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Ethylene oxide demand increases rapidly in China
F O C US wishing to apply the Charter to private label products manufactured by third parties are also eligible for admission to the scheme. To date Henkel, JohnsonDiversey, McBride, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever and Sucitesa have successfully passed the Charter Entrance Check and are entitled to use the logo on their products, thus demonstrating their ongoing commitment to protect the environment and safeguard human health and safety. This new scheme reflects AISE’s belief that sustainable development is critical to the long-term survival of the cleaning products industry and builds on the success of previous projects addressing sustainability and product information issues. These include the AISE Code of Good Environmental Practice, the Washright campaign (which aims to educate consumers in the optimum use of household laundry detergents to reduce their environmental impact) and the HERA initiative. Caroline Edser
RAW MATERIALS IOC marks entry into global petrochemicals market with LAB export Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has marked its entry into the worldwide petrochemicals industry, with the export of linear alkylbenzene (LAB) to Indonesia. On 29 Jul 2005, IOC shipped 1020 tonnes of LAB from Kandla port to Jakarta. The exported LAB was purchased by Unilever. The shipment was done on a CIF basis. Chemical Weekly, 16 Aug 2005, 50 (52), 128
Palm oil industry eyeing Africa’s market potential Africa could be the next big participant in the world’s growing palm oil market. Domestic and international palm oil players are observing the region’s growing use of oils and fats, and government incentives are attracting potential investments in palm plantations and downstream production. Bidco Group 2
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recently invested over $25 M in a new 400 tonnes/day edible oil processing facility in Tanzania. The company has also started an integrated palm oil project in Kalangala District in Uganda that will involve developing a 40,000 hectare palm plantation, erecting an edible oils refinery and a soap plant to process raw materials from the plantation. The $130 M investment is in the form of a partnership with Malaysia’s Wilmar Group, Singapore’s crude-oil exporter Josovina, and Archer Daniels Midland Company, with backing from Uganda’s Vegetable Oil Development Project initiative. Chemical Market Reporter, 1-8 Aug 2005 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
BASF to boost capacity for ethanolamines, DMAPA BASF is increasing its annual capacity to produce ethanolamines by 26% from 182,000 to 230,000 tonnes. The increase at plants at Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Antwerp, Belgium, is to be completed by autumn 2006. “We are responding to the continuing high level of external and internal demand for these products,” says Dr Winfried Müller, head of the Regional Business Unit Amines within BASF’s Intermediates operating division. BASF is among the most important global suppliers of amines and is the market leader for ethanolamines in Europe. “This high demand is driven by a recovery of the agricultural sector and steady and strong growth in the detergents market,” Müller adds. A major part of the ethanolamine output is processed further within BASF’s integrated structure, for example into ethyleneamines. The company has separately announced plans to increase dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) capacity by 65%, from 21,000 tonnes/y to 35,000 tonnes/y, at Ludwigshafen, Germany by taking a ‘variety of measures to optimize production at the plant’. BASF says it is responding to a worldwide increase in demand for the highly biodegradable material, which is used to make amphoteric surfactants for mild personal care products. The company produces DMAPA at two plants, at Ludwigshafen and at Geismar, LA, USA, and also
manufactures the two raw materials, dimethylamine and acrylonitrile, used in its manufacture. It claims to be the world’s largest producer of DMAPA. In its most recent financial results, for 2Q 2005, BASF recorded a 31% increase in earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), before special items, to €1.66 bn on sales that improved 14% to €10.6 bn. The company reported a 3% increase in volume sales. For the full year BASF expects both sales and EBIT before special items to rise. In North America, EBIT before special items increased by 65% to €351 M during 2Q 2005 due to restructuring. BASF is $250 M (around 1 year) ahead of schedule in its targeted NAFTA savings. Press releases from: BASF Group, Germany. Website: http://www.media.basf.com (4 & 24 Aug 2005) & Chemical Week, 10 Aug 2005, 167 (26) (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Ethylene oxide demand increases rapidly in China Around 60% of ethylene oxide (EO) is used to produce ethylene glycol worldwide, with 13% used to produce other polyols. China has a capacity to produce 1.83 M tonnes/y of EO. China’s leading producer by capacity is BASF-YPC with capacity of 300,000 tonnes/y in 2005, followed by Yangzi Petrochemical with 290,000 tonnes/y. Chinese capacity will rise to 2.19 M tonnes/y by 2006. During 2004 China increased imports of ethylene glycol by 34.8% to 2.291 M tonnes. Chinese imports of major EO downstream products in 2004 included 101,800 tonnes glycol, 88,500 tonnes ethanolamine and 153,300 tonnes nonionic surfactants. Changes required in the consumption distribution of EO in China are discussed. China Chemical Reporter, 26 Jul 2005, 16 (21), 17-18
