UPM selects Dongsung Chemical as sole Korean distributor of its new bio-based MEG

UPM Biochemicals has selected Dongsung Chemical as sole distributor of its bio-monoethylene glycol (BioMEG) UPM BioPura™ in Korea, said the company.

This further strengthens the development partnership between the two companies that was announced last year. By adding UPM to its supplier network, Dongsung enhances the sustainability transformation of its portfolio and supports the evolution of the chemical industry in Korea overall to become more sustainable.

Through this partnership, UPM will access the large and attractive Korean MEG market with a size of roughly two thirds of the European Union’s MEG market.

UPM Biochemicals has already established various industry partnerships across the automotive, fashion and packaging industry, which enable the vital shift away from fossil-based to renewable materials.

“Expanding the partnership with Dongsung Chemical is another major milestone in bringing our renewable chemicals to market and in establishing an entirely new category of high value sustainable chemicals. We will continue to collaborate in the development of alternative solutions for a large variety of customer segments in the Asian shoe and textile markets,” says Michael Duetsch, Vice President Biochemicals at UPM. “Over the past few years, Dongsung Chemical has taken a leading role in advancing sustainable customer solutions. We are very happy to be able to now also rely on their experience, enthusiasm and vision to promote our innovative materials in the large Korean glycols market.”

ManWoo Lee, CEO of Dongsung Chemical added, "Our partnership with UPM enables us to supply wood-derived biomass raw materials in Korea. We are committed to reducing carbon emissions and enhancing ESG management by assisting partners in developing environmentally friendly products using UPM’s bio-monoethylene glycol.”

UPM invests EUR 1,180 million to build the world’s first industrial scale biorefinery in Leuna, Germany. In Leuna, UPM will convert sustainably sourced, certified hardwood into next generation biochemicals that will enable the vital shift away from fossil-based to renewable materials across a wide range of industries. The Leuna biorefinery is part of a broader growth area, UPM Biorefining, focused on scaling refineries producing a variety of renewable fuels and chemicals made from sustainable biomass.

UPM's BioMEG BioPura™ is produced from hardwood obtained from forests in the regions around Leuna in Germany. The biomass does not compete with food resources, and UPM is achieving a climate neutral1 BioMEG from day one while going beyond zero in the future with additional reduction measures.

We remind, PTS has tested ten UPM Raflatac's paper labels containing the referred adhesives. The labels were tested as part of the packaging material at a mass share of 10%, following the PTS-RH 021:2012 Category II methodology for evaluating the recyclability of paper and board-based packaging. Due to the obtained results of fibre yield, sheet adhesion, and optical impurities, ten of the UPM Raflatac adhesives applied on the paper labels received verification.

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South Korea's LG Chem Ltd. announced on Wednesday it has opened its North America Innovation Center in Georgia, the US, said Kedglobal.

The company also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) for new technology research and development.

LG Chem said it plans to internalize research and development (R&D) capabilities related to three new growth engines in the North American region: next-generation battery materials, recycling, and bioplastics. The company also aims to identify top talent in these fields.

The North America Innovation Center will play a key role in expanding LG Chem's R&D capabilities and talent pool in the region. The center will focus on local technology surveys and task development, joint research with local universities and research institutions, securing local talent, and independent R&D.

LG Chem also plans to expand and reorganize the center by 2025 to establish it as a core research hub in North America with independent facilities.

We remind, LG Chem Ltd. and GS Caltex Corp. are accelerating their efforts in the eco-friendly bio-material business involving 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3HP). 3HP is an eco-friendly substance produced through microbial fermentation processes and can be used to substitute various disposable plastic materials.

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Air Liquide's group revenue fell by 17.4% year on year to €6.81bn in the third quarter, weighed by the drop in energy prices, the French industrial gases major said on Wednesday.

Q3 revenue also weighed by negative currency impacts. Primary Gas & Services business revenue fell by 17.9% year on year to €6.48bn.

"In 2023, Air Liquide is confident in its ability to further increase its operating margin and to deliver recurring net profit growth, at constant exchange rates," the company said.

The company's net profit rose by 7.3% year on year in 2022.

We remind, INPEX Corporation, Air Liquide Group, LSB Industries and Vopak Moda Houston LLC have agreed to collaborate on pre-front-end engineering design (FEED) for the development of a large-scale, low-carbon ammonia production and export project on the Houston Ship Channel. The project’s first phase is expected to produce more than 1.1m tonnes/year of low-carbon ammonia by the end of 2027, with options for future expansions.

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Azelis, a leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, announces that it has acquired 100% of the shares of BLH SAS (“BLH”), a well-known distributor of flavors & fragrances focused on the fine perfumery market in France, said the company.

The acquisition strengthens Azelis’ global footprint in flavors & fragrances, which was created over the last two years following the acquisition of Quimdis in France, Vigon in America and Ashapura in India.Experts in the distribution of premium fragrance ingredients, BLH’s attractive portfolio perfectly complements the current natural ingredient ranges offered by Azelis. The transaction is expected to close in November.

A family-owned business founded in 1983, BLH has developed long-standing relationships with global blue-chip suppliers and a diverse portfolio of specialty ingredients, creating a strong market expertise in fine perfumery under the leadership of Philippe Becot. The company is currently led by Nicolas Becot, who will stay on to ensure successful integration, as well as continued development of the business. The company employs 42 experienced and highly qualified staff and operates a laboratory in the Grasse region, in the southeast of France, serving 400 customers, including major players in the perfume industry.

We remind, Azelis, a leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, announces today that Shiona Stewart will join the company in a senior management role as Managing Director of CASE in the United States. Commencing her role on November 7, 2023, Shiona will play a pivotal role in leading Azelis' CASE U.S. business, collaborating closely with the company's strategic principals to devise and implement a robust business strategy geared towards sustainable growth. Shiona will report to Vuk Milojkovic, Managing Director of Azelis U.S..

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North American chemical rail traffic rose for a 10th consecutive week, with railcar loadings for the week ended 21 October up 3.7% year on year to 45,549, said the company.

For the first 42 weeks of 2023 ended 21 October, North American chemical rail traffic was down 1.0% year on year to 1,903,429 - with the US down 2.2% to 1,307,333.

In the US, chemical railcar loadings represent about 20% of chemical transportation by tonnage, with trucks, barges and pipelines carrying the rest. In Canada, chemical producers rely on rail to ship more than 70% of their products, with some exclusively using rail.

We remind, Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending October 14, 2023. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 492,781 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.5 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending October 14 were 225,405 carloads, down 2.0 percent compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 267,376 containers and trailers, up 2.8 percent compared to 2022.

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