Borealis completed the construction of its new PDH plant in Kallo

Borealis completed the construction of its new PDH plant in Kallo

The re-tendering process of the construction works that was started after Borealis terminated all contracts with the IREM group of companies, Borealis’ main contractor for the construction of its new PDH plant in Kallo, has now been completed, said the company.

With this, the construction of this mega project is now back on track. Works will again fully ramp up during the summer of 2023.

The re-tendering, re-mobilisation, poor handover and inefficiencies caused by the termination of the IREM contracts results in significant delays. Borealis’ new PDH plant in Kallo is now estimated to start up in the first half of 2025.

The updated project plan provides for a substantial increase in costs.

As a consequence of the increased cost and longer lead-time, Borealis is claiming compensation from the IREM companies.

We remind, Borealis will implement Honeywell’s UniSim Live software as early adopters to build process models for optimizing operations through virtual process simulation. UniSim Live will allow Borealis to extend the utility of process models to near real-time process monitoring and focus on early event detection by using digital twins to improve plant reliability.

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Air Liquide and Holcim to collaborate on a project to decarbonize cement production in Belgium

Air Liquide and Holcim to collaborate on a project to decarbonize cement production in Belgium

Air Liquide and Holcim have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pursue a project to decarbonize Holcim’s new cement production plant under development in Belgium, using Air Liquide proprietary CryocapTM carbon capture innovative technology, said the company.

In that regard, Air Liquide and Holcim have co-applied for the European Innovation Fund supporting framework. This partnership is an important step to accelerate the decarbonization of the industry in Belgium.

The new cement production plant announced will be replacing an existing asset. Thanks to Air Liquide’s unique carbon capture innovative technology, Holcim will be able to reduce emissions by up to 1.1 million tons per year of CO2. This partnership is part of GO4Zero, Holcim's investment program that will enable the company to achieve carbon neutrality in Belgium by the end of the decade.

Air Liquide will support this initiative by leveraging its know-how and unique expertise in CO2 capture technologies. Air Liquide intends to build and operate a unit of its innovative and proprietary CryocapTM Oxy technology to capture and purify up to 95% of the CO2 generated from Holcim’s production unit in Obourg. The captured CO2 will then be handled through Antwerp CO2 Export Hub where it will be transported, liquefied and loaded onto CO2 ships for onward permanent and safe offshore storage.

The implementation of the project will be possible as public funding from European schemes supporting decarbonization becomes available. In this perspective, Air Liquide and Holcim have jointly applied for the European Innovation Fund, one of the world’s largest programs for promoting innovative low-carbon technologies.

We remind, Air Products, a world leading industrial gases company serving Malaysia for nearly 50 years, today announced it will build, own, and operate two nitrogen plants in Penang’s Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone and Batu Kawan Industrial Park.

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Daniel Turnheim appointed Borealis CFO as of 1 June 2023

Daniel Turnheim appointed Borealis CFO as of 1 June 2023

Mark Tonkens to leave Borealis Executive Board by mutual agreement effective 31 May 2023, Daniel Turnheim appointed as Borealis CFO effective 1 June 2023, said the company.

The Supervisory Board of Borealis has appointed Daniel Turnheim (48) as the new Chief Financial Officer with effect from 1 June 2023. The appointment spans a three-year period, with the option to extend by two years, subject to mutual consent. Mark J. S. Tonkens, currently Chief Financial Officer at Borealis, will leave the Borealis Executive Board by mutual agreement effective 31 May 2023.

Daniel Turnheim looks back at a long-standing career in OMV Group. After joining the company in 2002, he held various senior management functions in OMV Finance, including Head of Controlling at OMV UK in London, United Kingdom and a two-year assignment to Petrol Ofisi in Istanbul, Turkey. From 2011 to 2012, Daniel held the role of Chief Financial Officer at OMV Petrom in Bucharest, Romania. He is currently Senior Vice President Finance & Tax at OMV AG.

