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DATE : 2013-09-27
Thailand’s PTT Asahi Chemical has shut its 200,000 tonne/year acrylonitrile (ACN) plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand on 25 September because of mechanical issues at the unit, a company source said on Friday.
“The plant was shut down the day before yesterday due to some mechanical problem,” the source said, declining to disclose further details.
The duration of the shutdown is still unknown, the source added. PTT Asahi Chemical is a joint venture between Thailand’s PTT and two Japanese firms - Asahi Kasei Chemicals and Marubeni.
SOURCE Icis News
Thailand’s PTT Asahi Chemical has shut its 200,000 tonne/year acrylonitrile (ACN) plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand on 25 September because of mechanical issues at the unit, a company source said on Friday.
“The plant was shut down the day before yesterday due to some mechanical problem,” the source said, declining to disclose further details.
The duration of the shutdown is still unknown, the source added. PTT Asahi Chemical is a joint venture between Thailand’s PTT and two Japanese firms - Asahi Kasei Chemicals and Marubeni.
SOURCE Icis News
Par
Stanislas Du Guerny | 25/09 | 06:00
Bretagne : En inaugurant la semaine dernière en Bretagne une nouvelle tranche de son usine de batteries Blue Solutions, Vincent Bolloré a annoncé les prochains développements de cet outil. Il compte l'étendre de 8.000 mètres carrés, vraisemblablement dès 2015, et y créer de 250 à 300 emplois. Le groupe a déjà engagé 250 millions d'euros dans le développement de cette usine qui emploie 160 collaborateurs à Ergué-Gabéric (Finistère). Il y produit des batteries destinées aux voitures électriques ainsi qu'aux bus, bateaux et tramways et au stockage de l'énergie pour les bâtiments (Bluehouse). Pour le groupe Bolloré, compte tenu des perspectives commerciales de ces batteries dans le monde, il est temps de penser aux capacités de production nécessaires.
DATE : 2013-09-26
Ellba Eastern has restarted its styrene monomer (SM)/propylene oxide (PO) at Jurong Island, Singapore, on 25 September, market players said on Thursday.
The company declared force majeurehttp://www.icis.com/Articles/2013/09/18/9706932/ellba-eastern-declares-force-maj eure-at-singapore-smpo-plant.htmlon Shell with effect from 16 September 2013.
Ellba Eastern’s Singapore plant has a nameplate SM capacity of 550,000 tonnes/year and a PO capacity of 250,000 tonnes/year.
The SM/PO plant was heard to be unable to restart successfully on 24 September, but was subsequently restarted on 25 September, market players said.
However, the exact operating rates at the plant could not be confirmed.
Shell could not be immediately reached for comments.
The company is a 50:50 joint venture of Anglo-Dutch energy major Shell and German chemicals giant BASF.
SOURCE Icis News
Ellba Eastern has restarted its styrene monomer (SM)/propylene oxide (PO) at Jurong Island, Singapore, on 25 September, market players said on Thursday.
The company declared force majeurehttp://www.icis.com/Articles/2013/09/18/9706932/ellba-eastern-declares-force-maj eure-at-singapore-smpo-plant.htmlon Shell with effect from 16 September 2013.
Ellba Eastern’s Singapore plant has a nameplate SM capacity of 550,000 tonnes/year and a PO capacity of 250,000 tonnes/year.
The SM/PO plant was heard to be unable to restart successfully on 24 September, but was subsequently restarted on 25 September, market players said.
However, the exact operating rates at the plant could not be confirmed.
Shell could not be immediately reached for comments.
The company is a 50:50 joint venture of Anglo-Dutch energy major Shell and German chemicals giant BASF.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2013-09-01
American agribusiness firm Monsanto will stop seeking approval for genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe. All of the company's pending applications, excluding MON810 insect-resistant maize, will be abandoned.
Rather, it will concentrate on creating biotech crops in North America and new crop varieties in the EU by conventional breeding. Monsanto will aim to acquire GM crop imports approved in Europe. Despite the public and political opposition, the starch-rich non-food Amflora potato of BASF has survived the negotiation of the approvals process. BASF also transferred its plant research headquarters to the US and suspended its GM crop development in Europe in 2012.
