Covestro starts new Elastomers plant in Shanghai

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Covestro has started production in its new plant for polyurethane elastomers systems at its integrated site in Shanghai, China, said the company.

Groundbreaking for it had been announced in summer 2022. The investment is in the double-digit million Euro range. It is part of a series of investments in the Elastomers raw materials business the company undertook in the past few years worldwide, e.g. in its sites in Thailand and Spain. The new plant in Shanghai shall help meet ever rising demand for the material in the Asia-Pacific region, for example in renewable energy applications such as offshore cable protection and silicon wafer cutting rollers of photovoltaic panels, among others.

“We provide materials that help to facilitate a more climate-neutral and circular world. The products to be manufactured at our new plant in Shanghai are an excellent illustration of this, as they will assist our customers in meeting the increasing demand for renewable energy solutions,” says Sucheta Govil, Chief Commercial Officer at Covestro. “In doing so, we are supporting the growth of an industry that is vital for preserving our climate. Furthermore, we are promoting sustainability in various industries by supplying materials containing renewable attributes.”

The polyurethane elastomers systems produced in the site can be used for a variety of end products. For offshore windpower, the protection of subsea cables is a core application area. The material is also used in the manufacturing process of photovoltaic panels or in screening medias in the mining industry. In all of the above, it is designed for purpose in close collaboration with customers to withstand even the harshest of conditions thanks to its excellent wear, tear and abrasion resistance.

We remind, Covestro has commenced a new manufacturing line for thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) that will be utilized for paint protection films (PPFs). The line is installed at the firm's current Taiwanese facility in Changhua. Products manufactured here will be available in the global market. The world's PPF market is expected to rise steadily until 2030, with Asia-Pacific representing the biggest share of the overall market.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- India’s fuel consumption slipped to a 10-month low in July, government data showed, as monsoon rains restricted mobility in the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Total consumption in July, a proxy for oil demand, totaled 18.09 million tons, down 6.6% from June. However, it was up 2% compared with the same period a year earlier.

Sales of diesel, mainly used by trucks and commercially run passenger vehicles dipped about 13% month-on-month to 6.89 million tons in July.

"With consumption patterns already slowing down due to the monsoon, weak July figures for diesel demand were aggravated by the floods in Northern Indian states over the first-half of last month," said Viktor Katona, lead crude analyst at Kpler.

Fuel demand in India typically falls during the four-month monsoon season beginning in June as parts of the country are affected by heavy floods.

"Restricted mobility and an overall slowdown in construction activity have been the key factors behind bitumen demand falling to the lowest reading this year. We believe India's diesel demand will remain subdued in August, only to rebound in September-October," Katona said.

Sales of gasoline in July were 5.3% lower than the previous month at 2.99 million tons. Sales of bitumen, used for making roads, dropped 30% from June, while fuel oil use rose 9.6% in July. Cooking gas, or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), sales increased about 7% to 2.39 million tons and naphtha sales rose 9.3% to 1.07 million tons, the data showed.

We remind, PT Pertamina plans to begin producing bioethanol from sugarcane and cassava this year and has also begun production of green hydrogen using geothermal energy.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indonesia's state energy company PT Pertamina said it will develop a fuel storage facility in north Jakarta, following a deadly fire that broke out at a terminal earlier this year and spread into a densely populated residential area, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Pertamina has been under pressure to modernise and relocate from its Plumpang fuel terminal, one of Indonesia's oldest fuel storage facilities, after the March fire, which killed at least 33 people, according to local media reports.

The new site will be managed by Pertamina International Shipping, the group's marine logistic unit, with expected investment of about USD559 million in the first phase, spokeperson Aryomekka Firdaus said.

The new site will be larger than the Plumpang facility and will be developed on a 64-hectare (158.15 acres) area in Kalibaru, North Jakarta, with an expected storage of up to 6 million barrels, Pertamina said in a statement.

The new terminal will be able to store gasoline, biodiesel and liquefied petroleum gas, as well as liquefied natural gas, crude palm oil and petrochemical products and hydrogen fuel.

Asked whether Plumpang's operation will be moved fully to the new facility, Pertamina spokeperson Fadjar Djoko Santoso said under current plan, it "will complement" Plumpang.

We remind, PT Pertamina plans to begin producing bioethanol from sugarcane and cassava this year and has also begun production of green hydrogen using geothermal energy.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- The joint venture between ALPLA and PTT Global Chemical (GC) introduces Thailand's first food-grade rPET to the market, which is already being used for Thailand's first 100% rPET bottles, said Petnology.

With Pepsi and Minere, the first two beverage brands in the Thai market are adopting the high-quality Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) material from ENVICCO for their plastic bottles. The joint venture partners, ALPLA and PTT Global Chemical (GC), inaugurated the state-of-the-art recycling facility in the Rayong province in September 2022. Thailand's first certification of food-grade rPET by the national FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the launch of the first 100 percent rPET bottles mark the next milestone in the joint venture's collaboration with the beverage industry.

"Investing in the circular economy is a win for everyone. The environment, economy, and society benefit from the careful and efficient recycling of used plastics, creating sustainable, affordable, and innovative products, as well as generating new jobs," says Bernd Wachter, ALPLA Corporate Director Circular Economy & Recycling Asia.

With an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons of recycled PET (rPET) and 15,000 tons of recycled HDPE (rHDPE), ENVICCO ranks among the largest recycling operations of its kind in all of Asia. The mechanical recycling process meets all quality, safety, and efficiency criteria for the production of food-grade PCR material. The rPET, labeled "InnoEco," was also certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prior to its approval by Thai authorities.

We remind, Alpla Group has strengthened its commitment to the UK market with the acquisition of iTEC Packaging’s plant in Mansfield, UK. iTEC Packaging is a manufacturer specialising in injection moulding, thermoforming, extrusion and compression moulding. The company’s plant in Mansfield specialises in the production of closures primarily for dairy applications, but also for other food and beverage sectors.

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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Evonik has signed an agreement to scale up and produce custom catalyst for Rohm’s new methyl methacrylate (MMA) production plant in Bay City, Texas, USA, which is due to be opened in 2024, said the company.

“This agreement once again, underscores our commitment and capability in custom Catalysts arena. We’re delighted to be able to work with the Rohm team to enable commercial scale production of MMA,” said Sanjeev Taneja, Head of Evonik Catalysts.

“These catalysts play a key role in Rohm’s newly developed LiMA (Leading in Methacrylates) technology to produce MMA with efficient resource use and reduced environmental impact. In many ways, LiMA sets new standards and is the most efficient MMA production technology to have been developed.”

Compared to other MMA processes, the LiMA technology has clear sustainability advantages, as it enables a high yield with low energy consumption and reduced wastewater volumes.

We remind, Evonik, one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals, has expanded and started production at its rubber silanes plant, Evonik Lanxing (Rizhao) Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd. This state-of-the-art facility, a joint venture between Evonik Industries AG, DEG (Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH), and Rizhao Lanxing Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., is strategically located in the Rizhao Lanshan Chemical Industrial Park in Shandong province.

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