PLASTICS INDUSTRY THAILAND

Polymer production growth supported by domestic and foreign investments / Strong demand from packaging and automotive sectors / Reliable logistics infrastructure

INEOS STYROLUTION

Several collaborations on European chemical recycling projects for PS / Partners include Indaver, Müller, Trinseo and Agilyx / Commercial-scale plant in the pipeline

QATAR PETROLEUM

New cracker and PE project with CP Chem at Ras Laffan / Third time lucky?

CHEVRON PHILLIPS

Reuters reports acquisition plan for Nova Chemicals / Further concentration on the North American PE market?

POLYMER PRICES

North America May 2019: Polyolefins tend sideways to firmer / PVC and PS roll over / Most engineering thermoplastics move sideways / Markets suffer from trade disputes and automotive slowdown

INEOS

Three new plants at "Jubail 2" / First investment in the Middle East / MoU signed with Saudi Aramco and Total

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Polyethylene: Total reports a brief outage of line in Carling

PETROCHEMICAL MARKETS

Styrene: Explosion disrupts Hanwha Total's production in South Korea

FRANCE

Plastics processing sales set a record in 2018 / Profitability of companies weak in a European comparison / Great hopes for recyclate / Voluntary initiatives versus national roadmap

POLYMER PRICES

North America April 2019: Polyolefins tend sideways to firmer / PVC affected by weak demand / PS moves in line with rising costs / Most engineering plastics roll over / Tension eases with PA 6.6

AUTOMOTIVE PLASTICS RECYCLING

Renault seeks improved PP recycling / Research into alternatives to density separation / Veolia Institute report

INEOS STYROLUTION

New plant to produce composite semi-finished products / Start-up in Germany set for 2022

MOL

MOL acquires German compounder Aurora / Expansion of PP recycling materials

TOTAL

PS plant in Spain to close / European consolidation continues

POLYMER PRICES

North America March 2019: Major fire in Texas hits exports / PE prices move sideways / PP falls further / PS and PVC up slightly / Engineering plastics unchanged

AFYREN

Biopolymer feedstocks to be produced in France / New plant also planned by competitor Metabolic Explorer

FILMS RECYCLING

Valipac coordinates European collaboration on closed-loop recycling of construction films / Partners include Morssinkhof, Oerlemans, Total and Wienerberger

KEM ONE

PVC producer to receive EUR 50m loan from EU / Aim to safeguard supply of raw materials and develop new products

INEOS STYROLUTION

Purchase of Total's China PS business completed

TOTAL

Takeover of French recycler Synova / Production of rPP for auto industry

EPS

PIE extends price reporting to include grey EPS / Slight growth expected for the EPS segment as a whole / Consolidation in the European processing sector / Impulses for recycling

SONATRACH TOTAL

Agreement on joint PP project in Algeria signed

PLASTICS AND ENVIRONMENT

Global alliance of 29 companies aims to help manage plastics waste / Commitments totalling over USD 1 bn

STYRENICS CIRCULAR SOLUTIONS

Signing of incorporation agreement for styrenics recycling initiative / Inclusion of new members to unlock circular potential

HANWHA TOTAL PETROCHEMICAL

Plans to expand PP and ethylene capacity in South Korea by end-2020 / USD 500m project complements ongoing ethylene and PE expansion