SOURCE Chemistry World
DATE : 2013-09-26
Japan’s Nihon Oxirane plans to restart its 425,000 tonne/year styrene monomer (SM) plant in mid-October after the completion of scheduled maintenance at the unit, a company source said on Thursday.
The facility, located in Chiba, was shut on 4 September. “We plan to start feeding on 14 October and the plant should be fully running a week later”, the source added.
The company is a joint venture between US-based LyondellBasell and Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical. Other SM producers in Japan include Asahi Kasei, Idemitsu Kosan and Denka.
SOURCE Icis News
Japan’s Nihon Oxirane plans to restart its 425,000 tonne/year styrene monomer (SM) plant in mid-October after the completion of scheduled maintenance at the unit, a company source said on Thursday.
The facility, located in Chiba, was shut on 4 September. “We plan to start feeding on 14 October and the plant should be fully running a week later”, the source added.
The company is a joint venture between US-based LyondellBasell and Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical. Other SM producers in Japan include Asahi Kasei, Idemitsu Kosan and Denka.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2013-09-26
Japan’s Asahi Kasei has shut its 390,000 tonne/year No 3 styrene monomer (SM) plant on 26 September for maintenance, a company source said on Thursday.
The unit, located in Mizushima, is expected to be down for around 40 days. The date for restart is scheduled on 4 November.
The company also operates a 320,000 tonne/year No 2 SM unit at the same location. The unit is running at typical rates.
The company’s No 1 plant was mothballed in 2007. Other Japanese SM makers include Idemitsu Kosan, Nihon Oxirane and Denka.
SOURCE Icis News
Japan’s Asahi Kasei has shut its 390,000 tonne/year No 3 styrene monomer (SM) plant on 26 September for maintenance, a company source said on Thursday.
The unit, located in Mizushima, is expected to be down for around 40 days. The date for restart is scheduled on 4 November.
The company also operates a 320,000 tonne/year No 2 SM unit at the same location. The unit is running at typical rates.
The company’s No 1 plant was mothballed in 2007. Other Japanese SM makers include Idemitsu Kosan, Nihon Oxirane and Denka.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2013-09-20
US renewable chemicals firm Novomer is developing a process that produces acrylic acid (AA), which is typically propylene-based, from ethylene, enabling it to take advantage of the North American shale gas boom.
Novomer's catalytic process uses the sequestration and conversion of waste carbon dioxide (CO2) and ethane-rich shale gas to produce mass market chemicals such as acrylic acid, butanediol and other commodities used in paints, coatings, textiles and diapers.
Production of the “drop-in” chemicals is expected to reach pilot scale of 2,000 tonnes/year by 2016 and commercial scale by 2017, thanks to a $5m (€3.7m) grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and a partnership with a global industrial gases producer.
The partner, whose name has not been disclosed, will use a solid oxide electrolysing process to convert waste CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO). By using CO2 as a raw material, the carbon footprint could be reduced by 40-110%, depending on the target chemical, Novomer said.
Then, Novomer’s catalytic process will convert the CO output from the solid oxide electrolysis, as well as ethylene oxide (EO), into acrylic acid and other chemicals. The company’s homogeneous catalysts will make an intermediate called propiolactone, which is then converted into acrylic acid.
“The catalyst used, we feel, is very innovative,” said Mike Slowik, director of chemicals at Novomer. “It’s 99% selective, which means no raw materials are wasted in the process, and it operates at moderate temperatures of 30-50 degrees Celsius, compared to other catalysts that typically operate at 200-250 degrees Celsius.”
The sequestration of waste gases occurring with only moderate temperate requirements, coupled with the savings from using electrolytes to convert raw materials into CO and from taking advantage of cheap ethylene derivatives in shale gas, could lower production costs by to 20-40%, he said.
“It’s really about the feedstocks, and CO2 is a low-cost starting material that composes about 50% of the acrylic acid,” Slowik said.
“With ethylene, there’s been about 30% new ethylene capacity being announced in the US Gulf region because of the shale gas phenomenon,” he said.
The advent of shale gas has caused many US crackers to switch to lighter feedstocks such as ethane, which produces a lot of ethylene. However, ethane produces less co-products such as propylene.
