NOVA Chemicals launches new circular solutions business

MOSCOW (MRC) -- NOVA Chemicals Corporation announced the establishment of NOVA Circular Solutions, a new line of business focusing on lower-emission, recycled solutions that will help reshape a better, more sustainable world. NOVA Circular Solutions will be home to the SYNDIGOTM brand, the company’s newest portfolio of recycled polyethylene (rPE), said the company.

NOVA Circular Solutions is led by a team of experts in plastics development, recycling technology, additive science, packaging design, and regulatory compliance. It is headed by Alan Schrob, recycling director, who has nearly 30 years of experience in plastics, manufacturing, health, safety, and the environment.

“Plastic products play a critical role in our daily lives, and industry and consumers are placing higher value on products that contribute to the circular economy. They want products that can be recycled, reused, and reimagined,” said John Thayer, NOVA Chemicals senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Today’s announcement underscores NOVA’s commitment to be a leader in sustainable polyethylene production. We are investing time, resources, and world-class technical knowledge into this new line of business and the SYNDIGO brand.”

SYNDIGO rPE is designed to support recycled content and decarbonization goals of converters and brands while setting new industry standards for driving the transition towards a circular economy for plastics. There is a growing demand for recycled products and the SYNDIGO resins are poised to meet those needs in North America.

We remind, NOVA Chemicals, a leading supplier of polyethylene (PE) for food packaging, delivered a commercialized FDA-compliant high-density recycled PE (rPE) resin to market. The new grade is its first mechanically recycled food-contact resin and is part of the Company’s recently announced SYNDIGO rPE portfolio.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Worley, a global project delivery and asset services provider, has been selected by Cerilon, a Canadian-based energy and resource development company, to provide engineering services for the FEL 2 stage of Cerilon’s gas-to-liquids (GTL) facility in North Dakota, U.S., said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

This GTL facility will convert natural gas to produce up to 24,000 bpd of low carbon emissions, synthetic energy products, including ultra-low sulfur diesel, naphtha and lubricant base oils. With new mandates expected in the U.S. on transportation fuels, the production of these liquids will help meet high demand and assist with the country’s low carbon objectives.

The GTL facility will also include carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), to further enhance the project’s sustainability. The overall plan for the project is to adopt a design one, build many approach. This modularization methodology is one that Worley has considerable experience in, with customers leveraging this approach to enable a quick response time to market.

Worley’s global expertise and capacity to provide full EPC services were key drivers in Cerilon’s decision to select the company as its engineering partner. Rhys Mersereau, SVP of Operations, Worley, stated, “This energy transition project directly aligns with our purpose of delivering a more sustainable world. With escalating future energy demand and concerns for energy security at the forefront of our mind, the production of these low carbon energies will be crucial as we navigate towards net zero."

Cerilon’s strategy is to replicate this major GTL facility in other sites across North America, with speed – achieved through modularization – and sustainability as the main drivers. Ron Opperman, CEO of Cerilon GTL, notes, “Cerilon GTL intends to adopt a design one – build many approach and the Worley team has the GTL experience and global reach that we were looking for in an engineering partner. Their capability to provide full engineering, procurement, and construction services and to support other important elements of our project design such as CCS makes them the right fit for our team."

We remind, an agreement has been reached with CAM Industrial Solutions LLC (CAM Industrial), whereby Worley will sell its maintenance and turnaround business in North America, which is part of Worley's Americas Field Services, for a cash consideration of USD 125 million (approximately AUD180 million), said the company. Worley's construction and fabrication business in North America is not included in the sale. The sale also includes Worley's power operations and maintenance business. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and customary closure conditions and is expected to close in the second half of FY2023.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik's Coating Additives business line is expanding its TEGO® Flow series with an efficient polyacrylate-based leveling agent. TEGO® Flow 380 is suitable for solventborne coatings, especially clear coats, said the company.

It is characterized by excellent anti-popping properties and good compatibility. The main applications are automotive and general industrial coatings.

