Page 151 - CW E-Magazine (14-1-2025)

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MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION LITHIUM PROJECT
EU countries back stricter rules to curb plastic SWA Lithium begins operations at DLE-based pilot

pellet pollution plant in US

EU countries, on December 17, act quickly to contain leaks and under- SWA Lithium, the joint venture is expected to continue until late-
backed plans to curb plastic pollution take cleaning operations if necessary. between Standard Lithium and Nor- January 2025, at which point suffi cient
by toughening rules for companies wegian energy fi rm, Equinor, which operational experience and design data
using the pellets that constitute the Sea freight fi rms will be subject to is developing the South West Arkansas will have been acquired. Concluding
building blocks of most plastic pro- specifi c obligations, such as “ensuring (SWA) project, has partnered with operation of the pilot, it is expected
ducts. A compromise was found to apply good quality packaging” and “provid- Koch Technology Solutions (KTS), to to produce approximately 1,000-gal-
the new rules to maritime transport. ing cargo-related technical informa- design, build, commission, and ope- lons (3,785 litres) of concentrated
tion”. This will, in turn, result in the rate a pilot Direct Lithium Extraction and purifi ed lithium chloride solution
The Council adopted its position sector enjoying a three-year period to (DLE) plant at the project. (6% LiCl solution). This will be sent
on a regulation on preventing the loss adapt to the regulation once it comes to three vendors who will produce ap-
of plastic pellets to the environment. into force – compared to two years The pilot DLE plant is processing proximately 30-kg of battery-quality
About the size of a lentil and usually releases. The new rules, the fi rst of their granted to other sectors. brine directly from SWA to confi rm lithium carbonate. The lithium carbo-
made from fossil fuels, the pellets kind in the EU, will help companies to engineering design parameters for the in the qualification process with nate produced will be used for the fi rst
often spill into the environment, polluting minimise plastic pellet losses, contri- Some countries had pushed for project and provide samples of battery- potential off-take partners. Brine supply phase(s) of qualifi cation with potential
beaches and oceans. buting to the fi ght against microplastic maritime transport, which accounted quality lithium carbonate for use and operation of the pilot DLE plant off-take partners.
pollution, which knows no borders or for about 38% of all pellets transported
Building on legislation proposed by boundaries,” said Ms. Aniko Raisz, in the EU in 2022, to be excluded from Ineos Energy to acquire oil and gas assets in US
the European Commission in 2023, the Hungary’s minister of state for envi- the legislation, leaving it to the Inter-
bloc’s 27 countries agreed to introduce ronmental affairs. Hungary currently national Maritime Organization to set Gulf of Mexico
new rules for fi rms handling and trans- holds the rotating presidency of the out specifi c rules.
porting the stuff. Negotiations with the EU Council. UK’s Ineos Energy has announced by Ineos Energy in the US, in the past (Appomattox and Stampede) in the
European Parliament to fi nalise the text According to European Commis- the acquisition of the Gulf of Mexico three years, following the 1.4-mtpa Gulf of Mexico. In addition, Ineos
are expected to start this year. The proposal demands operators sion data, up to 184-kt of pellets per business held by CNOOC Energy LNG deal completed with Sempra in acquires several mature assets and sup-
handling pellets in the EU take nece- year are dispersed into the environment
“Plastic pellet losses to the envi- ssary measures to limit its release across the 27-nation bloc due to mis- Holdings U.S.A. Inc., a US subsidiary December 2022 and the acquisition of porting business. Mr. David Bucknall,
ronment are the third largest source through mishandling. Companies will handling. The EU hopes the proposal of Chinese oil & gas fi rm, CNOOC Chesapeake Energy’s oil and gas CEO of Ineos Energy said, “The USA
is a very attractive place for Ineos
International Ltd. The deal increases assets in South Texas in May 2023.
of all unintentional microplastic have to conduct risk assessments and will reduce pellet release by up to 74%.
Ineos Energy’s production globally to Energy to invest. Total capital spend on
Viridis Chemical relocates its US ethyl acetate facility over 90 thousand barrels of oil equiva- The deal includes a portfolio of energy assets in the USA now exceeds
lent per day. These assets in the Gulf of non-operated assets built around two $3-bn, providing a strong platform for
Mexico are the third major investment deepwater early production assets future growth.”
Viridis Chemical, a US-based trading, supply, and logistic services
developer of bio-based chemicals, has company. ‘China to lead global ethylene oxide capacity
announced the relocation of its renew-
able chemicals plant from Columbus, In addition to the adjacency to BioUrja, additions through 2028’
Nebraska, to Peoria, Illinois. the Peoria location includes access to
all major rail lines and barge-navigable China is likely to register the EO capacity during 2024- from BASF’s Zhanjiang
This move will co-locate Viridis’ routes connecting to the Mississippi River. highest ethylene oxide (EO) capacity 28 from eleven planned plant with 0.66-mtpa. The
facility with BioUrja Renewables’ “The site’s proximity to Viridis’ core additions globally by 2028, contri- and two announced pro- plant is currently under
high-purity alcohol plant in Peoria. The ethyl acetate customers in the Midwest buting about 75% of the total capa- jects, it said. construction and is antici-
plant will use BioUrja’s corn-based and Northeast, combined with its superior city additions from upcoming planned pated to begin operations
industrial alcohols to produce renewable focused on producing high-purity al- logistics and storage capabilities, will and announced projects, according to The highest capacity this year. Tangshan Xu
ethyl acetate. cohol for the beverage and industrial position Viridis for enhanced operational report by data and analytics company, addition of 0.73-mtpa is expected from Yang Petrochemical’s Tangshan plant
industries, as well as fuel ethanol. effi ciency and customer service,” the GlobalData. Shandong Yulong Petrochemical’s follows next, and is expected to
BioUrja Renewables operates the BioUrja is part of the larger BioUrja company said. The move is expected to Longkou plant 1. The second highest commence operations in 2027 with an
510-mn litres per year plant in Peoria Group, a privately held commodities be completed by late 2025. China is set to add 5.43-mtpa of capacity addition in the country is production capacity of 0.65-mtpa.

150 Chemical Weekly January 14, 2025 Chemical Weekly January 14, 2025 151

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