Because the advent of shale gas has also led to ample supplies of low-cost propane in the US, several companies have announced plans to build propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plants to bring on more propylene capacity.
Still, Slowik said this should not hinder Novomer’s acrylic acid from remaining competitive.
“PDH plants are capital intensive, and the derivatives are low cost, so we’re very confident, even if propylene comes online,” he said.
If successful, Novomer’s technology could lead to the first acrylic acid plant built in the US in more than 10 years, the company said. It also could allow US producers to become global low-cost leaders in chemical intermediates and vastly reduce dependencies on crude oil markets.
“We think it’ll happen rather quickly, assuming we can hit the cost-savings target of 20-40%, because we already have significant amount of interest with chemical companies wanting to partner with us,” Slowik said. “We have discussed this with chemical companies that either are in the acrylic acid industry today or have a lot of ethylene derivatives, and they are very interested in our technology.”
For its existing partner, the process would increase the demand for CO.
“Any new technology for CO that is lower energy is something we have a similar cost interest in,” Slowik said.
Additionally, Novomer believes its technology could increase energy productivity of chemical manufacturing by 30-70%, as well as provide energy savings of over 20tr BTUs/year within 10 years.
“This technology platform has the potential to have a transformational impact on the US chemicals industry,” said Jim Mahoney, CEO of Novomer. “We are proud of what has been accomplished to date and excited for the future as we continue to commercialize the technology.”
SOURCE Icis News
US renewable chemicals firm Novomer is developing a process that produces acrylic acid (AA), which is typically propylene-based, from ethylene, enabling it to take advantage of the North American shale gas boom.
Novomer's catalytic process uses the sequestration and conversion of waste carbon dioxide (CO2) and ethane-rich shale gas to produce mass market chemicals such as acrylic acid, butanediol and other commodities used in paints, coatings, textiles and diapers.
Production of the “drop-in” chemicals is expected to reach pilot scale of 2,000 tonnes/year by 2016 and commercial scale by 2017, thanks to a $5m (€3.7m) grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and a partnership with a global industrial gases producer.
The partner, whose name has not been disclosed, will use a solid oxide electrolysing process to convert waste CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO). By using CO2 as a raw material, the carbon footprint could be reduced by 40-110%, depending on the target chemical, Novomer said.
Then, Novomer’s catalytic process will convert the CO output from the solid oxide electrolysis, as well as ethylene oxide (EO), into acrylic acid and other chemicals. The company’s homogeneous catalysts will make an intermediate called propiolactone, which is then converted into acrylic acid.
“The catalyst used, we feel, is very innovative,” said Mike Slowik, director of chemicals at Novomer. “It’s 99% selective, which means no raw materials are wasted in the process, and it operates at moderate temperatures of 30-50 degrees Celsius, compared to other catalysts that typically operate at 200-250 degrees Celsius.”
The sequestration of waste gases occurring with only moderate temperate requirements, coupled with the savings from using electrolytes to convert raw materials into CO and from taking advantage of cheap ethylene derivatives in shale gas, could lower production costs by to 20-40%, he said.
“It’s really about the feedstocks, and CO2 is a low-cost starting material that composes about 50% of the acrylic acid,” Slowik said.
“With ethylene, there’s been about 30% new ethylene capacity being announced in the US Gulf region because of the shale gas phenomenon,” he said.
The advent of shale gas has caused many US crackers to switch to lighter feedstocks such as ethane, which produces a lot of ethylene. However, ethane produces less co-products such as propylene.
Because the advent of shale gas has also led to ample supplies of low-cost propane in the US, several companies have announced plans to build propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plants to bring on more propylene capacity.
Still, Slowik said this should not hinder Novomer’s acrylic acid from remaining competitive.
“PDH plants are capital intensive, and the derivatives are low cost, so we’re very confident, even if propylene comes online,” he said.
If successful, Novomer’s technology could lead to the first acrylic acid plant built in the US in more than 10 years, the company said. It also could allow US producers to become global low-cost leaders in chemical intermediates and vastly reduce dependencies on crude oil markets.
“We think it’ll happen rather quickly, assuming we can hit the cost-savings target of 20-40%, because we already have significant amount of interest with chemical companies wanting to partner with us,” Slowik said. “We have discussed this with chemical companies that either are in the acrylic acid industry today or have a lot of ethylene derivatives, and they are very interested in our technology.”
