Communicator

TotalEnergies Manufacturing Site at the port of Antwerpen ©Belga

TotalEnergies closes one of its two steam crackers in Antwerp, 253 jobs disappear "without layoffs"

Antwerpen, 22 April 2025 -- TotalEnergies will close one of its two steam crackers in the port of Antwerp, a decision that will impact more than 250 jobs. No forced layoffs will be announced, according to the energy group.

By 2028, the chemical cluster in the port of Antwerp will lose one of its three steam crackers. TotalEnergies has chosen to shut down its oldest Naphtha Cracker (NC2). The reason is a concerning overcapacity in the petrochemical market. Although 253 positions are affected by this closure, management seeks to reassure: no forced departures are on the horizon.

“We assure every employee of the affected steam cracker that they will be able to continue their activity at our Antwerp site,” says Ann Veraverbeke, CEO, in an interview with Gazet van Antwerpen. “This transition is possible because, by early 2028, 270 of our employees in Antwerp will reach the legal retirement age. The 253 employees from the old steam cracker will be essential to fill this wave of departures.”

Ethylene overcapacity

NC2, a petrochemical facility that transforms hydrocarbons into basic molecules used in the chemical industry, was “historically dependent” on a contract with a user of the ethylene produced, who did not wish to renew this contract, the French oil and gas group specified.

The facility “will no longer have outlets for its ethylene production” and TotalEnergies will “focus on its newest steam cracker (NC3), whose ethylene production is entirely consumed by TotalEnergies’ units in Antwerp and Feluy,” it added.

2017 Revamp of Naphtha Cracker 3

As part of a project to upgrade its refining and chemicals platform in Antwerp, TotalEnergies had started up a new ethylene cracker that runs on ethane feedstock in July 2017, investing nearly $60 million to revamp its Naphtha Cracker 3 to run on the light feed and the adaption of the site’s terminal to enable the import of 200,000 t of ethane per year by ship from Norway. The revamp was done to optimize supply by providing flexibility for the cracker to use either ethane, butane or naphtha as feedstock, so that advantaged feedstock could therefore account for more than 50% total input.

#totalenergies  #antwerp  #belgium  #petrochemicals  #steamcracker  #naphthacracker  #plantclosure  #ethylene 

The description of Sonangol (SOCIEDADE NACIONAL DE COMBUSTÍVEIS DE ANGOLA, E.P.) has been updated.


#sonangol  #angola  #refining  #refinery 

The SONAREF Lobito Oil Refinery project has been created.

#sonaref #sonangol  #oilrefinery  #refinery  #angola 

The Energy Year, 17th Dec 2024

Angola’s refining sector has historically relied on imported refined petroleum products, but the country has been taking steps to reduce its dependence on imports and increase its self-sufficiency. Plans for new refinery projects and expansions to existing plants aim to increase national refining capacity by at least 360,000 bpd in the coming years.

Cabinda Refinery

• Nominal capacity: 60,000 bpd
• Type: Partial conversion/modular
• Status: Under construction
• Developers: Sonangol, Gemcorp
• Project details: Upon completion, phase one output will include a 30,000 bpd crude unit that produces naphtha, jet fuel, diesel and heavy fuel. Phase one is expected to be completed in mid-2024 with a total investment of USD 473 million.

Malongo Topping Plant

• Nominal capacity: 15,000 bpd
• Type: Topping
• Status: Operational
• Developer: Cabinda Gulf Oil Company

Soyo Refinery

• Projected nominal capacity: 150,000 bpd
• Type: Full conversion
• Status: Under development
• Developer: Quanten Consortium Angola
• Project details: As a part of Quanten Consortium’s build, own and operate contract for the facility, the company is planning construction of associated infrastructure as well as a tank farm and marine terminal. The refinery’s expected completion date is in 2025.

Luanda Refinery

• Nominal capacity: 65,000 bpd
• Type: Hydroskimming refinery
• Status: Operational
• Developer: Sonangol
• Project details: The refinery has undergone modernisation and capacity expansion works. A new platforming unit was inaugurated in July 2022 and petrol production capacity was expanded to 450,000 tpy at an estimated investment of USD 253 million.

Lobito Refinery

• Nominal capacity: 200,000 bpd
• Type: Full conversion
• Status: Under construction
• Developer: Sonangol, KBR
• Project details: The refinery is expected to increase Angola’s fuel products production capabilities by 200% upon completion. FEED works were completed in 2023 and the facility is slated for completion in 2027.

#sonangol  #sonaref  #lobito  #luanda  #soyo  #malongo  #cabinda  #Refinery  #angola  #crudeoil 

Suspension Polymerization of Acrylonitrile (AN) into Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) has been added.


#an  #pan  #suspensionpolymerization  #polyacrylonitrile  #acrylonitrile 
 

A detailed description of Project ONE is now provided, which includes details about location,  logistics and mobility. ethane cracker technology, and utilities.
 

#co2emissions #emissions  #carbonfootprint  #sustainability  #ethane  #gascracker  #technip  #ineos  #antwerp  #belgium  #pipeline 

Nitrogen Organic Compounds as typically found in liquid oil fractions have been added.


#pyridine  #quinoline  #aniline  #pyrrole  #indole  #carbazole  #noc  #nitrogenorganiccompound 

Several plants and productions added.


#anqing  #refinery  #sinopec  #massbalance 
 

Petrochemical Industry Going Global Alliance | November 9, 2024 10:50, via WeChat.

On July 6, 2023, with the 400,000 tons/year ethylbenzene-styrene unit producing qualified products, all units of the Anqing Petrochemical Refinery Conversion Plant Structural Adjustment Project were successfully started up safely and environmentally friendly at one time.

