By Malini Hariharan Shenhua Ningxia has finally produced onspec propylene at its new 470,000 tonnes/year methanol-to-propylene (MTP) plant after starting trial operations last month. This marks the successful start of China’s first MTP project, which is also the world’s largest. There is one more due by the end of the year -Datang Power’s 450,000 tonnes/year […]
Asian Chemical Connections
India contributes to Asian growth story
By Malini Hariharan Yes, the Indian economy is growing and propping up demand for all polymers. The blog had highlighted a few weeks back that polypropylene (PP) demand expanded by 13% during the April-July period and the expectations are that this rate will be maintained for the full year ending 31 March 2011. Raffia, the […]
PO demand slows, will prices slide?
By Malini Hariharan After a fairly steady climb Asian polyolefin markets have hit the pause button. Demand for polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) in China and Southeast Asia has weakened but this development has so far been balanced out by continuous reports of operating issues across Asia and the Middle East. The latest is Yansab’s […]
Indian PP producers benefit from strong growth
By Malini Hariharan Indian polypropylene (PP) demand continues to remain strong with most end-use sectors showing good growth and it is local producers who are catering to the additional requirement. Polypropylene (PP) demand is estimated to have expanded by 13% to 809,000 tonnes during April-July, reports my colleague Prema Viswanathan on ICIS news. But import […]
China’s Unstoppable Consumption Juggernaut?
The major long-term shift in US refinery economics and C3s Source of picture: blueplanetgreenliving.com By John Richardson CHINA will account for around one-third of global polypropylene (PP) consumption by the middle of this decade, up from the current 25%, as domestic demand continues to grow at more than 10% a […]
Saudi PP producers react; put pressure on India
By Malini Hariharan The Gulf Petrochemical and Chemicals Association (GPCA) is speaking up on behalf of Saudi producers who are worried about the Indian government’s recent ruling on dumping of polypropylene (PP). The Indian position, outlined in a disclosure statement, was that the Saudi price formula for propane gave local PP producers an ‘unfair advantage’. […]
China’s coal chemical projects take shape
By Malini Hariharan The first of China’s major coal-based chemical projects has finally started trial operations. ICIS news reports that methanol has been fed at Shenhua Baotou’s 600,000 tonnes/year methanol-to-olefins (MTO) plant at Baotou, in inner Mongolia. The unit can produce 300,000 tonnes/year each of ethylene and propylene. But the downstream polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene […]
Kuwait plans another cracker
By Malini Hariharan Despite doubts about availability of gas, its cost and viability of using naphtha or other feedstocks, companies from the Middle East are continuing to plan new petrochemical projects. The latest is Kuwait’s Petrochemical Industries Co (PIC) which is looking to invest $5bn in a new 1.4m tonnes/year mixed-feed cracker and derivatives complex. […]
Operating problems strike Asian polyolefins
By Malini Hariharan Just when polyolefin markets have started recovering operating issues are cropping up at plants in Asia. ExxonMobil was forced to shut its 600,000 tonnes/year polyethylene (PE) plant in Singapore on Tuesday for two weeks due to undisclosed problems. The PE plant had faced problems in early July when it was shut down […]
Saudi PP producers risk more dumping claims
By Malini Hariharan and John Richardson Saudi polypropylene (PP) producers could potentially be hit by anti-dumping duties (ADD) and other duties from more countries if an Indian ruling on an ADD petition sets a legal precedent, said a senior trade lawyer. The Indian authorities have ruled – in response to the petition lodged by local […]
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