For its existing partner, the process would increase the demand for CO.
“Any new technology for CO that is lower energy is something we have a similar cost interest in,” Slowik said.
Additionally, Novomer believes its technology could increase energy productivity of chemical manufacturing by 30-70%, as well as provide energy savings of over 20tr BTUs/year within 10 years.
“This technology platform has the potential to have a transformational impact on the US chemicals industry,” said Jim Mahoney, CEO of Novomer. “We are proud of what has been accomplished to date and excited for the future as we continue to commercialize the technology.”
SOURCE Icis News
SOURCE : 2013-09-19
Dairen Chemical Corp is in plans to shut its No 2 Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant for maintenance turnaround. A Polymerupdate source in Taiwan informed that the plant will be shut in end-September 2013. It is likely to remain off-stream for around three weeks.parabreakparabreakLocated in Mailiao, Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 300,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
Dairen Chemical Corp is in plans to shut its No 2 Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant for maintenance turnaround. A Polymerupdate source in Taiwan informed that the plant will be shut in end-September 2013. It is likely to remain off-stream for around three weeks.parabreakparabreakLocated in Mailiao, Taiwan, the plant has a production capacity of 300,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
DATE : 2013-09-20
Tobu Butadiene Co. Ltd is operating its butadiene (BD) plant at reduced capacity levels. A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant is presently operating at 80% of production capacity owing to dull demand and pricing fundamentals. Located at Chiba in Japan, the BD plant has a production capacity of 130,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
Tobu Butadiene Co. Ltd is operating its butadiene (BD) plant at reduced capacity levels. A Polymerupdate source in Japan informed that the plant is presently operating at 80% of production capacity owing to dull demand and pricing fundamentals. Located at Chiba in Japan, the BD plant has a production capacity of 130,000 mt/year.
SOURCE PolymerUpdate
DATE : 2013-09-20
INEOS has restarted its 545,000 tonne/year acrylonitrile (ACN) plant in Green Lake, Texas, sources said on Friday.
The plant closed in late August for routine maintenance and is running at reduced capacities, sources said.
Spot prices for ACN rose by $25/tonne (€19/tonne) this week on tight supply and improved demand from the automotive and housing sectors.
The added supply from the INEOS plant over the next week or so is not expected to lower spot prices, because demand is expected to be robust. The automotive sector – which uses ACN for the acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) that is used to make auto parts – will introduce more than 20 new models over the next month.
October is supposed to be the single-biggest auto build month of the year, sources said. The US auto industry is on pace to build 16m cars and light trucks this year, which would make it the best year since 2007.
When automakers reported August sales following the US Labor Day holiday, both GM and Chrysler said August sales were in line to come in above the 16m-unit annual rate.
Major US producers of ACN include Ascend Performance Materials, Cornerstone, INEOS and Pemex-Unigel, which operates a 60,000 tonnes/year ACN plant in Mexico that was also shut down for two weeks for maintenance in August.
SOURCE Icis News
INEOS has restarted its 545,000 tonne/year acrylonitrile (ACN) plant in Green Lake, Texas, sources said on Friday.
The plant closed in late August for routine maintenance and is running at reduced capacities, sources said.
Spot prices for ACN rose by $25/tonne (€19/tonne) this week on tight supply and improved demand from the automotive and housing sectors.
The added supply from the INEOS plant over the next week or so is not expected to lower spot prices, because demand is expected to be robust. The automotive sector – which uses ACN for the acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) that is used to make auto parts – will introduce more than 20 new models over the next month.
October is supposed to be the single-biggest auto build month of the year, sources said. The US auto industry is on pace to build 16m cars and light trucks this year, which would make it the best year since 2007.
When automakers reported August sales following the US Labor Day holiday, both GM and Chrysler said August sales were in line to come in above the 16m-unit annual rate.
Major US producers of ACN include Ascend Performance Materials, Cornerstone, INEOS and Pemex-Unigel, which operates a 60,000 tonnes/year ACN plant in Mexico that was also shut down for two weeks for maintenance in August.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2013-09-20
La nouvelle usine inaugurée vendredi par Bolloré permettra au groupe de produire 10.000 batteries électriques d'ici la fin de l'année et de développer cette activité dont une partie sera introduite en Bourse en octobre.
