Wilhelmshaven, is expected to include an industry leading ammonia cracker which could provide up to 130,000 tons of low-carbon hydrogen from green ammonia, per year, from 2028.

Green ammonia – produced by combining nitrogen with hydrogen derived from the electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources – is expected to be shipped from bp green hydrogen projects around the world to Wilhelmshaven. The cracker converts the green ammonia into green hydrogen by splitting the larger molecule into its smaller nitrogen and hydrogen components which can then be used directly. It’s anticipated that up to 130,000 tons of hydrogen per year could be produced from the site, with scope for further expansion as the market for future fuels develops.

Patrick Wendeler, chief executive of bp Europa SE, said: “At bp we have the expertise and capacity to cover the entire value chain of green hydrogen production, including conversion into derivates like ammonia, transport, and then reconversion to supply green hydrogen to the customers and places who need it. This development would help create greater energy independence for our German customers across a range of low carbon energy products. Wilhelmshaven has a proud energy history, and we hope this hydrogen hub can help carve out its next chapter and help Germany meet its energy transition goals."

bp’s plans include utilising the existing infrastructure of the Nord-West Oelleitung (NWO) terminal at Wilhelmshaven, where it is a participating shareholder. With its deep-water harbour and pipeline system, Wilhelmshaven is one of the country’s most important energy terminals and is well positioned to support energy transition activities.

Additionally, bp’s plans propose to utilise the current oil & gas pipelines for use in hydrogen transport. The low-carbon hydrogen could then be delivered to customers in the Ruhr region and other centres of demand.

The proposed project is the latest in a string of hydrogen proposals in the country from bp. It follows the H2 Nukleus and Lingen Green Hydrogen concepts. Together, they are anticipated to help Germany reduce CO2 emissions in energy-intensive areas such as chemicals and steel production.

We remind, Johnson Matthey and bp plc (London) announced that their technology has enabled Fulcrum’s Sierra BioFuels Plant to successfully produce synthetic crude oil for clean transportation fuels. Using JM and bp’s FT CANS technology, the Sierra plant is the world’s first commercial-scale plant to use household rubbish as a feedstock which would otherwise be destined for landfill. Located outside of Reno, Nevada, it uses JM and bp’s FT CANS technology to convert waste into synthesis gas, which can then be converted to fuels.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Borouge, a leading petrochemical company that provides innovative and differentiated polyolefin solutions, has secured two new contracts worth a combined value of AED55 mln (USD15 mln to supply polyolefins to its partner customers – leading cable manufacturer Ducab and Abu Dhabi-based Union Pipes Industry (UPI), said Zawya.

Both companies will use Borouge materials to produce energy and infrastructure applications to construct Borouge 4. Ducab, one of the UAE’s largest home-grown energy solution providers and industrial manufacturing businesses, will produce low-voltage and medium-voltage cables to power Borouge 4 using Borouge’s energy solutions.

UPI, one of the Mena region’s largest rugged and durable pipe manufacturers, will use Borouge’s ‘Made in UAE’ solutions to produce pressure pipes for the cooling and public sanitation system of Borouge 4.

On the contract wins, CEO Hazeem Sultan Al Suwaidi said: "Our latest agreements with Ducab and UPI signal the continued progress of the Borouge 4 project and are testament to our commitment to the UAE’s In-Country Value programme – providing locally sourced and ‘Made in UAE’ solutions that shape a strategic project of this scale."

"We look forward to building on our track record of success and unlocking long-term value through the aggressive pursuit of revenue growth and cost optimisation," he stated. Ducab Group CEO Mohammad Almutawa said: "Building strategic partnerships with national champions in the industrial sector is aligned with the goal of the Operation 300bn initiative, creates in-country value and boosts economic competitiveness. This contract will pave the way for more future cooperation that will serve our common goals."

UPI General Manager Mohamed Hageb said its collaboration with Borouge had played an important role in enabling strategic and national projects such as Borouge 4.