SURFACTANTS Sasol plans surfactants sale Sasol is planning to divest most of its olefins and surfactants business, excluding the 255,000 tonnes/y alpha-olefins activities in South Africa. Sasol entered the surfactants field with its €1.3 bn acquisition of OCTOBER 2005
RAW MATERIALS IOC marks entry into global petrochemicals market with LAB export Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has marked its entry into the worldwide petrochemicals industry, with the export of linear alkylbenzene (LAB) to Indonesia. On 29 Jul 2005, IOC shipped 1020 tonnes of LAB from Kandla port to Jakarta. The exported LAB was purchased by Unilever. The shipment was done on a CIF basis. Chemical Weekly, 16 Aug 2005, 50 (52), 128
Palm oil industry eyeing Africa’s market potential Africa could be the next big participant in the world’s growing palm oil market. Domestic and international palm oil players are observing the region’s growing use of oils and fats, and government incentives are attracting potential investments in palm plantations and downstream production. Bidco Group 2
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S U R FA C TA N T S
recently invested over $25 M in a new 400 tonnes/day edible oil processing facility in Tanzania. The company has also started an integrated palm oil project in Kalangala District in Uganda that will involve developing a 40,000 hectare palm plantation, erecting an edible oils refinery and a soap plant to process raw materials from the plantation. The $130 M investment is in the form of a partnership with Malaysia’s Wilmar Group, Singapore’s crude-oil exporter Josovina, and Archer Daniels Midland Company, with backing from Uganda’s Vegetable Oil Development Project initiative. Chemical Market Reporter, 1-8 Aug 2005 (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com)
BASF to boost capacity for ethanolamines, DMAPA BASF is increasing its annual capacity to produce ethanolamines by 26% from 182,000 to 230,000 tonnes. The increase at plants at Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Antwerp, Belgium, is to be completed by autumn 2006. “We are responding to the continuing high level of external and internal demand for these products,” says Dr Winfried Müller, head of the Regional Business Unit Amines within BASF’s Intermediates operating division. BASF is among the most important global suppliers of amines and is the market leader for ethanolamines in Europe. “This high demand is driven by a recovery of the agricultural sector and steady and strong growth in the detergents market,” Müller adds. A major part of the ethanolamine output is processed further within BASF’s integrated structure, for example into ethyleneamines. The company has separately announced plans to increase dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) capacity by 65%, from 21,000 tonnes/y to 35,000 tonnes/y, at Ludwigshafen, Germany by taking a ‘variety of measures to optimize production at the plant’. BASF says it is responding to a worldwide increase in demand for the highly biodegradable material, which is used to make amphoteric surfactants for mild personal care products. The company produces DMAPA at two plants, at Ludwigshafen and at Geismar, LA, USA, and also
manufactures the two raw materials, dimethylamine and acrylonitrile, used in its manufacture. It claims to be the world’s largest producer of DMAPA. In its most recent financial results, for 2Q 2005, BASF recorded a 31% increase in earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), before special items, to €1.66 bn on sales that improved 14% to €10.6 bn. The company reported a 3% increase in volume sales. For the full year BASF expects both sales and EBIT before special items to rise. In North America, EBIT before special items increased by 65% to €351 M during 2Q 2005 due to restructuring. BASF is $250 M (around 1 year) ahead of schedule in its targeted NAFTA savings. Press releases from: BASF Group, Germany. Website: http://www.media.basf.com (4 & 24 Aug 2005) & Chemical Week, 10 Aug 2005, 167 (26) (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)
Ethylene oxide demand increases rapidly in China Around 60% of ethylene oxide (EO) is used to produce ethylene glycol worldwide, with 13% used to produce other polyols. China has a capacity to produce 1.83 M tonnes/y of EO. China’s leading producer by capacity is BASF-YPC with capacity of 300,000 tonnes/y in 2005, followed by Yangzi Petrochemical with 290,000 tonnes/y. Chinese capacity will rise to 2.19 M tonnes/y by 2006. During 2004 China increased imports of ethylene glycol by 34.8% to 2.291 M tonnes. Chinese imports of major EO downstream products in 2004 included 101,800 tonnes glycol, 88,500 tonnes ethanolamine and 153,300 tonnes nonionic surfactants. Changes required in the consumption distribution of EO in China are discussed. China Chemical Reporter, 26 Jul 2005, 16 (21), 17-18
SURFACTANTS Sasol plans surfactants sale Sasol is planning to divest most of its olefins and surfactants business, excluding the 255,000 tonnes/y alpha-olefins activities in South Africa. Sasol entered the surfactants field with its €1.3 bn acquisition of OCTOBER 2005