Page 161 - CW E-Magazine (20-5-2025)

News from Abroad News from Abroad

POOLING RESOURCES CATALYST PRODUCTION
Sumitomo and Thailand’s NFC form sulphuric acid MSSA doubles capacity for sodium methylate

tank terminal Joint Ventures in France

Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation has MSSA, a France-based player in Due to regulatory requirements
set up a joint venture with Thailand’s the sodium and lithium metal market under the UN Minamata Conven-
tank terminal operator, NFC Public and part of the International Chemical tion on Mercury, the production of
Company Ltd. to operate a sulphuric Investors Group (ICIG), has doubled sodium methylate and other alcoho-
acid tank terminal business. the production capacity for sodium lates using mercury-based processes
methylate from 20,000 tonnes to 40,000 must be phased out in the European
By acquiring a strategically located tonnes at its La Rochelle site in France. Union by the end of 2027. In light
terminal and leveraging its expertise of this regulation, MSSA’s capacity
in sulphuric acid terminal operations, The company said the move – in- expansion will play a crucial role in
Sumitomo aims to enhance operational volving an investment of “several ensuring the continuous supply of
safety and logistics service reliability, million euros” – will help meet growing will use the same mercury-free sodium locally produced sodium methylate
while creating a hub for an expanded teracid handles approximately 30% of in Thailand, where it had already been demand for sodium methylate from metal-based production process as the from mercury-free processes to the
business footprint across neighbouring the world’s marine sulphuric acid trade active in sulphuric acid distribution. By mercury-free processes. existing line. Construction works will European market.
Asian countries. and is known for both its trading func- acquiring a local terminal, the company start by mid-2025 and the new line is
tions and ownership of storage tanks. will strengthen its base in Asia. As part of the expansion project, a expected to be operational by mid- MSSA operates production facilities
NFC is a logistics-focused company This enables the group to off er fl exible second production line will be added to 2026. in Pomblière and La Rochelle, France.
engaged in warehousing, tank terminal procurement and supply services, re- Sulphuric acid is primarily pro- MSSA’s sodium methylate production The company is the largest global and
operations for sulphuric acid, ammonia liably delivering required volumes to duced through sulphur burning and as plant in La Rochelle, which it operates Sodium methylate is primarily used the only non-Chinese producer of puri-
and gasoline, alongside ammonia distri- customers as needed. Since the 2010s, a byproduct of nonferrous metal smelt- in a joint venture with SISP, an affi li- as a catalyst in the production of bio- fi ed sodium metal, special alkali metals
bution. Its tank terminal is located in Sumitomo has enhanced its supply ing. Global demand for the chemical is ate of port logistics service provider diesel, as well as in fi ne chemicals and (such as potassium and lithium), and
Map Ta Phut Port in Rayong Province, chain by expanding into distribution in projected to grow from approximately Groupe Sica Atlantique. The new line pharmaceuticals applications. associated chemicals.
off ering excellent access to eastern Thailand and acquiring a tank terminal 290-million tons in 2023 to around 330-
Thailand, an area densely populated business in the US, strengthening func- million tons by 2029, mainly for ferti- Thyssenkrupp Uhde bags e-methanol contract
with petrochemical facilities and robust tions across procurement, sales, storage liser production, alongside increased
sulphuric acid demand. and logistics. use in metal smelting at copper, lithium in Finland
and rare earth metal mines. Asia
Sumitomo oversees Interacid According to Sumitomo, this new accounts for about 50% of the global German engineering major, Thyssen-
Group, a major sulphuric acid trading joint venture represents a step forward sulphuric acid demand and continues to krupp Uhde, has announced the award of
company operating in 16 countries. In- in reinforcing logistics infrastructure lead the market. an order to deliver front end engineering
design (FEED) and its green methanol
PPG plans new $380-mn aerospace coatings technology for an e-methanol plant
being set up by Koppö Energia Oy in
and sealants facility in US Kristinestad, Finland.
Koppö Energia is a joint venture of
American coatings major, PPG, is pected to be completed in the fi rst half improve service levels for customers,” funds managed by Germany-based Prime
investing $380-mn to build a new aero- of 2027. The 198,000-square-foot faci- the company informed in a press note. Capital, an asset manager and fi nancial city of 450 metric tons per day (mtpd) of gen produced from green electricity and
space coatings and sealants manufac- lity will enable the company to continue services provider, specialising in alter- e-methanol in various grades, the diff e- water, the resulting e-methanol has a
turing facility in Shelby, North Carolina, meeting the growing demands of the “This investment not only under- native energy projects, and CPC Finland, rent product grades will support the mari- much lower carbon footprint. The neces-
US. aerospace industry. It will produce the scores our commitment to the aerospace a subsidiary of project developer and time and e-gasoline fuel markets. sary renewable hydrogen will be pro-
full line of PPG’s aerospace coatings industry and providing high-quality green power producer CPC Germania. duced by a 200-MW water electrolysis
Construction on the 62-acre site, and sealants. “The additional capacity products, but also positions us to res- Green methanol – often called e-metha- plant. CO will be captured in the city of
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which will initially include manufac- of this new plant, combined with near- pond more eff ectively to growing The planned e-methanol plant is part nol – is produced via direct hydrogena- Vaasa in Finland from a waste incinera-
turing and warehousing units, is set to by transport links that improve supply market needs,” said Mr. Sam Millikin, of a power-to-x (P2X) project developed tion of CO . Using uhde green methanol tion facility. It is then liquifi ed and trans-
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commence in October 2025 and is ex- chain and shipping logistics, will help PPG’s Vice President, global aerospace. by Koppö Energia. With a planned capa- production technology and green hydro- ported via trucks to the P2X facilities.

160 Chemical Weekly May 20, 2025 Chemical Weekly May 20, 2025 161

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