Page 160 - CW E-Magazine (28-5-2024)

News from Abroad

INTEGRATED OPERATIONS
MOL’s opens €1.3-bn polyol complex in Hungary

MOL, the Hungarian energy and
petrochemicals major, has opened its
new polyol complex in Tiszaújváros
(Hungary). The €1.3-bn project is
MOL’s “largest organic investment”
and boasts a capacity of around 200-
ktpa.

“The polyol complex will signifi-
cantly strengthen our company’s
position and competitiveness, with the propylene oxide, polyol and propylene results. MOL Group has been strength-
entire value chain from petroleum glycol plants. In addition to the four ening its chemical business for almost
processing to polyol production. This main plants, a pilot polyol plant, a qua- 10 years: a new butadiene extraction
investment has put Tiszaújváros back lity assurance laboratory and, in Százha- plant was completed in 2015 with a
on the map of the European chemical lombatta, a R&D centre were also built. HUF 35-bn ($98-mn) investment, fol-
industry, making it one of the most lowed by a synthetic rubber (S-SBR)
important industrial centres in the region. The project involved an internatio- plant in 2018 with a HUF 100-bn
It will enhance the industrial competi- nal team of thousands of experts, with ($280-mn) investment.
tiveness of our country and could cata- engineering design work carried out in
lyse economic growth as well,” said Germany, Thailand, India and Hungary. In 2016, the company announced a
Mr. Zsolt Hernádi, Chairman and CEO The plant equipment came from 24 major strategic shift to prepare for the
of MOL Group said at the inauguration. countries. The Hungarian Government energy transition and the post-fossil
contributed with €131.5-mn to the pro- fuel world by expanding its portfolio.
MOL, thyssenkrupp and Evonik ject: a €93.6-mn corporate tax credit, As part of the third and largest wave
IP had signed the licence agreement in which can be claimed once the invest- of investment in the petrochemicals
2017, and the foundation stone of the ment is operational, and a €37.9-mn business, next to the polyol complex,
complex was laid in September 2019. investment grant based on an individual the polypropylene plant is the most
government decision. important element, which is a HUF 65-bn
The main units were transported to ($182-mn) investment, and there are
Tiszaújváros between 2019 and 2020 According to MOL’s calculations, nearly €2-bn of life cycle investments
and were followed by the completion the plant will contribute nearly €150-mn that will secure the long-term future of
of the complex’s hydrogen peroxide, annually to the MOL Group’s financial the chemicals business.
Linde expands industrial gases capacity in US Gulf

Coast

Linde said it has doubled the mer- Houston ship channel south to Freeport, said Mr. Amer Akhras, Vice President
chant liquid production capacity of its Texas. South Region, Linde. Linde’s extensive
air separation facility in La Porte, Texas, US Gulf Coast industrial gas infrastruc-
USA. This expansion will enable “Demand for industrial gases has ture comprises a network of more than
the company to meet growing demand continued to grow across the Gulf Coast. 30 air separation and hydrogen produc-
for industrial gases in the US Gulf This investment augments Linde’s tion facilities, liquid storage facilities,
Coast across an array of end markets. already robust industrial gases infrastruc- and an underground high purity hydro-
The facility also supplies Linde’s ture in one of the largest economies in the gen storage cavern. This network is con-
Gulf Coast nitrogen and oxygen pipe- US, deepening our network density and nected by over 1,000-km of hydrogen,
line system, which extends from the enhancing efficiency and reliability,” nitrogen and oxygen pipelines.

160 Chemical Weekly May 28, 2024

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