The project is led by a 3 million tons/year heavy oil catalytic cracking unit. By increasing the production of light olefins and aromatic raw materials to produce high-value-added chemical products, it effectively enhances the adaptability and flexibility of the company's production structure to changes in demand, and explores a development path for domestic refining companies to cope with overcapacity and achieve transformation and upgrading.

Among them, the 3 million tons/year heavy oil catalytic cracking unit is the world's first RTC process heavy oil catalytic cracking unit, and the 400,000 tons/year ethylbenzene-styrene unit is currently the largest dry gas-based ethylbenzene unit in China.

The heavy oil catalytic cracking unit of Anqing Petrochemical has been started-up

Seetao 2023-06-25 15:12

The heavy oil catalytic cracking unit of Anqing Petrochemical has a total of three main fan units, namely two main units K101A/B and one backup fan unit K102. After the backup fan is successfully started and the two units have completed the relevant air tightness and other related processes, the K102 unit will be shut down, and the two main fan units K101A/B will enter the ignition furnace heating stage. It is expected that the overall start-up process will continue for more than 10 days.

Anqing will stop operating its 1.4mn t/yr fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) and 700,000 t/yr deep catalytic cracking unit, which are located near a residential area, for environmental reasons. The project will involve adding a new 3mn t/yr DCC that will enable the refinery to process crude with a higher sulphur content of 1.5pc.

Anqing currently produces 30,000 t/yr of polypropylene, 100,000 t/yr of ethylbenzene and styrene and 210,000 t/yr of acrylonitrile, among other products. It will scale up output of these products through the upgrading project.

Sinopec's Anqing refinery shifts towards petrochemicals

PETROTHALIL Analytical Petrochemical News Agency | 2020/06/23 09:38:57

Work on the 11bn yuan ($1.5bn) project at Anqing in the central province of Anhui started in early May. A Yn6.6bn first phase aims to produce around 2mn t/yr of olefins and aromatics, including 150,000 t/yr of ethylene, 640,000 t/yr of propylene and 610,000 t/yr of aromatics products. Trial production is scheduled for late 2022. A second, Yn4.4bn phase will add another 650,000 t/yr of unspecified chemical output.

Refined product output will be cut by a third after the project is complete, with the gasoline yield rising at the expense of diesel. Anqing is also expanding its pipeline connections to replace fuel transportation by river. Sinopec opened an 88,000 b/d oil products pipeline linking Anqing to the cities of Hefei, Huainan, Bengbu and Fuyang in late 2016.

Anqing will stop operating its 1.4mn t/yr fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) and 700,000 t/yr deep catalytic cracking unit, which are located near a residential area, for environmental reasons. The project will involve adding a new 3mn t/yr DCC that will enable the refinery to process crude with a higher sulphur content of 1.5pc.

Anqing currently produces 30,000 t/yr of polypropylene, 100,000 t/yr of ethylbenzene and styrene and 210,000 t/yr of acrylonitrile, among other products. It will scale up output of these products through the upgrading project.

#dcc  #fcc  #styrene  #ethylbenzene  #alkylation  #dehydrogenation  #aromatics  #olefins  #btx  #resid  #cracking  #anqing  #petrochemical  #sinopec  #refinery  #china

19 Sep 2024, Heavy Lifting News

deugro Delivers with Arrival of Second Shipment for INEOS Project One.

The second shipment with the last 5 massive storage bullets for the INEOS Project One has just arrived on board the MV Fairmaster for discharging in  Antwerp.

Both the first shipment with the MV Fairplayer and this voyage from Zhangjiagang,  China, were organized by deugro within a tight schedule from order to loading!

The details of the shipment are:

50,572.4m³ Total Volume
6,547.8 metric tons Total weight


24 Sept 2024, INEOS + AG&P INDUSTRIAL

AG&P Industrial (Atlantic, Gulf, & Pacific Company of Manila, Inc.) has completed the fabrication and shipment of the first batch of Outside Battery Limit (OSBL) modules with a total weight of 1,432.47MT for its first-ever  European contract with London-based INEOS, the fourth largest chemical company in the world. Fabricated in AG&P Industrial’s state-of-the art fabrication yard in Batangas,  Philippines, the modules were shipped to Port of Antwerp, Belgium, the second largest chemical site in the world.

AG&P Industrial, selected from among top 15 yards globally, to ship a total of 77 pre-assembled pipe rack modules and 58 pre-assembled support structures, weighing 10,443 MT for modules and 274 MT for support structures for INEOS Project ONE. AG&P Industrial’s last shipment is expected sail by February 2025.


5 Nov 2024, Project Cargo Journal

International transport and logistics company AsstrA recently completed the first phase of the OSBL module transportation for the Ineos Project One.
The company’s Industrial Project Logistics team moved a total of eight modules from the Philippines to Belgium via the Cape of Good Hope. Some of the modules measured 39 x 12 x 11 metres.

According to AsstrA, the delivery marks a milestone for Asstra Industrial Project Logistics as it is projected to transport almost 100 modules under this contract. It equates to more than 230,000 cubic metres of cargo.

The first batch of modules was transported by one of United Heavy Lift’s F900 heavy-lift multipurpose vessel, the UHL Flair.


Project One represents the largest investment in European chemistry in the past 25 years. The cracker, which will be the most sustainable of its kind, will be commissioned in 2026, according to Ineos. The facility will have a nameplate capacity of 1450kt of ethylene per year.

#ineos  #projectone  #cracker  #antwerp  #belgium  #steamcracker

HPPO plant, propylene oxide production and imports of naphtha and hydrogen peroxide have been added.


#basf  #antwerp  #belgium  #propyleneoxide  #hydrogenperoxide  #propylene  #ethylene  #hppo  #steamcracker  #naphtha