Le groupe diversifié français produit actuellement 2.500 packs de batteries utilisant la technologie lithium métal polymère sur son site d'Ergué-Gabéric, près de Quimper, soit 75 MWh. Une centaine de personnes y travaillent. Il possède également une unité de production à Boucherville, au Canada.
D'ici fin décembre, Bolloré compte produire en tout 10.000 batteries de 30 kWh par an et vise 1 GWh à l'horizon 2019-2020.
Il est le seul à avoir fait le pari de cette technologie, plutôt que de miser sur des batteries lithium-ion et y a investi 1,7 milliard d'euros sur quinze ans.
Le lancement fin 2011 d'Autolib' à Paris a permis de démontrer la fiabilité de ces batteries. Le PDG du groupe, Vincent Bolloré, ne manque d'ailleurs jamais une occasion de rappeler que ce service de location courte durée de voitures électriques n'a pas connu de couac majeur en plus de 24 millions de kilomètres parcourus.
Ce sytème essaime cette année dans deux autres villes en France, Lyon et Bordeaux, avant de s'installer l'an prochain à Indianapolis, dans le nord des Etats-Unis.
Les batteries produites par Bolloré équipent pour l'instant uniquement ses voitures Bluecar, développées en partenariat avec l'italien Pininfarina, et ses bus Bluebus. Des tests sont en train d'être effectués pour équiper des tramways et des bateaux, mais aussi pour placer des batteries stationnaires chez des particuliers où elles permettraient de stocker l'énergie.
La filiale du groupe spécialisée dans la production et le stockage d'énergie, dénommée "Blue Solutions" espère en vendre ou en louer 1.035 cette année et générer ainsi un chiffre d'affaires de 36 millions d'euros. En 2014, ces chiffres devraient grimper respectivement à 3.000 et 105 millions d'euros.
Bolloré introduira en Bourse à la fin du mois prochain 10% de cette filiale par cession de titres existants. Le chiffre d'affaires de Blue Solutions devrait se monter entre 200 et 225 millions en 2017, selon les projections du groupe.
Il vient aussi de signer une lettre d'intention avec le constructeur Renault pour voir comment ils pourraient travailler ensemble à l'avenir dans l'autopartage. Ils envisagent aussi de développer de concert une voiture trois places qui utiliserait une batterie Bolloré.
SOURCE AFP
La nouvelle usine inaugurée vendredi par Bolloré permettra au groupe de produire 10.000 batteries électriques d'ici la fin de l'année et de développer cette activité dont une partie sera introduite en Bourse en octobre.
Le groupe diversifié français produit actuellement 2.500 packs de batteries utilisant la technologie lithium métal polymère sur son site d'Ergué-Gabéric, près de Quimper, soit 75 MWh. Une centaine de personnes y travaillent. Il possède également une unité de production à Boucherville, au Canada.
D'ici fin décembre, Bolloré compte produire en tout 10.000 batteries de 30 kWh par an et vise 1 GWh à l'horizon 2019-2020.
Il est le seul à avoir fait le pari de cette technologie, plutôt que de miser sur des batteries lithium-ion et y a investi 1,7 milliard d'euros sur quinze ans.
Le lancement fin 2011 d'Autolib' à Paris a permis de démontrer la fiabilité de ces batteries. Le PDG du groupe, Vincent Bolloré, ne manque d'ailleurs jamais une occasion de rappeler que ce service de location courte durée de voitures électriques n'a pas connu de couac majeur en plus de 24 millions de kilomètres parcourus.
Ce sytème essaime cette année dans deux autres villes en France, Lyon et Bordeaux, avant de s'installer l'an prochain à Indianapolis, dans le nord des Etats-Unis.
Les batteries produites par Bolloré équipent pour l'instant uniquement ses voitures Bluecar, développées en partenariat avec l'italien Pininfarina, et ses bus Bluebus. Des tests sont en train d'être effectués pour équiper des tramways et des bateaux, mais aussi pour placer des batteries stationnaires chez des particuliers où elles permettraient de stocker l'énergie.
