September 23, 2021

Dow Mattress Recycling Plant

Mattress recycling now a reality with startup of new RENUVA™ plant

RENUVA™ Polyol ready for use in flexible foam applications to deliver greater sustainability offerings for bedding industry

HORGEN, SWITZERLAND – September 22, 2021 – Dow Polyurethanes, a business division of Dow (NYSE: DOW), and Orrion Chemicals Orgaform together with Eco-mobilier, H&S Anlagentechnik and The Vita Group have inaugurated a pioneering mattress recycling plant as part of the RENUVA™ program.

Old mattresses made of polyurethane foam will now be recovered, dismantled and chemically recycled to create a new polyol, which is a key starting material to produce polyurethane. This RENUVA™ polyol is designed for various applications including mattresses. Today’s unveiling is a major step forward for the recovery and recycling of polyurethane foam and a significant advance for closing the loop for end-of-life mattresses. At full capacity the plant will process up to 200,000 mattresses per year to tackle the growing mattress waste problem.

“We are immensely proud to have unveiled this plant. By doing so we are answering the question of what can be done with recycled polyurethane foam. It is part of Dow’s strong commitment to delivering solutions that help close the loop and protect our environment,” commented Marie Buy, Sustainability Leader EMEAI, Dow Polyurethanes, “As RENUVA™ now shifts focus to the production phase and the first foam made with the new polyol, our Dow Polyurethane sustainability journey continues. We are actively exploring future possibilities for recycled material and potential applications. It is really a new beginning.”

The RENUVA™ mattress recycling plant is the result of strong collaboration between Dow and key players from across the mattress lifecycle: chemical innovator Orrion Chemicals Orgaform, expert mattress collector Eco-Mobilier, turnkey solutions provider H&S Anlagentechnik, and foam manufacturer The Vita Group.

“This really is a first for our company and for France. We have a longstanding commitment to creating more sustainable solutions and have long recognized the need for industry to part of the solution,” commented Christian Siest, President, Orrion Chemicals Orgaform, “Our plant uses a chemical recycling process in which the polyurethane foam is decomposed and converted into a novel single product. The great thing about this is versatility; we can process foam from any mattress and the RENUVA™ polyol recipe itself can be tailored for different applications.”

“Our ambition is to ensure the quality of the materials collected and delivery to RENUVA so that we keep to the promise of a closed loop”, stated Dominique Mignon, President of Eco-Mobilier.

As previously announced, flexible polyurethane foam solutions provider The Vita Group will use the RENUVA™ polyol to create its award-winning Orbis flexible foam, providing a more sustainable offering to the bedding market.
“Consumer attitudes have changed significantly, and people are becoming a lot more focused on making sustainable choices. We have already seen strong interest from customers across Europe for Orbis foam and interest in the RENUVA™ technology, providing exciting opportunities for our product lines,” commented Mark Lewis, Operations and Projects Director at The Vita Group, “For over 50 years, Vita has recycled or re-bonded pre-consumer foam trim into material suitable for a range of products such as underlays for flooring. Our collaboration with Dow allows us to take our sustainability vision to the next level and we are extremely proud and excited to play our part in driving this ground-breaking innovation forward.”

Discover more on September 29
Dow and RENUVA™ partners will host a special virtual event “Closing the Loop for Mattresses: A New Beginning with RENUVA™” on 29 September to reflect on the future of the program and share a close look at what this plant means for the bedding industry.

Register for free to learn more: engage.dow.com/RENUVAWebinar29Sept21

https://corporate.dow.com/en-us/news/press-releases/mattress-recycling-now-a-reality-with-startup-of-new-renuva-plant.html

September 22, 2021

Huntsman MDI Surcharge in Europe

Huntsman Implements Natural Gas Surcharge on MDI Sales in Europe

Download as PDF September 22, 2021 12:00am EDT

THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) announced today that it was implementing a natural gas surcharge of Euros 125 per tonne on all sales of MDI in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India, in response to the unfortunate and unprecedented natural gas price increases in the region. The surcharge will be effective 1^st October 2021 and is in addition to any previously announced MDI price increases.

European natural gas prices have risen to record levels in recent months driven by the combination of structural changes in European energy sources and generation. The unprecedented cost of natural gas, already more than three times historic levels and continuing to rise, has adversely affected the energy inputs, intermediates, and multiple feedstock costs incurred in Huntsman’s MDI production.  

