Page 152 - CW E-Magazine (22-7-2025)

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GROWTH PLANS LEVERAGING SYNERGIES
Petrobras plans $6-bn investments in refi ning WeylChem Wesseling sets up new advanced

and petrochemicals projects in Rio de Janeiro materials business line in Germany

Barzilian state-owned oil & gas giant, Boaventura Complex, which German manufacturer of cyanogen
Petrobras, is set to invest around 33-bn will participate in capacity chlorides derivatives, WeylChem Wes-
reais (around $6-bn) in refi ning and reserve auctions. seling has announced the formation of
petrochemical projects in Rio de Janeiro, a new ‘Advanced Materials Business
as part of its 2025-2029 Business Plan. A lubricant oil re-refi ning Line’. The company is part of Weyl-
project with a capacity of 30,000- Chem Group of Companies, the fi ne
Of this total, 29-bn reais will come m³/month is also under evalua- chemicals platform of International
directly from Petrobras’s capex, with tion at Reduc. With the operation Chemicals Investors Group.
an additional 4-bn reais allocated to a of the Boaventura complex for
synergistic project with its assets. Ser- Group-II lubricant oil produc- Cyanogen chloride is a key build-
vice packages for these initiatives are tion, Reduc may repurpose exis- ing block for cyanate esters and other
currently in the bidding phase. An esti- ting units to re-refi ne used oil. crosslinking agents like Triallyl Cyanurate
mated 26-bn reais from this investment In the petrochemical segment, (TAC) and Isocyanurate (Taicros).
is dedicated to integrating the Boaven- city is expected to rise by 20,000-bpd, a study for the production of acetic The company operates Europe’s largest
tura Energy Complex and the Reduc and Group-II lubricating oil production acid and monoethylene glycol (MEG) backward-integrated feedstock supply
refi nery in Rio de Janeiro. by 12,000-bpd. is under evaluation at the Boaventura of cyanate ester raw materials and its
complex. Brazil currently imports its derivatives, supported by on-site hy- “We are entering the advanced mate- TAC and Taicros are widely used as
The integration will boost produc- The project also includes a dedicated entire acetic acid demand and comple- drogen cyanide (HCN) network. “This rials market with a strong product port- crosslinker in polyphenylene oxide
tion capacities, which include an in- bio jet fuel plant at the Boaventura ments MEG demand with imports. In strategic position has enabled a for- folio. Our products will be marketed (PPO) and hydrocarbon resins. BTCDA
crease of 76,000 barrels per day (bpd) complex, with a production capa- addition to Petrobras’ projects in the ward integration initiative, including under the Welcure and Welset brand is recognised in the electronics and
in S-10 diesel output, with 56,000-bpd city of 19,000-bpd of renewable fuels region, Braskem, a Petrobras affi liate, investment in cyanate ester chemistry names.” aerospace markets for epoxy curing
from quality improvements and (hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO is planning to expand its polyethylene to meet both current and future customer and polyimide building blocks.
20,000-bpd from additional capacity. and sustainable aviation fuel, SAF); plant, increasing the unit’s production needs,” the company said. Initial off erings from the Ad- WeylChem Wesseling also announced
Furthermore, jet fuel production capa- and two gas-fi red power plants at the capacity by up to 230-ktpa. vanced Materials Business Line will a long-term strategic partnership with
Dr. Stefan Sigmund, Managing include Welcure BTCDA and Welcure Novoset, a US-based advanced mate-
SHIFTING FOCUS Director of WeylChem Wesseling, said, CAF, along with TAC and Taicros. rial company.
GES exits Dutch market with sale of Rotterdam terminal AMORPHOUS ALLOYS
Liquidmetal plans new manufacturing site in Hangzhou
Global Energy Storage Group demand for bulk liquid
(GES), the Singapore-based builder of storage, including chem- Liquidmetal Technologies, a US- ture 71,000 square feet of manufactur-
energy storage assets, has announced icals, biofuels, and new based contract manufacturer that uses ing space that can hold up to 40 die-cast
the sale of its Rotterdam terminal to energy products, contin- a patented injection moulding process machines and is currently expected to
France’s Tepsa, for an undisclosed ues to rise. to produce amorphous metal compo- be operational in the middle of 2026.
amount. The move marks its exit from nents, has announced that its Hong
the Dutch market, and sharpens GES Peter Vucins, CEO of Kong-based subsidiary, Liquidmetal will be owned 70% by Liquidmetal Liquidmetal focusses on developing
focus on growth in Asia, particularly GES, commented, “Part Asia Holdings Ltd., has entered into Asia and 30% by an individual investor parts made with bulk amorphous alloys,
its fl agship terminal in Port Klang, of the investment cycle is an agreement to form a joint venture with $6-mn of initial capital investment. known scientifi cally as bulk metallic
Malaysia. realising value from assets company named Hangzhou Feifeng glasses or BMGs. The non-crystalline
at the right time, and Liquidmetal Co. Ltd. Hangzhou is a rapidly emerging atomic structure of these materials im-
The terminal, located in the Port of With the sale of the Rotterdam we are confi dent this was the right innovation hub located in the heart of parts unique performance properties,
Rotterdam, includes 212,000 m³ of tank terminal, GES no longer holds moment for GES. We are now fully The jv will be developing a manu- advanced manufacturing corridor, sur- including the ability to injection-mould
storage and approximately 18 hectares assets in the Netherlands. The com- focused on growing our business in facturing facility in the city of Hang- rounded by global companies such as with micron-level precision, lustrous fi ni-
of development land in the Europoort pany said its growth strategy remains Asia, with Port Klang at the centre of zhou, China for the manufacture of Foxconn and Alibaba. The jv’s manu- shes, high strength, hardness and corro-
area. firmly anchored in Asia, where that strategy.” amorphous alloy products. The company facturing facility is anticipated to fea- sion resistance, and remarkable elasticity.

152 Chemical Weekly July 22, 2025 Chemical Weekly July 22, 2025 153

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