La filiale du groupe spécialisée dans la production et le stockage d'énergie, dénommée "Blue Solutions" espère en vendre ou en louer 1.035 cette année et générer ainsi un chiffre d'affaires de 36 millions d'euros. En 2014, ces chiffres devraient grimper respectivement à 3.000 et 105 millions d'euros.
Bolloré introduira en Bourse à la fin du mois prochain 10% de cette filiale par cession de titres existants. Le chiffre d'affaires de Blue Solutions devrait se monter entre 200 et 225 millions en 2017, selon les projections du groupe.
Il vient aussi de signer une lettre d'intention avec le constructeur Renault pour voir comment ils pourraient travailler ensemble à l'avenir dans l'autopartage. Ils envisagent aussi de développer de concert une voiture trois places qui utiliserait une batterie Bolloré.
SOURCE AFP
DATE : 2013-09-15
Butadiene is an important intermediate that has caused quite a few manufacturers headaches over the past three years. Prices have swung sharply up, and down, on availability and market sentiment. Underlying fears of tighter markets and structurally higher prices have been driven by the shift in the global cracker feedstock slate from liquids to gas.
But just how influential will that shift be when the wider availability of butadiene is taken into account?
Some of the views expressed at the 2 nd ICIS Butadiene & Derivatives conference in Berlin this week suggest that for the most important C4 the world may have turned.
Butadiene is not ethylene, or for that matter propylene. It is a co-product in liquids steam cracking and annual global output is only 8.5% of that of ethylene, or 9.5m tonnes.
This means that relatively small capacity additions, on-purpose or otherwise, could have a significant impact on market dynamics.
Some 95% of butadiene currently comes from steam crackers. And to date there is very little on-purpose butadiene production, some in Russia and some in China.
But more on-purpose production is planned and extractive capacity from C4 streams is increasing, largely to take advantage of predicted China demand.
Chinese players have not been sitting on the sidelines as downstream demand, largely for synthetic rubber, has increased with China’s demand for automobiles. Some producers in Europe have decided to extract more butadiene, on-purpose technology from n-butane is being dusted off in the US, and more production from n-butene is planned in China.
About 1.1m tonnes of new butadiene capacity is expected to come on-stream in Asia this year, mainly to help fulfil China’s demand growth, Philip Cook, of JACOBS Consultancy, said at the 2 nd ICIS butadiene conference in Berlin on Tuesday, and there is more to come. Cook also noted the significant shift in butadiene international trade over the past two years.
Most of the new capacity is expected on-stream in China from n-butene dehydrogenation. The n-butene is a by-product in the production of the gasoline oxygenate MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) production.
In 2012, China imported 249,000 tonnes of butadiene, compared with just 50,00 tonnes in 2011. European net exports of butadiene in 2012 were 628,000 tonnes, provisional data show, compared with a 2011 export figure 293,000 tonnes.
New butadiene extraction capacity in Europe will chase exports but China’s economic slowdown and new China production capacity imply that the chase might ultimately be fruitless.
This new capacity together with the fundamentally soft global demand picture mean that inter-regional trade could shift significantly again.
Throw into this mix the fact that Texas Petrochemicals (TPC) is expected to go ahead with construction of a 270,000 tonne/year on-purpose butadiene unit in Texas based on old butane conversion technology and the future looks even more uncertain.
The US imported 237,000 tonnes of butadiene in 2012, up from 264,000 tonnes in 2011.
“There is the potential for the largest import market to substantially decrease in only a couple of years,” Cook said, referring to the planned TPC unit.
In total, 400,000 tonnes/year of new butadiene capacity is expected to be added globally by 2015, he added.
SOURCE Icis News
Butadiene is an important intermediate that has caused quite a few manufacturers headaches over the past three years. Prices have swung sharply up, and down, on availability and market sentiment. Underlying fears of tighter markets and structurally higher prices have been driven by the shift in the global cracker feedstock slate from liquids to gas.
But just how influential will that shift be when the wider availability of butadiene is taken into account?
Some of the views expressed at the 2 nd ICIS Butadiene & Derivatives conference in Berlin this week suggest that for the most important C4 the world may have turned.
Butadiene is not ethylene, or for that matter propylene. It is a co-product in liquids steam cracking and annual global output is only 8.5% of that of ethylene, or 9.5m tonnes.
