TRINSEO / STYRON

Flotations plans revived / Former Dow business hopes to raise USD 200m and pay down debt

PETROCHINA

Start-up of massive Pengzhou petrochemical site begins / PP line already commissioned / W.R. Grace's "Unipol" license

TRINSEO / STYRON

EBITDA falls 7% in 2013 to USD 227m / Net loss recorded / Sales drop by 3% / Engineered polymers segment sees adjusted EBITDA crash / Volumes down in styrenics

EPS INSULATION

Syndicate plans to lobby EU to prolong use of HBCD as flame retardant / Decision expected by year's end / Ban already enforced in Switzerland / German association members plan to follow in mid-2014

SOLVAY / INEOS

Revised remedy package for proposed PVC joint venture / Additional plants suggested for divestiture

DOW

Switching global XPS lines to sustainable "PolyFR" technology / Japanese facilities first in a phased process

PLASTICS AND ENVIRONMENT

United Airlines replaces "Styrofoam" XPS cup with green alternative / MicroGREEN's “InCycle” cup made of 50% recycled materials

VERSALIS

Major revamp at Porto Marghera to cost EUR 200m / Six-month shutdown / Unions agree

CHINAPLAS 2014

Sustainability as key theme at this year's plastics mega-event in Shanghai / Organisers expect almost 3,000 exhibitors / “Green Forum” co-organised by PIE / Last call for registrations for exclusive readers' trip to China

DOW

Performance Plastics division drives business in Q4 and full-year 2013 / Liveris defends integrated strategy

DOW

Hedge fund buys US billion dollar stake, stirs troubled waters / Third Point wants to see petchem spin-off

AMERICAS STYRENICS

Expansion of Mississippi port activities near New Orleans / Greater opportunity for styrene monomer exports

BRASKEM

A "no go" from Argentine stock exchange regulators on Solvay Indupa public share purchase

DOW

Additives plant at Grangemouth to close / Scottish petrochemical site is dealt fresh blow

YEAR IN REVIEW 2013

Part 1 – General overview: US shale gas boom has European plastics players worried / Commodity sectors dogged by overcapacity, insolvencies / Italy goes all out for biopolymers / Mixed picture for European converters

W.R. GRACE

Update: Purchase of Dow's PP Licensing and Catalysts business now complete

DOW

Chlorine and epoxy businesses to be put up for sale / Assets worth USD 5 bn / Texas plant to close

DOW

Tarragona cracker temporarily idled / PE production running at reduced rate / Response to weak European market

SADARA CHEMICAL

Signing of supply chain agreement for mega-complex / Cracker to be ready by 2015

POLYMER PRICES

Standard Thermoplastics Trend November 2013: PE and PP producers pass on lower costs / Signs point to stabilisation / PVC stands its ground / Styrenics fall in line with monomer

POLYMER PRICES

North America October 2013: Most grades point down / PE stable / PP follows declining feedstock prices / PVC also dropping / Polystyrene the sole exception to the rule / Engineering thermoplastics start to cave in

DOW

Performance Plastics again leads earnings growth / Divestment plans accelerated / Epoxy, chlorine products and vinyls on the chopping block

SOLVIN

Fifth awards ceremony celebrates innovation in PVC sector / Winning entries reflect developments across wide range of technologies and industries

DOW CHEMICAL

Sale of PP licensing and catalysts business to W. R. Grace / Part of plans to divest USD 1.5 bn of non-core assets

QINGHAI PROVINCIAL MINING

Purchase of Unipol licence for 400,000 t/y PP facility