Page 163 - CW E-Magazine (20-8-2024)

News from Abroad News from Abroad

ENGINEERING THERMOPLASTICS BUSINESS EXIT
SABIC plans compounding facility in Fujian, China Veolia divests North American sulphuric acid-

Saudi Arabian chemicals supplier, regeneration business
SABIC, has signed a potential
investment agreement with the Fujian French water and water treatment portfolio of assets in line with the stra- acid and potassium hydroxide regenera-
government, under the auspices of solutions provider, Veolia, has announ- tegic priorities of our GreenUp plan tion, as well as sulphur gas recovery,
the Saudi Ministry of Energy, to ced that its subsidiary Veolia North whilst maintaining a strict balance and sulphur-based products production
build an engineering thermoplastics America has signed an agreement for sheet discipline. The sulphuric acid businesses, the acquired company has
compounding plant in China’s Fujian the divestment of Veolia North America regeneration business in the US is not one been renamed Nexpera.
Province. Regeneration Services, which includes of our key priorities and does not offer

its sulphuric acid and hydrofl uoric acid synergies with our core activities. Their Nexpera will look to help refi neries
The planned plant will be located regeneration activities for refi neries, to disposal will enable us to create value cleanly process sulphur gas and regene-
in the Gulei Port Economic Develop- private equity fi rm American Industrial and concentrate our investments on rate spent sulphuric acid and potas-
ment Zone, Zhangzhou, Fujian. It will Partners (AIP) for an enterprise value the ‘boosters’ of the GreenUp strategic sium hydroxide, which are critical to
primarily produce pelletised Lexan of $620-mn. These activities repre- plan,” said Ms. Estelle Brachlianoff, the alkylation process. In addition, the
branded polycarbonate (PC) and sented revenues of around $350-mn in Veolia’s CEO. company manufactures sulphuric acid
Cycoloy PC/ABS blends for use in ad- 2023. and sulphur derivatives for a broad
vanced materials tailored to the needs Following AIP’s acquisition of range of industrial processes, including
of industries including electrical and SABIC Technology Centre in Shang- and SABIC Fujian Petrochemicals Co. “This disposal is in line with our Veolia’s Sulphuric Acid Regeneration semiconductor production, gold & cop-
consumer electronics, automotive, and hai and three compounding plants in Ltd. Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, policy of continuously reshaping our Business, which includes its sulphuric per mining, and EV battery production.
emerging sectors such as solar energy, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Chongqing, SABIC CEO said, “By creating synergy
electrifi cation, and 5G. The site will alongside operations in 17 cities across with upstream and downstream part-
include compounding lines, colour Greater China. ners, the project aims to strengthen ACCIDENT AFTERMATH
development capabilities, and advanced our supply capability in compound- BASF declares force majeure for certain vitamins
equipment. The new plant is also expected to ing products and serve this important
create synergies with SABIC’s two strategic market with innovative and and aroma ingredients after July fi re
In addition to the planned com- existing joint ventures – Sinopec consistently high-quality material
pounding plant, SABIC operates a SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical Co. Ltd. solutions.”
Germany’s BASF has declared The company said the incident DL-menthol, rose oxides, ethyllinalool,
force majeure for selected vitamin A, caused damage to the plant, which led nerolidol, and isophytol R.
BACKWARD INTEGRATION vitamin E, and carotenoid products as to a shut-down and a supply disrup-
US medical glove maker to acquire polyisoprene well as selected aroma ingredients. The tion of the afore-mentioned products. Around 15 people were reported
Cleaning, inspection and repair work “slightly” injured in the fi re. “There was
announcement follows the fi re inci-
facility dent reported at BASF’s Ludwigshafen of the plant has started. The company no contamination of air, water, or soil.
(Germany) site on July 29, 2024, at a informed that the force majeure came into BASF’s environmental monitoring vehi-
plant that manufactures aroma ingredi- effect immediately and would continue cles were underway inside and outside
US Medical Glove Company pandemic proved how critical Ameri- ents and precursors for vitamin A, vita- “until further notice”. The aroma ingre- the site and did not detect any product
(USMGC) said it has acquired a poly- can control of the supply chain was min E, and carotenoid production. dients impacted are ionones, pyranol, residues,” the company informed.
isoprene facility. The company said the in safeguarding American health and
acquisition will make it the only end- security,” Mr. Alex Todoroki of
to-end US manufacturer of both nitrile USMGC said in a release. “By adding Celanese lifts force majeure on Western Hemisphere
and polyisoprene gloves. this facility to our portfolio, USMGC
has now secured the raw supplies, acetic acid and VAM
Alongside the acquisition, US- advanced machinery, and 30+ pro-
MGC launched an independent divi- sion will exclusively supply USMGC duction lines to manufacture 2.5-bil- Celanese has confi rmed that the force “We were pleased to be able to to continuing to work closely with all
sion, US Medical Chemical Company with the raw materials required to lion nitrile and polyisoprene surgical majeure declared for acetic acid and meet the product needs of virtually of our critical raw material suppliers
(USMCC), to oversee the production manufacture a suite of personal pro- gloves by the end of 2024. We are vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) sold in the all of our contracted customers dur- to mitigate the risk of similar events
of raw nitrile and polyisoprene, cru- tective equipment (PPE) to fulfi l con- incredibly proud that our entire supply Western Hemisphere has ended and ing this challenging period by relying arising in the future,” said Mr. Mark
cial ingredients in both surgical and tracts across the US government. “The chain is 100% made in America,” the underlying supply chain conditions on our integrated and fl exible supply Murray, Senior Vice President of the
medical exam gloves. The new divi- PPE shortages prevalent through the he added. behind the declaration have stabilised. chain model. Celanese is committed Acetyl Chain.

162 Chemical Weekly August 20, 2024 Chemical Weekly August 20, 2024 163

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