This means that relatively small capacity additions, on-purpose or otherwise, could have a significant impact on market dynamics.
Some 95% of butadiene currently comes from steam crackers. And to date there is very little on-purpose butadiene production, some in Russia and some in China.
But more on-purpose production is planned and extractive capacity from C4 streams is increasing, largely to take advantage of predicted China demand.
Chinese players have not been sitting on the sidelines as downstream demand, largely for synthetic rubber, has increased with China’s demand for automobiles. Some producers in Europe have decided to extract more butadiene, on-purpose technology from n-butane is being dusted off in the US, and more production from n-butene is planned in China.
About 1.1m tonnes of new butadiene capacity is expected to come on-stream in Asia this year, mainly to help fulfil China’s demand growth, Philip Cook, of JACOBS Consultancy, said at the 2 nd ICIS butadiene conference in Berlin on Tuesday, and there is more to come. Cook also noted the significant shift in butadiene international trade over the past two years.
Most of the new capacity is expected on-stream in China from n-butene dehydrogenation. The n-butene is a by-product in the production of the gasoline oxygenate MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) production.
In 2012, China imported 249,000 tonnes of butadiene, compared with just 50,00 tonnes in 2011. European net exports of butadiene in 2012 were 628,000 tonnes, provisional data show, compared with a 2011 export figure 293,000 tonnes.
New butadiene extraction capacity in Europe will chase exports but China’s economic slowdown and new China production capacity imply that the chase might ultimately be fruitless.
This new capacity together with the fundamentally soft global demand picture mean that inter-regional trade could shift significantly again.
Throw into this mix the fact that Texas Petrochemicals (TPC) is expected to go ahead with construction of a 270,000 tonne/year on-purpose butadiene unit in Texas based on old butane conversion technology and the future looks even more uncertain.
The US imported 237,000 tonnes of butadiene in 2012, up from 264,000 tonnes in 2011.
“There is the potential for the largest import market to substantially decrease in only a couple of years,” Cook said, referring to the planned TPC unit.
In total, 400,000 tonnes/year of new butadiene capacity is expected to be added globally by 2015, he added.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2013-09-17
Denki Kagaku Kogyo (Denka) plans to withdraw from its Vinyl Acetate monomer (VAM) business in the second quarter of next year, citing worsening operating environment, the Japanese producer said on Tuesday.
Denka will cease production at its sole 60,000 tonne/year VAM plant at Ichihara, Chiba prefecture, in end-April 2014, and end all its VAM sales by end-June in the same year, it said in a statement.
“Domestic demand for VAM has declined due to the long slump in housing starts … Furthermore, there have been a number of capacity expansions of VAM plants overseas, which prolonged harsh market conditions,” Denka said in Japanese.
“The worsening of the operating environment is beyond our efforts, and we concluded it would be difficult to earn stable profits,” the company said.
Denka said exiting the VAM business is similar to its decision to close one of its Styrene monomer (SM) plants in May 2012.
SOURCE Icis News
Denki Kagaku Kogyo (Denka) plans to withdraw from its Vinyl Acetate monomer (VAM) business in the second quarter of next year, citing worsening operating environment, the Japanese producer said on Tuesday.
Denka will cease production at its sole 60,000 tonne/year VAM plant at Ichihara, Chiba prefecture, in end-April 2014, and end all its VAM sales by end-June in the same year, it said in a statement.
“Domestic demand for VAM has declined due to the long slump in housing starts … Furthermore, there have been a number of capacity expansions of VAM plants overseas, which prolonged harsh market conditions,” Denka said in Japanese.
“The worsening of the operating environment is beyond our efforts, and we concluded it would be difficult to earn stable profits,” the company said.
Denka said exiting the VAM business is similar to its decision to close one of its Styrene monomer (SM) plants in May 2012.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2013-09-13
Taiwan’s Formosa Chemicals & Fibres Corp (FCFC) plans to restart its two styrene monomer (SM) units in Kaohsiung earlier than expected in end-September, a company source on Wednesday.
Its 250,000 tonne/year No 1 and 350,000 tonne/year No 2 SM units at the site were shut since late August for maintenance and were supposed to resume production in mid-October, the source said.
