BASF completes defoamer expansion in Turkey

BASF, a global leader in the supply of additives to the coatings industry, has announced the expansion of defoamer capacity at its Dilovasi plant in Turkey, said the company.

The new production line increases the company’s capacity on site, allowing a better response to rising demand for high-performance Foamaster® and Foamstar® products in South-East Europe, the Middle East and Africa. By increasing its production capacity significantly, BASF will improve its service to customers in the region and reduce lead times to ensure faster delivery.

The new production line also helps BASF to cut emissions related to transportation of the products by significantly reducing distances.

The Dilovasi plant in Turkey plays an important role in BASF’s additives business, serving as a key supply point for Dispex® AA products, including defoamers. The recent expansion of the polyacrylic-dispersing-agent line and the now enlarged defoamer capacity further strengthen the plant’s role in BASF’s additives business.

“The additional capacity in Dilovasi enables us to support the growth plans of our customers in the region and improve our service level,” explained Joachim Burger, Head of Sales Additives EMEA. Defoamers are essential in the production of paints, coatings and inks since they prevent not only foaming but also, as a result, defect formation. BASF’s Foamaster® and Foamstar® products are well-known for their high performance in defoaming applications.

We remind, BASF, a globally leading battery materials producer, and SK On, a globally leading electric vehicle battery cell manufacturer, have entered into an agreement to jointly evaluate collaboration opportunities in the global lithium-ion battery market focused on North America and Asia-Pacific. The collaboration brings together strong business and product development capabilities to develop industry-leading battery materials for lithium-ion batteries.

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The European Parliament voted on Wednesday in favour of a new law aimed at reducing packaging waste and boosting recycling across the EU, said Euoroplast.

The legislation was overseen by Belgian MEP Frederique Ries (MR/Renew) and passed with 426 votes in favour, 125 against, and 74 abstentions.

The deputies stipulated additional goals beyond the 15% waste reduction proposed by the Commission by 2040. They also introduced specific objectives to reduce plastic waste by 10% by 2030, 15% by 2035, and 20% by 2040.

In addition, MEPs proposed a ban on the sale of lightweight plastic bags (less than 15 micrometres), with exceptions made for hygiene reasons or to prevent food wastage. They also introduced measures to limit the use of single-use plastics such as miniature bottles in hotels and shrink wrap for luggage at airports.

However, the Parliament decided not to ban single servings of sauces and condiments, disposable containers for food and drink at restaurants, or plastic packaging for fruits and vegetables.

The initial proposal from the Commission requires all packaging to be recyclable by 2030. MEPs granted temporary exemptions for wax and wooden packaging, which reassured some industrial cheese producers.

The approved law will also prohibit the inclusion of chemical substances such as PFAS and bisphenol A in food-contact packaging. "The Parliament is sending a strong message for a complete revision of the European packaging and packaging waste market," said Frederique Ries in a press release.

We remind, the total volume of packaging waste in the EU increased from 66 million metric tons (MMt) in 2009 to 84 MMt in 2021, according to the parliament. Each EU citizen generated 188.7 kilograms of packaging waste in 2021, a figure that is expected to increase to 209 kilograms in 2030 without additional measures.

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Diamines and Chemicals Limited has received a letter dated November 02, 2023 from Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) for Proposed Expansion of Synthetic Organic Chemicals in existing manufacturing unit, said Indianchemicalnews.

Diamines and Chemicals Limited at Plot No. 13, PCC Area, P.O. Petrochemicals, Vadodara-391350. The company received Consolidated Consent & Authorization (CC&A) for setting up Proposed Expansion of Synthetic Organic Chemicals in existing manufacturing unit of M/s. Diamines and Chemicals Limited.

Considering CC&A as final permission to manufacture new products and will contribute to increase in total production capacity.

Shares of DIAMINES & CHEMICALS LTD. was last trading in BSE at Rs. 469.25 as compared to the previous close of Rs. 456.25. The total number of shares traded during the day was 5666 in over 596 trades.

We remind, Russia has lifted restrictions on gasoline exports, the energy ministry said on Friday, after scrapping most restrictions on exports of diesel last month, saying there was a surplus of supply while wholesale prices had declined. It said it could reimpose export bans if necessary, adding that stocks of gasoline had risen to around 2 million metric tons.

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North American chemical rail traffic rose 13.3% year on year to 48,903 railcar loadings for the week ended 18 November, according toAssociation of American Railroads.

Loadings increased in all three countries: the US, Canada, and Mexico. For the first 46 weeks of 2023 ended 18 November, North American chemical rail traffic was down 0.5% year on year to 2,088,510 loadings - with the US down 1.9% to 1,431,733.

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, North American chemical rail traffic rose 2.8% year on year to 45,725 railcar loadings for the week ended 11 November, rebounding from an 1.3% decline the week before. Increased loadings in Canada and Mexico more than offset an 0.3% decline in the US.

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Danish shipping group Maersk said on Wednesday it has agreed to buy 500,000 tpy of bio-methanol and e-methanol from China's Goldwind, to enable low carbon operations, starting in 2026, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The volumes combine a mix of green bio-methanol and e-methanol, all produced with wind energy at a new plant. Goldwind is expected to confirm a final investment decision for the facility by the end of the year, Maersk said in a statement.

"This deal is a milestone for Maersk as it enables us to significantly reduce our emissions footprint in this decade," the company's Chief Infrastructure Officer Rabab Raafat Boulos said in a statement.

The long-term deal will enable low carbon operations for the first 12 large methanol-enabled Maersk vessels on order, which are due for delivery in 2024 and 2025, the company added.

Russia has lifted restrictions on gasoline exports, the energy ministry said on Friday, after scrapping most restrictions on exports of diesel last month, saying there was a surplus of supply while wholesale prices had declined. It said it could reimpose export bans if necessary, adding that stocks of gasoline had risen to around 2 million metric tons.

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