Page 156 - CW E-Magazine (9-1-2024)

News from Abroad News from Abroad

ENGINEERING PLASTICS GREEN LOGISTICS
Idemitsu Kosan begins operations at second SPS Stolt Tankers applies innovative graphene coating

plant in Malaysia to hull of chemical tanker

Stolt Tankers, the Rotterdam-based hull and the water and removing marine
The Malaysian subsidiary of Japa- Idemitsu Kosan said with its sec-
nese chemicals company, Idemitsu ond SPS plant (9,000-tpa capacity) in operated of the world’s largest fleet of growth as the ship travels.
chemical parcel tankers, has announced
Kosan, has completed construction of a operation, the production scale of its that it has become the fi rst shipping “Cutting-edge technology like this
second syndiotactic polystyrene (SPS) proprietary material will be doubled. company in the world to apply a cut- isn’t just about preventing wear and
plant in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia, The new two-location system (with the ting-edge sustainable coating to the hull tear to our ships. The coating is a simple
and launched commercial operation in fi rst SPS production plant at the Chiba of one of its chemical tankers, ‘Stolt way we can help protect marine eco-
November 2023. Complex in Japan) has realised a more Lotus’. systems, while maintaining operational
stable production and supply system,
SPS is a semi-crystalline polymer the company added. nology, developed by Canada-based effi ciency,” said Mr. Lucas Vos, Presi-
In early November 2023, the Graphite Innovation & Technologies dent, Stolt Tankers. This latest applica-
synthesised from styrene monomer (SM) 30,000-deadweight tonne ‘Stolt Lotus’ (GIT) Coatings, is said to have the tion follows Stolt Tankers’ work with
using a single-site catalyst, such as meta- melting point, good chemical & moisture The location of Idemitsu Kosan’s was drydocked in China for fi ve days potential to reduce fuel consumption GIT Coatings earlier in 2023 to apply
llocene. It was fi rst synthesised in 1985 resistance, and a high degree of dimen- second SPS production plant, Pasir where the sustainable hull coating and resulting greenhouse gas emissions. the graphene coating to the propellors
by Idemitsu Kosan and commercialised sional stability. SPS resin is widely used Gudang, is one of the company’s key was applied. It is expected to last for It creates an ultra-low friction surface of more than 40 ships – another world
in 1997. Because of its semi-crystalline in automotive parts including those for manufacturing sites for petrochemi- approximately ten years, with an eva- to increase vessel performance, without fi rst. Adopting this technology Stolt
nature, SPS products exhibit perfor- electric vehicles, home appliances, and cals. The plant will procure SM from luation at fi ve years to confi rm if any use of biocides, silicone oils or toxic Tankers’ ambition to reduce its carbon
mance attributes that are signifi cantly daily-use products such as tableware and Idemitsu SM (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., a maintenance is required. components. The coating is expected to intensity by 50% (relative to the 2008
different from those of amorphous sty- microwave oven cooking containers, and subsidiary of Idemitsu, located next to provide fuel savings of between 5-7% baseline) by 2030, and helps customers
renic materials. These include a high demand is expanding. the SPS plant.
The X-GIT FUEL graphene tech- by decreasing the friction between the in reducing their Scope 3 emissions.
Technip to provide technology, engineering, and procure- EXPANSION

ment services for Dow’s net-zero ethylene cracker in Canada AGC boosts biopharma CDMO capability in Japan

Japanese conglomerate, AGC, has
France’s Technip Energies has been announced plans to expand its bio-
selected to provide technology, engi- pharmaceutical contract development &
neering, and procurement services for manufacturing organisation (CDMO)
Dow’s net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emis- capability at the AGC Yokohama Tech-
sions integrated ethylene cracker in nical Centre in Japan.
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada.
The total investment for the expan-
Technip Energies provided an Ex- sion is expected to be approximately
tended Basic Engineering Package for 50-bn Japanese yen (around $350-mn).
this new ethylene plant, including the Development services for gene and
cracking furnaces and the downstream cell therapies is planned to begin fi rst
separation section. in 2025, followed by development and manufacturing sites to strengthen vac- ing-edge fi eld of mRNA pharmaceuti-
manufacturing services for mRNA cine production project” (announced cals and gene & cell therapies. AGC
This is the fi rst ethylene plant mately 1,300-ktpa ethylene with fi ve President, Sustainable Fuels, Chemi- pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals made by AGC in October 2022). AGC will said the move will boost manufacturing
worldwide to be designed to achieve Technip Energies’ proprietary SMK cals & Circularity of Technip Energies, using mammalian cell cultures and introduce dual-use facilities that can be capabilities for biopharmaceuticals, for
net-zero CO emissions. The cracker furnaces in phase 1 of the project, to be stated, “By using our proven ethy- gene and cell therapies in 2026. applied to manufacturing of vaccines which Japan is currently highly reliant
2
will utilise clean hydrogen, produced expanded to 1,800-ktpa ethylene in a lene technology, combined with clean in the event of a pandemic. In addition on overseas CDMOs. Under its medium-
from the cracker off-gas, as fuel gas in second phase by adding two additional hydrogen-fuelled cracking furnaces This expansion has been selected to mammalian cell culture bioreactors, term business plan, AGC has positioned
the cracking furnaces, which will elimi- SMK furnaces. design, we demonstrate our ability to by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, which have one of the largest capa- its Life Science business including its
nate direct Scope 1 CO emissions. The decarbonise the ethylene market using Trade and Industry (METI) as part of cities as a CDMO in Japan, the expansion biopharmaceutical CDMO, as one of its
2
cracker is designed to produce approxi- Mr. Bhaskar Patel, Senior Vice innovative technologies and designs.” its “Developing biopharmaceutical will also include facilities for lead- strategic businesses.

156 Chemical Weekly January 9, 2024 Chemical Weekly January 9, 2024 157

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