Ketjen completes catalyst expansion at Bayport, Texas

Ketjen Corp. (Bayport, Texas), an advanced catalyst solutions provider, has announced the inauguration of its new expansion for its ZSM-5 manufacturing facility at Bayport, Texas, as per Chemweek.

The expansion — the largest in Ketjen’s history — will double the company’s ZSM-5 production capacity to meet growing demand for fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts and additives used for maximizing high-octane gasoline yields and producing propylene.

“Our expansion investment also gives refiners the flexibility to transition toward higher-value products, supporting both profitability and sustainability,” Ketjen President Michael Simmons said.

Ketjen is the wholly owned catalyst subsidiary of Albemarle Corp.

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SK Innovation Co. has signed a memorandum of understanding with KBR Inc. to commercialize innovative lithium hydroxide recovery technology, as per Chemweek.

This collaboration aims to integrate SK Innovation’s advanced battery metal recycling (BMR) technology with KBR’s PureLi high-purity crystallization technology, paving the way for SK Innovation to generate royalty revenue.

SK Innovation said its BMR technology is designed to directly recover lithium hydroxide from used batteries, setting it apart from traditional recovery methods. On the other hand, KBR’s PureLi technology excels in eliminating impurities from lithium-containing solutions, producing battery-grade high-purity lithium hydroxide through a continuous cooling and recrystallization process.

Since 2017, SK Innovation has been at the forefront of developing its proprietary BMR technology, leveraging research and expertise from the refinery and petrochemical sectors to overcome the limitations of existing lithium recovery methods.

In 2021, SK Innovation established a commercial demonstration facility at its Institute for Environmental Science & Technology, capable of recovering lithium hydroxide from used batteries equivalent to approximately 800 electric vehicles annually. This technological prowess is underscored by over 100 patent applications filed both domestically and internationally.

Kim Phil-seok, CTO of SK Innovation, emphasized the significance of this advancement, stating, “With SK Innovation’s cutting-edge lithium recovery technology, we can fully meet the EU Battery Regulation’s mandatory recovery rates.”

Gautham Krishnaiah, KBR’s CTO, highlighted the cost-effectiveness of SK Innovation’s technology, noting, “SK Innovation’s lithium recovery technology is more cost-effective than traditional wet, dry, and carbon reduction technologies. We aim to secure business viability by creating synergy with KBR’s high-purity crystallization technology and licensing capabilities.”

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Xin Feng Min Group will delay the startup of its new 3 million metric tons per year (MMt/y) No. 4 purified terephthalic acid (PTA) line at Dushan, China, until PTA margins improve, as per Chemweek.

The source added that full mechanical completion of the new plant is expected to be reached in October.

Currently, PTA margins are negative in China’s domestic market, hovering around 120-130 renminbi per metric ton, far below breakeven levels heard to be close to 350 renminbi per metric ton, PTA market sources said Sept. 17.

”PTA margin is very poor now, record low,” said a major Chinese PTA producer, while another producer said that “every unit is losing money.”

Xin Feng Min has three existing PTA lines with a total combined capacity of 8 MMt/y.

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SK Group (Seoul) is divesting its entire 35% stake in Sinopec-SK Petrochemical, its joint venture with Sinopec, marking a retreat from the struggling commodity chemicals sector, according to a report by KED Global, as per Chemweek.

The report said the sale is being spearheaded by SK Geo Centric Co., a subsidiary of SK Innovation Co., which is currently in discussions with Sinopec, the JV’s 65% stakeholder, along with several other Chinese bidders.

The transaction is reported to be valued at 819.3 billion South Korean won ($594 million), which aligns with the JV’s book value. Established in 2013 with a combined investment of 3.3 trillion won, the JV plant has the capacity to produce 3.2 million metric tons per year (MMt/y) of general-purpose chemicals, including 1.1 MMt/y of ethylene, generating peak annual sales of about 10 trillion won, it added.

However, the plant has purportedly faced challenges since 2021, accumulating over 1 trillion won in losses due to a surge in Chinese production capacity and stagnant domestic demand. Ethylene output in China nearly doubled from 2020 to 2023, reaching 60 MMt.

Industry executives noted that SK's restructuring efforts are expanding beyond Korea to include its overseas assets. “The group has made clear it will reduce businesses without a clear future, so further retrenchment in Ulsan cannot be ruled out,” said one executive to KED Global.

According to the report, the retreat aligns with SK Group's “ABC” strategy, focusing on AI, batteries and chips. The conglomerate has already made significant cuts to its commodity chemical operations, including shutting down one of its two naphtha cracking lines in Ulsan and seeking buyers for the other.

In August, sources revealed to KED Global that SK Geo Centric is reaching out to foreign petrochemical firms to sell overseas units previously acquired from Dow Chemical and Arkema, as SK Group accelerates its restructuring efforts to secure fresh capital.

This move is part of a broader restructuring initiative agreed upon by the South Korean government and leading petchem producers.

The report quoting analysts suggests that Sinopec — the world’s largest refiner, with a crude processing capacity of 252 MMt last year and 13.5 MMt of ethylene production capacity — is the most likely buyer for the stake.

Full ownership of the Wuhan JV plant would allow Sinopec to streamline decision-making and integrate the facility into its extensive refining-to-chemicals supply chain. Additionally, Beijing’s increasing scrutiny of foreign stakes in strategic industries could further motivate Sinopec to take full control, it added.

Proceeds from the sale are expected to be reinvested into SK Group’s future growth initiatives. The conglomerate has committed to investing 8.2 trillion won by 2030 in AI and semiconductors, including a large-scale AI data center at Ulsan developed in partnership with Amazon Web Services.

“The era of commodity chemicals as a growth driver seems to be over for SK,” remarked a source close to the deal. “Its next chapter will be written in AI and chips, not ethylene.”

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Ineos Inovyn, the chlor-vinyls subsidiary of Ineos Group Ltd., said in a statement Sept. 16 that it has mothballed its chloromethane production facility at Tavaux, France, due to persistently weak market demand, regulatory challenges and increased operational and energy costs, as per Chemweek.

“Our industry continues to face difficult market dynamics and challenging energy costs, with European gas prices around three times higher than the US. To balance Ineos Inovyn’s operating rates with weak market demand, we have announced the decision to mothball our chloromethane production facility in Tavaux,” said Arnaud Valenduc, Ineos Inovyn’s business director.

The company added that it will be optimizing chloromethane production at its Rosignano, Italy, site to help mitigate any impact to customers.

The capacity of the Tavaux chloromethane plant has not been disclosed. Tavaux is one of Inovyn’s largest manufacturing sites. It produces vinyl chloride monomer, chlorine, caustic soda, hydrogen, chlorine derivatives and polyvinyl chloride.

In 2016, Inovyn closed its chloromethane plant at Runcorn, UK, to focus chloromethane production at Tavaux and Rosignano, in response to a decline in demand in Europe, Inovyn said at the time.

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