BorsodChem inaugurates new plants to support MDI and TDI production

BorsodChem last week inaugurated its “Site IV”, involving an investment of nearly EUR400m in new production units in the Berente Village area in northeast Hungary, said Utech-polyurethane.

The plants produce mono-nitrobenzene (MNB), aniline and concentrated nitric acid. MNB is used to produce aniline, which is the main feedstock for the production of BorsodChem's flagship product, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI).

The 90,000 tonne/year concentrated nitric acid plant will support the production of another key product, toluene diisocyanate (TDI), the main raw material for flexible polyurethane (PU) foams. The investment also includes a new 50 MW power plant.

The Hungarian government supported the projects with tax credits and subsidies. BorsodChem confirmed the inauguration in a statement. Apart for the nitric acid plant, it did not comment on capacities in terms of tonnes or pounds per year.

We remind, Linde has signed an agreement with BorsodChem (Kazincbarcika, Hungary) for the long-term supply of nitrogen, oxygen, and compressed air to BorsodChem’s chemical complex in Kazincbarcika, including the construction of a new air separation unit (ASU).

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SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, announced its new PCR-based NORYL™ resin technology, formulated using 25 percent or more post-consumer recycled (PCR) content and aimed at providing additional, sustainable material options for customers, said the company.

The technology was validated through the commercialization of several grades, including NORYL NH5120RC3 resin containing 30 percent PCR content, which helps to lower its global warming potential (GWP) by 10 percent compared to the incumbent, fossil-based grade.

The latest PCR-based technology can be incorporated into more than 200 existing NORYL resin grades, as well as an unlimited number of new grades based on specific customer requirements. These include a glass fiber-reinforced grade and an unreinforced, non-FR grade.

Further, SABIC offers resin customization services to meet specific application requirements, as well as a full array of technical support services. It can help support circularity while maintaining the robust physical properties required for demanding applications. This innovative and sustainable solution is among the first polyphenylene ether (PPE)-based material technologies to incorporate such a significant level of recycled content.

We remind, SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, introduced three new LNP™ CRX copolymer resins to give customers in the mobility and industrial sectors new material options that can resist both harsh chemicals and challenging environmental conditions.

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German biofuel producer CropEnergies reported a drop in first-quarter core profit on Wednesday, hit by softer ethanol prices and lower production due to maintenance shutdowns, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The company's earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell 74% to USD27.2 MM in the March to May quarter, compared to the same period last year. Its shares fell 6% in early trading. The subsidiary of Europe's largest sugar refiner Suedzucker said it expected volatility in energy and raw material markets to gradually stabilize, after prices spiked last year due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The price of ethanol is down by 39% year on year in the European Union, according to Refinitiv data. CropEnergies, which makes ethanol and animal feed from renewable materials such as biomass, posted a 21% decline in ethanol production to 221,000 cubic meters during the quarter from 281,000 cubic meters a year earlier.

"It had been expected that this year's Q1 would come in below last year's exceptional result due to the normalization of prices and scheduled maintenance," said Hartmut Moers, an analyst at Matelan Research. Moers added the reported figures were better than the brokerage had anticipated. CropEnergies confirmed its full-year outlook for EBITDA of between EUR140 MM and EUR190 MM.

We remind, Syclus intends to build and operate a plant for the production of renewable ethylene from sustainable ethanol in Chemelot Industrial Park, Geleen, The Netherlands.

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Grains merchant Bunge and oil major Chevron said on Wednesday they have acquired Argentina-based agricultural product company Chacraservicios, as the companies look to expand their renewable energy footprint, said Reuters.

Chacraservicios, which is focused on the cultivation of Camelina sativa, a crop with high oil content, will contribute to Bunge and Chevron's global supply chains by adding a new oil source to meet the growing demand for lower carbon renewable feedstocks, the companies said. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Renewable diesel emits lesser emissions by roughly 4.2% for carbon dioxide from the same volume of regular diesel, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, when compared with both biodiesel and regular diesel. That makes it attractive to logistics firms and other companies seeking to lower their supply chain pollution levels.

Expanding production of renewable diesel depends on increasing the supply of oils made from crops. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday cut its estimate of how many acres of soybeans, a key source of vegetable oil, had been planted.

Bunge has in the past two years entered partnerships with Chevron to crush oilseeds for renewable diesel, and with seedmaker Corteva to tailor crops for biofuel feedstocks. Bunge, the world's biggest oilseed crusher, last month agreed to acquire Viterra in a deal that would help it secure a larger role in the expanding renewable diesel industry.

We remind, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Technip Energies and LyondellBasell are collaborating on the design, construction and operation of a demonstration unit for Technip Energies’ electric steam cracking furnace technology, designed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the olefins production process.

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The Caspian Pipeline Consortium has stopped three pumping stations in western Kazakhstan because of a power outage in the region, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

CPC, the main export pipeline for Kazakh crude oil, continues pumping oil from Tengiz, the country's biggest field by output, but otherwise the work of the Tengiz, Atyrau and Isatai stations has been halted.

The Kazakh government said separately that the offlined unit at the Mangystau power plant whose outage caused a region-wide blackout on Monday would be restarted by July 7.

The blackout has also affected the Atyrau refinery, which hopes to return to full capacity within a week, and a number of oil producers which are expected to fully restore output within a month, according to the government.

We remind, Lukoil and JSC NC KazMunayGas signed agreements regarding the Kalamkas-Sea, Khazar, Auezov subsoil area development project in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea. The agreements define rights and obligations of the subsoil user during joint development activities in the area, Lukoil said in a release. 9 Feb 2023. The offshore oil fields lie about 60 km from the coast at a depth of 7-9 m and could produce 3-4 M tonnes/y of oil. Commissioning is expected in 2028.

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