The downstream rundown: In case you missed it 7/1
The downstream rundown: In case you missed it 7/1
In case you missed any downstream news, this piece will give you a summary of some of the top stories from last week.
Indorama Ventures enters world-first China license agreement with Shandong Binhua New Material Co. Ltd.
Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, a global sustainable chemical company, has signed a license agreement with Shandong Binhua New Material Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Befar Group, a leading petroleum and chemical enterprise in China, to build, own and operate a propylene oxide (PO), t-Butanol (TBA) and t-Butyl methyl ether (MTBE) co-production unit.
Neste acquires European rights to Alterra Energy’s thermochemical liquefaction technology
Neste has purchased the European rights to Alterra Energy’s liquefaction technology, further solidifying the company’s efforts to advance chemical recycling. Alterra Energy is a US-based company that has developed a proprietary thermochemical solution for liquefaction of hard-to-recycle plastic. In Akron, Ohio, the company is already running an industrial-scale facility that transforms end-of-life plastics into an intermediate product, which can be further refined into raw material for new plastics and other petrochemical products.
thyssenkrupp to build three major polymer plants for Merions in Turkey
thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions’ subsidiary Uhde Inventa-Fischer signed a contract to build new world-scale polymer plants for MERINOS HALI SANAYI VE TICARET A.S., Turkey.
The plant will use Uhde Inventa-Fischer’s proprietary patented MTR (Melt-to-Resin) technology to produce 330,000 tpy of resin for the production of PET bottles as well as bright chips for textile applications.
Braskem Idesa announced partner for new $400 MM Mexico ethane terminal
Braskem Idesa´s new partner in a $400 MM investment in an ethane import terminal in Mexico will be Advario, part of the storage and logistic infrastructure company Oiltanking, Braskem said on June 14.
Construction is scheduled to begin in July and end in 2024. The venture is majority owned by Sao Paulo-based Braskem with Mexico´s Idesa group as minority partner. Braskem and Idesa have been partners since winning in a consortium a tender for a long-term contract to buy ethane from Mexico´s Pemex about 12 years ago.
The Puerto Mexico Chemical Terminal, as the ethane import terminal project will be called, will create 2,000 jobs during construction, the company has said.
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and MOL Group complete first biofuel bunker operation
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) have successfully completed the first biofuel bunker operation for a vehicle carrier in Singapore. The local operation was made possible with support from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
The MOL-operated car and truck carrier, Heroic Ace, was refueled by TotalEnergies-supplied biofuel on 11th June 2022 via ship-to-ship transfer, while the carrier performed cargo operations simultaneously. The biofuel has been consumed during the carrier’s voyage to Jebel Ali, in the United Arab Emirates.
Marr Contracting switches to renewable diesel from Neste in Australia
From June 2022 onwards, Marr Contracting (“The Men From Marr’s”) has been using renewable diesel (also known as HVO100) from Neste in their heavy lift luffing tower crane fleet in Australia. This is an important step towards the business’ journey to net-zero carbon emissions and supports Marr in its commitment to reduce carbon emissions and impact on the environment as part of their 2021 Social Value Strategy.
The switch to Neste-produced 100% renewable diesel comes after significant consultation with Marr clients and leaders within Australia’s construction industry on the best solution for transitioning away from fossil fuels. After investigating alternative power sources and taking the time to understand the issues associated with currently available options, Marr’s R&D team scoured the world for the best solution.
ECI Group signs two new license and engineering agreements
ECI Group has signed two license agreements for Process Technology and Engineering Design with a confidential client in China. The two lines will be capable of producing 50,000 tons per year of Ethylene Butyl Acrylate (EBA) and 100,000 tons per year of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) respectively, with the ability to produce other associated high-pressure copolymers in the future.
The plants will be part of the client’s refining and petrochemical integrated project, a mega complex to be located in the Province of Jiangsu. ECI Group will provide the technology, design, and training for the two lines, as well as support through commissioning, start-up, and production.
ExxonMobil announces sale of interests in Montney and Duvernay Canadian assets
ExxonMobil said that its Canadian affiliates, Imperial and ExxonMobil Canada, have entered into an agreement with Whitecap Resources Inc. for the sale of XTO Energy Canada, which is jointly owned by Imperial and ExxonMobil Canada.
The sale, for a total cash consideration of about U.S. $1.47 B, is expected to close before the end of the third quarter, subject to regulatory approvals.
Venezuela's second largest refinery suspends gasoline production
Venezuela's state company PDVSA has suspended gasoline production at the country's second largest refinery due to an outage at its reformer, five sources with knowledge of the operations said on Wednesday.
An intermittent scarcity of fuel has hit the South American country in recent years as PDVSA's aging refineries operate at a fraction of its 1.3 MMbpd joint capacity and U.S. sanctions block the arrival of imported gasoline.
The Cardon refinery's naphtha reformer, which produces high-octane components for gasoline, is key for fuel production in the OPEC-member nation. The unit will be out of service while in maintenance, planned to last 18-21 days, the sources said.
BASF and MAN Energy Solutions enter into partnership for construction of one of the world’s largest heat pumps in Ludwigshafen
BASF and MAN Energy Solutions have entered into a strategic partnership to pursue the construction of an industrial-scale heat pump at the BASF site in Ludwigshafen. This project is intended to make an important contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, establishing the use of low-CO2 technologies in chemical production and reducing the site’s natural gas consumption. As a first step, the project partners are conducting a feasibility study that is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
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