Technip to build methanol-to-olefins plant

F O C U S supplier of organometallic catalysts for polyolefins and elastomers. Grace is also strong in silica-based and chrome-based catalyst technology. It would like to take its technology around chrome, silica, Ziegler-Natta, and the components business, combine them, and make specialty catalysts for a range of customers across the polyolefins business. The company scans the catalyst businesses for bolt-on acquisitions. The world market in specialty catalysts market is growing at about twice GDP on a long-term basis. Grace says it is investing in acquisitions and in its specialty catalysts business, and also in organic growth. It is mainly engaging in de-bottlenecking activities. Grace Davison, which includes catalysts, silicas, and other specialty chemicals, had sales of $1.37 bn in 2005. In 1Q 2006, sales rose 7% to $356 M though pretax operating profits fell 5% to $36 M because higher energy and raw material costs, and restructuring expenses ate into earnings. Chemical Market Reporter, 12 Jun 2006, (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com) & Press release from: WR Grace & Co, Columbia, MD, USA. Website: http://www.grace.com (2 Jun 2006)

NEW PLANTS Ineos silicas’ project three months early Ineos Silicas has brought on stream a capacity expansion for microspheroidal silicas at its plant in Warrington, UK. Commissioning of the project is three months ahead of schedule. The plant manufactures ES product range designed for use in the production of polyolefin polymerization catalysts, which has a growth rate of around 5%/y. ICIS Chemical Business, 5 Jun 2006, (Website: http://icischemicalbusiness.com)

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barrel/day diesel, 9000 barrel/day of naphtha and 1000 barrel/day of LP gas. Chemical Market Reporter, 12 Jun 2006, (Website: http://www.chemicalmarketreporter.com) & ICIS Chemical Business, 12 Jun 2006, (Website: http://icischemicalbusiness.com)

GTL bids invited for Qatar Qatar has received contract bids for sections of the company’s $7 bn Pearl GTL (gas-to-liquid) plant, despite a widespread observation that it has eased off the pace of its GTL projects. Tecnicas Reunidas and Saipen of Spain and Italy, a Korean-Emirates consortium comprising Petrofac International, Daewoo and GS Engineering, and a Japanese consortium of Toyo and Hyundai tendered bids for the $1 bn contract for the C5 unit. Petrofac, Black & Veatch, Chiyoda and Hyundai are bidding for the $700 M C4 plant. The $800 M air separation contract attracted bids from Linde, Chicago Bridge, & Iron and Air Products. Nitrogen + Syngas, May/Jun 2006, (281), 10

French invest in new biorefinery: Roquette Frère SKR 900 M is to be invested in a French biorefinery project, BioHub, which will be led by the French starchbased biorefining firm Roquette Frère. SKR 400 M will be contributed by the newly created French authority All (department of industrial development). Fermentation and enzyme technology will be used to manufacture substances such as lactate, gluconate, and sorbitol. The new biorefinery will use grain raw material, particularly maize and wheat, as the basis for major pilot projects for the development of various chemical products. Each year 1.3 M tonnes of grain from 160,000 hectares will be processed. Kemivarlden Biotech med Kemisk Tidskrift, May 2006, (5), 10 (in Swedish)

First GTL plant starts in Qatar

Technip to build biodiesel unit for a greener future

The first commercial-scale gas-toliquids (GTL) plant worldwide has come onstream in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. The plant belongs to Onxy GTL. It cost $950 M and has capacity of 34,000 barrel/day. The plant will produce 24,000

Technip has won a turnkey contract from Diester Industrie covering construction of a new biodiesel plant at Montoir-de-Bretagne, near Saint Nazaire, France. The plant will be based on Technip’s Axens technology and will have a capacity of 250,000

AUGUST 2006

tonne/y. It is slated to come on stream in spring 2007. The biodiesel, also called Diester, will be produced by transesterification of vegetable oils, such as colza and sunflower oils. France has established a programme for biofuel development, designed to lower transportation-related air pollution and reduce dependency on imported energy. Chemical Engineering Progress, Jun 2006, 102 (6), 14

Technip to build methanol-to-olefins plant Technip has been commissioned to build a unit to combine methanol-toolefins (MTO) and olefins cracking technology. The project for Total Petrochemicals will be in Feluy, Belgium, and will cost €40 M. The plant is required to be finished in 2007. Plastiques et Caoutchoucs Magazine, Feb 2006, (837), 66 (in French)

Total to commercialize olefin cracking process Total Petrochemicals will be using its olefins cracking process (OCP) in the company’s plans to establish the first commercial-scale plant within five years. The OCP technology produces ethylene and propylene by converting C4-C8 refinery and petrochemical streams using a zeolite catalyst. Total and UOP jointly developed the technology. The Antwerp refining and petrochemicals site of Total will most likely be the place where the plant will be set up. In 2007, the company will begin running a pilot plant at Feluy to show how the OCP works with a methanol-to-olefins technology. The project is part of the company’s proposed investment of an estimated €500 M/y ($644 M) in Total’s petrochemical operations through 2010. A $300 M investment is being spent for expanding Samsung Total Petrochemicals jv at Daesan, Korea, to be finalized in 2007-2008. Chemical Week, 7 Jun 2006, (Website: http://www.chemweek.com)

Basell’s Thai affiliate plans propane dehydro and PP project HMC Polymers, an affiliate of Basell in Bangkok, Thailand, plans to construct a propane dehydrogenation plant and a

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