TEGO Flow 380 consists of 100 percent active matter content and is based on a unique polymer technology. “The key here is controlled incompatibility,” explained Maximilian Morin, head of the Industrial & Transportation Coatings market segment.

Some degree of incompatibility with the paint is important for leveling performance, but too much can cause surface defects such as decrease in gloss or haze. “With TEGO Flow 380, we have balanced the incompatibility well, resulting in an excellent performance,” said Morin. In addition, the new leveling agent supports recoatability, which is especially important for automotive refinish applications.

Because of its low viscosity, TEGO® Flow 380 is particularly easy to incorporate into the formulation. “It can be used directly; dilution is not necessary,” said Michael Wang, Applied Research & Technology - Industrial & Transportation Coatings.

In addition, the new product is particularly sustainable: for one thing, it shows excellent performance even at low dosages. For another, the leveling agent emits little VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), which makes it attractive for high-solids formulations due to its very low viscosity impact.

We remind, Evonik is expanding its capacity to produce MetAMINO (DL-methionine) on Jurong Island, Singapore, by 40,000 metric tons to around 340,000 metric tons per year. The high double-digit million euro investment in this further technological development is to reach target capacity by the third quarter of 2024. The planned process optimization measures will improve the carbon footprint of MetAMINO® produced in Singapore by six percent.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Thailand's cabinet on Tuesday agreed to extend an excise tax cut on diesel for another two months to July 20 to help reduce the costs of living, a government official said on Tuesday, said Reuters.

The tax cut of 5 baht (USD0.1451) per liter will lead to a loss in revenue of 20 billion baht (USD580.21 million), government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri told a news conference.

We remind, in 2023, PTT Plc's PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC) aims to raise the production of petrochemical products by 15% to serve expanding demand after the pandemic. Demand is predicted to return to levels observed before the pandemic. Additional output comes from the full operation of the oil refinery site of PTTGC, as well as plans to postpone plant closures for major maintenance. The firm also invested Baht 5.1 bn to increase the manufacturing capacity of the second unit of the olefin production site. The capacity growth is aligned line with the business strategic plan of PTTGC.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Groundbreaking ceremony for the new polycarbonate film plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, with Aleta Richards, Global Head of the Specialty Films segment, Timo Slawinski (3rd from left), Head of Covestro's Map Ta Phut site, and Michael Boediger (2nd from right), Head of Operations in the Specialty Films segment, said the company.

Covestro plans to further increase its global production capacity for polycarbonate specialty films to meet the rising demand in the Asia-Pacific region and worldwide. The company has started building new extrusion lines at the Map Ta Phut Industrial Park in Thailand. The films are used primarily in identity documents, automotive displays, and electrical and electronic applications. The investment is in the higher double-digit million euro range, the completion is scheduled for 2025. A total of around 50 new jobs will be created.

"With this investment, we are strengthening our Solutions & Specialties segment and are committed to further expanding our growth businesses," says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer of Covestro. "At the same time, we are responding to an increasing demand and supporting the expansion of future technologies and industries."

"We want to drive growth in the polycarbonate films business with innovation and a strong customer focus," says Aleta Richards, Global Head of the Specialty Films segment. “In doing so, we aim to intensify our collaboration with customers in the Asia-Pacific region and expand our product portfolio for the circular economy."

Covestro already offers a whole range of more sustainable PC films, for example mass-balanced grades certified to the internationally recognized ISCC PLUS standard. Raw materials for these films are produced using biowaste and residual materials, which are taken into account in the value chain and in production and attributed to the products.

Since 2022, the Map Ta Phut site has also been ISCC PLUS certified, enabling it to manufacture and supply mass-balanced products. Customers can use these products in their established processes and apply them to meet their sustainability goals. In addition, Covestro already offers a range of films made partly with plant-based raw materials or recycled plastics.

We remind, Covestro has successfully started up a new world-scale facility for the production of chlorine in Tarragona, Spain. It is the first world-scale production plant for chlorine based upon the highly innovative and energy efficient ODC (oxygen depolarized cathode) technology invented by Covestro and its partners.

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