“We are looking at restating in end September hopefully,” he said.
Healthy SM market may have prompted the early restart of the two plants, market players said.
FCFC also operates a 600,000 tonnes/year No 3 SM plant in Kaohsiung that is currently running at full capacity, the company source said.
SOURCE Icis News
Taiwan’s Formosa Chemicals & Fibres Corp (FCFC) plans to restart its two styrene monomer (SM) units in Kaohsiung earlier than expected in end-September, a company source on Wednesday.
Its 250,000 tonne/year No 1 and 350,000 tonne/year No 2 SM units at the site were shut since late August for maintenance and were supposed to resume production in mid-October, the source said.
“We are looking at restating in end September hopefully,” he said.
Healthy SM market may have prompted the early restart of the two plants, market players said.
FCFC also operates a 600,000 tonnes/year No 3 SM plant in Kaohsiung that is currently running at full capacity, the company source said.
SOURCE Icis News
DATE : 2013-09-17
Taiwan’s Dairen Chemical Corp plans to shut its 300,000 tonne/year No 2 vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant at Mailiao in end-September for three weeks of maintenance, a company official said on Wednesday.
Its other 350,000 tonne/year No 3 VAM plant at the site will continue to operate normally during the shutdown of the No 2 plant, the official said.
Meanwhile, major VAM producers in Asia are planning to announce price hikes of $15-20/tonne (€11-15/tonne) or more in the coming weeks for October shipments in a bid to recover margins, market sources said.
Producers’ margins are being eroded as prices of feedstocks acetic acid and ethylene are rising, they said.
On 12 September, a global VAM producer hiked its list and off-list prices in Asia ex-China by $40/tonne, with effect from 1 October, or as contracts allow, market sources said.
Concrete discussions however, have yet to commence in earnest.
Most VAM producers do not have any firm selling indications to offer in light of soft demand and ample supply.
A China-based producer said that any price hike would impact sales volumes.
Several VAM suppliers and producers had reduced their monthly sales volumes or skipped offering September shipments because of the wide buy-sell spread.
On 13 September, spot prices of VAM in northeast Asia and southeast Asia were hovering at $980-990/tonne CFR (cost and freight) NE Asia and $960-990/tonne CFR SE Asia, respectively, according to ICIS data.
Major VAM producers in the Asian market include US-headquartered Celanese, China’s Sinopec Sichuan Vinylon Works, Japan VAM & Poval and Showa Denko, South Korea’s Asia Acetyls Co (Asacco) and Saudi Arabia’s International Vinyl Acetate Co (IVC).
SOURCE Icis News
Taiwan’s Dairen Chemical Corp plans to shut its 300,000 tonne/year No 2 vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant at Mailiao in end-September for three weeks of maintenance, a company official said on Wednesday.
Its other 350,000 tonne/year No 3 VAM plant at the site will continue to operate normally during the shutdown of the No 2 plant, the official said.
Meanwhile, major VAM producers in Asia are planning to announce price hikes of $15-20/tonne (€11-15/tonne) or more in the coming weeks for October shipments in a bid to recover margins, market sources said.
Producers’ margins are being eroded as prices of feedstocks acetic acid and ethylene are rising, they said.
On 12 September, a global VAM producer hiked its list and off-list prices in Asia ex-China by $40/tonne, with effect from 1 October, or as contracts allow, market sources said.
Concrete discussions however, have yet to commence in earnest.
Most VAM producers do not have any firm selling indications to offer in light of soft demand and ample supply.
A China-based producer said that any price hike would impact sales volumes.
Several VAM suppliers and producers had reduced their monthly sales volumes or skipped offering September shipments because of the wide buy-sell spread.
On 13 September, spot prices of VAM in northeast Asia and southeast Asia were hovering at $980-990/tonne CFR (cost and freight) NE Asia and $960-990/tonne CFR SE Asia, respectively, according to ICIS data.
Major VAM producers in the Asian market include US-headquartered Celanese, China’s Sinopec Sichuan Vinylon Works, Japan VAM & Poval and Showa Denko, South Korea’s Asia Acetyls Co (Asacco) and Saudi Arabia’s International Vinyl Acetate Co (IVC).
SOURCE Icis News