Daniel Turnheim holds a Master’s degree from the Vienna University of Economics and Business in Vienna, Austria. He is Austrian citizen, married and proud father of four children.

“I am delighted we bring such an extraordinarily experienced Finance expert like Daniel Turnheim onboard of the Borealis Executive Board. I warmly welcome Daniel and look forward to working closely with him on realizing our Borealis Strategy 2030. At the same time, I would like to express my sincere appreciation on behalf of the entire Borealis Executive Board for the outstanding contribution Mark Tonkens has made over the past 8 years as CFO of Borealis. It has been a pleasure working with Mark, I wish him much success for his future,” comments Thomas Gangl, Borealis CEO.

We remind, Borealis launches portfolio of circular plastomers and elastomers based on renewable feedstock. Recent years have seen a steady increase in the demand for high-performance plastomers and elastomers that combine the physical properties of rubber with the processing advantages of a thermoplastic material. This trend has been accompanied by a growing urgency in the demand for sustainable solutions that offer the same material performance but with circular content and a reduced carbon footprint.

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Borealis launches portfolio of circular plastomers and elastomers based on renewable feedstock

Borealis launches portfolio of circular plastomers and elastomers based on renewable feedstock

Borealis launches portfolio of circular plastomers and elastomers based on renewable feedstock, said the company.

Recent years have seen a steady increase in the demand for high-performance plastomers and elastomers that combine the physical properties of rubber with the processing advantages of a thermoplastic material. This trend has been accompanied by a growing urgency in the demand for sustainable solutions that offer the same material performance but with circular content and a reduced carbon footprint.

Borealis’ production location in Geleen, the Netherlands, is the production site for Queo™, Borealis’ range of high-performance polyolefin plastomers and elastomers. In March 2023, the facility received the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS), thus enabling Borealis to introduce a new product line to meet customer demand for circular solutions: the Bornewables line of Queo.

Produced with ISCC PLUS–certified renewable feedstock, the new line represents an expansion of the Bornewables portfolio of circular polyolefin products, which offer the same material performance as fossil-based polyolefins, yet decoupled from fossil-based feedstock and with reduced carbon emissions.

We remind, Borealis, one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and sustainable polyolefins solutions and a European front-runner in polyolefins recycling and Axpo, Switzerland’s largest producer of renewable energy and an international leader in the trading and marketing of solar and wind power, have signed their second power purchase agreement (PPA) in six months.

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Grace starts up three PP reactor lines in China, signs new license with PetroChina

Grace starts up three PP reactor lines in China, signs new license with PetroChina

W.R. Grace & Co (Grace; Columbia, Md.) announced the successful start-up of several polypropylene (PP) reactor lines in China, said the company.

Dongguan Grand Resource Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (Dongguan Grand Resource) started up its second plant (consisting of two reactor lines) for using Grace’s UNIPOL PP Technology and will add 600,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of polypropylene resin capacity and increase its total nameplate capacity to 1,200 (m.t./yr). In addition, Dongguan Grand Resource is utilizing Grace’s CONSISTA catalysts in both of its UNIPOL PP technology lines.

Grace has also started up a 500,000-m.t./yr reactor line for PetroChina GuangDong PetroChemical Company (PetroChina GuangDong), a subsidiary of PetroChina Group, the world’s second-largest petroleum company. The plant will produce homopolymer, random copolymer, and impact copolymer polypropylene resins, catering to the growing demand for high-quality PP resins in the Chinese market.

This marks the fourth UNIPOL®PP technology plant start-up for PetroChina, which includes PetroChina Guangxi (200,000-m.t./yr), PetroChina Fushun (300 KTA), and PetroChina Sichuan (450,000-m.t./yr). In China, this is the largest UNIPOL PP technology single-extruder reactor line.

We remind, W.R. Grace & Co has licensed its Unipol PP process technology to Gail India Ltd for its 60,000 tonnes/y polypropylene (PP) plant at Gail's existing petrochemical complex in Pata, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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