"Our high-density polyethylene pipes have a 50-year lifecycle, are capable of withstanding harsh weather conditions, and are highly durable making them ideal for the megascale demands of Borouge 4. We are delighted to be collaborating once again with Borouge and building on our decades-long partnership, noted Hageb.

Borouge 4 supports the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) In-Country Value (ICV) programme, 60 percent of the award value will flow back into the UAE’s economy. Furthermore, it will enable the next phase of growth at Al Ruways Industrial City and supply feedstock to the TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone.

We remind, Chandra Asri announced their collaboration with Borouge, a petrochemical company from the United Arab Emirates, at the B20 (Business 20) event in Nusa Dua, Bali. The commitment agreed by both of petrochemical companies were based on a joint circular economy initiative which cover the management of polyolefin waste and recycling facilities to produce new products; as well as opportunities in co-marketing and market development initiatives, including developing non-metallic applications in certain market segments in oil and gas amalgamation, automotive, construction, and else, to promote the use of polyolefins.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- German waste-disposal and recycling company RCS has increased its capacity of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET) food-grade pellets (FGP) with the addition of a second EREMA bottle-to-bottle unit, said the company.

The second unit will bring the company’s FGP capacity up to 70,000 tonne/year according to a release from the company, based in Werne, Germany.

The pellets produced via this second unit have both European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use in food-contact applications such as beverage bottles.

Alexander Rimmer, managing director said of the company’s decision to invest in a second unit: “The demand for R-PET is increasing, the quality of the pellets has exceeded our expectations and the entire process from planning to installation and commissioning has been faultless".

We remind, RCS Group was awarded a sustainability certificate from the Fraunhofer Institute, because the recycling of PET bottles saves more than 100,000 t of CO2 equivalents, 45,000 t of fossil resources and 733,000 MWh of energy every year.

RCS, Werne, Germany, specializes in recycling management, providing companies with commercial waste disposal, raw material recycling and plastics recycling. A key area of focus at RCS is recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles to produce plastic flakes for a variety of applications and high-quality regranulate for the food sector.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in a response to a petition circulated by a not-for-profit group, has ruled that not all discarded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic presents “a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment” when handled properly, said Recyclingtoday.

The petition, created by the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity, asked the EPA to rule all PVC scrap as hazardous because of its presence in incinerators, in “poorly lined landfills” and in marine environments.

In its 13-page response to the petition, the EPA writes, “The petition does not provide sufficient evidence to suggest that listing discarded PVC as a hazardous waste would have a meaningful impact, if any, on reducing exposure to phthalates, including phthalates used as plasticizers in some PVC products."

In the background section of its response, EPA writes, “PVC may contain plasticizers, with the concentration of plasticizers varying widely based on the desired properties of the final material.” Among those plasticizers are several types of phthalates.

EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Barry N. Breen writes, in part, that existing aspects of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and other laws and rules already regulate how to handle end-of-life PVC. Breen’s response says landfill management is already covered under RCRA, incineration aspects are covered under the Clean Air Act and marine litter is prohibited via general anti-dumping rules.

The EPA also offers an argument that its resources as an agency are best directed at other efforts that may have higher priority. “Based on the information presented in the petition, the resources that the EPA would have to allocate to list PVC as a hazardous waste are unwarranted and would preclude the EPA from pursuing more pressing rulemakings, implementation and reviews with respect to currently identified hazards under RCRA. Listing hazardous wastes is a resource-intensive process,” the agency writes.

We remind, Olin Corp. (Clayton, Mo.) and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) announced that the Blue Water Alliance JV, LLP has received all necessary regulatory approvals and it is beginning operations. Announced in March 2022, Blue Water Alliance (BWA) is a joint venture of Olin and Mitsui. BWA brings together Mitsui’s industry-leading global logistics, long-established supplier and customer relationships, and breadth of product portfolio with Olin’s scale, North American export capability, extensive global terminal network, and production flexibility across the electrochemical unit (ECU) portfolio.

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