Tony Hankins, President of Huntsman’s Polyurethanes division, said: “Huntsman is already working with its customers to manage the impact of the surcharge, which was necessary to respond to the unexpected and unprecedented increase in our production costs.”

About Huntsman:
Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2020 revenues of approximately $6 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 70 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 9,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company’s website at www.huntsman.com.

https://www.huntsman.com/news/media-releases/detail/495/huntsman-implements-natural-gas-surcharge-on-mdi-sales-in

September 22, 2021

Huntsman MDI Surcharge in Europe

Huntsman Implements Natural Gas Surcharge on MDI Sales in Europe

Download as PDF September 22, 2021 12:00am EDT

THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) announced today that it was implementing a natural gas surcharge of Euros 125 per tonne on all sales of MDI in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India, in response to the unfortunate and unprecedented natural gas price increases in the region. The surcharge will be effective 1^st October 2021 and is in addition to any previously announced MDI price increases.

European natural gas prices have risen to record levels in recent months driven by the combination of structural changes in European energy sources and generation. The unprecedented cost of natural gas, already more than three times historic levels and continuing to rise, has adversely affected the energy inputs, intermediates, and multiple feedstock costs incurred in Huntsman’s MDI production.  

Tony Hankins, President of Huntsman’s Polyurethanes division, said: “Huntsman is already working with its customers to manage the impact of the surcharge, which was necessary to respond to the unexpected and unprecedented increase in our production costs.”

About Huntsman:
Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2020 revenues of approximately $6 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 70 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 9,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company’s website at www.huntsman.com.

https://www.huntsman.com/news/media-releases/detail/495/huntsman-implements-natural-gas-surcharge-on-mdi-sales-in

September 21, 2021

Chinese Propylene Oxide Overview

With 600,000 Tons of Additional PO Capacity Coming Online in 2021, by 2023 China’s Total PO Capacity to Reach 7.95 Million Tons Per Year 2021-09-13    [Source:PUdaily] share:

 PUdaily,Shanghai —

In 2020, the domestic production capacity for PO reached 3.37 million tons per year. In the year, some PO plants using chlorohydrination process were closed, while there were also new CHP plants such as Hongbaoli’s being put into operation. So far this year, 600,000 tons of PO capacity has been added to existing capacity, including Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical’s 200k t/a PO/SM plant, which was put into operation in March; CNOOC and Shell Nanhai Private Limited’s 300k t/a Phase II PO/SM plant, which came online in April; and Jiangsu Fuqiang New Material’s 100k t/a HPPO facility, which entered service in May.

According to PUdaily, PO projects under construction and proposed for the 2021-2023 period have a total capacity of 3.98 million tons per year, indicating that the domestic PO capacity is expected to reach 7.95 million tons per year by 2023. The table lists PO projects completed, under construction and proposed for the 2021-2023 period for your reference. Given the uncertainties over policies, environmental regulation, access to capital, production technology and product quality, the actual come-onstream dates are subject to change.

http://www.pudaily.com/News/NewsView.aspx?nid=96764

September 21, 2021

Chinese Propylene Oxide Overview

With 600,000 Tons of Additional PO Capacity Coming Online in 2021, by 2023 China’s Total PO Capacity to Reach 7.95 Million Tons Per Year 2021-09-13    [Source:PUdaily] share:

 PUdaily,Shanghai —

In 2020, the domestic production capacity for PO reached 3.37 million tons per year. In the year, some PO plants using chlorohydrination process were closed, while there were also new CHP plants such as Hongbaoli’s being put into operation. So far this year, 600,000 tons of PO capacity has been added to existing capacity, including Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical’s 200k t/a PO/SM plant, which was put into operation in March; CNOOC and Shell Nanhai Private Limited’s 300k t/a Phase II PO/SM plant, which came online in April; and Jiangsu Fuqiang New Material’s 100k t/a HPPO facility, which entered service in May.

According to PUdaily, PO projects under construction and proposed for the 2021-2023 period have a total capacity of 3.98 million tons per year, indicating that the domestic PO capacity is expected to reach 7.95 million tons per year by 2023. The table lists PO projects completed, under construction and proposed for the 2021-2023 period for your reference. Given the uncertainties over policies, environmental regulation, access to capital, production technology and product quality, the actual come-onstream dates are subject to change.

http://www.pudaily.com/News/NewsView.aspx?nid=96764