Satellite to start up ethane cracker: Correction

Spanish Market: Natural gas, Petrochemicals
23/10/20

corrects capacities and units

Chinese private-sector firm Zhejiang Satellite plans to start up its 1.25mn t/yr ethane-fed cracker at Lianyungang in east China's Jiangsu province in next year's first quarter. It will be the first steam cracker in China fed purely on ethane.

The company on 13 October received its first ethane vessel at its Lianyungang Hexing port carrying 21,500t of US-origin ethane. Its six very large ethane carriers will start shipments from November. Satellite has built a 160,000m³ ethane tank at Lianyungang port for the cracker project.

The cracker, which will be commissioned in early November, has fully integrated downstream units, including two 720,000/910,000 t/yr ethylene oxide (EO)/ethylene glycol (MEG) units, and a 400,000 t/yr high-density polyethylene (HDPE) unit. Satellite plans to start trial runs of its downstream HDPE unit first using bought ethylene before the start-up of the ethane cracker. The EO/MEG units will be the last to start, likely around March 2021. Planned output allocations from the swing EO/EG plants will be around 450,000 t/yr of refined EO and 1.2mn t/yr of MEG.

With all the derivative units operational, Satellite will be net short of ethylene supplies by about 200,000 t/yr.

The company is building a second 1.25mn t/yr ethane cracker, which is due to open in 2022. Downstream units along with the second ethane cracker will include a 400,000 t/yr HDPE unit, a 550,000 t/yr linear low-density polyethylene plant, a 720,000/910,000 t/yr EO/EG plant, a260,000 t/yr acrylonitrile unit and a 60,000 t/yr butadiene plant.

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20/12/24

US House votes to avert government shutdown

Washington, 20 December (Argus) — The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly today to extend funding for US federal government agencies and avoid a partial government shutdown. The Republican-controlled House, by a 366-34 vote, approved a measure that would maintain funding for the government at current levels until 14 March, deliver $10bn in agricultural aid and provide $100bn in disaster relief. Its passage was in doubt until voting began in the House at 5pm ET, following a chaotic intervention two days earlier by president-elect Donald Trump and his allies, including Tesla chief executive Elon Musk. The Democratic-led Senate is expected to approve the measure, and President Joe Biden has promised to sign it. Trump and Musk on 18 December derailed a spending deal House speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) had negotiated with Democratic lawmakers in the House and the Senate. Trump lobbied for a more streamlined version that would have suspended the ceiling on federal debt until 30 January 2027. But that version of the bill failed in the House on Thursday, because of opposition from 38 Republicans who bucked the preference of their party leader. Trump and Musk opposed the bipartisan spending package, contending that it would fund Democratic priorities, such as rebuilding the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. But doing away with that bill killed many other initiatives that his party members have advanced, including a provision authorizing year-round 15pc ethanol gasoline (E15) sales. Depending on the timing of the Senate action and the presidential signature, funding for US government agencies could lapse briefly beginning on Saturday. Key US agencies tasked with energy sector regulatory oversight and permitting activities have indicated that a brief shutdown would not significantly interfere with their operations. But the episode previews potential legislative disarray when Republicans take full control of Congress on 3 January and Trump returns to the White House on 20 January. Extending government funding beyond 14 March is likely to feature as an element in the Republicans' attempts to extend corporate tax cuts set to expire at the end of 2025, which is a key priority for Trump. The Republicans will have a 53-47 majority in the Senate next month, but their hold on the House will be even narrower than this year, at 219-215 initially. Trump has picked two House Republican members to serve in his administration, so the House Republican majority could briefly drop to 217-215 just as funding for the government would expire in mid-March. Congress will separately have to tackle the issue of raising the debt limit. Conservative advocacy group Economic Policy Innovation Center projects that US borrowing could reach that limit as early as June. By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US government agencies set to shut down

20/12/24

US government agencies set to shut down

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Investment funds cut net long positions on Ice TTF

20/12/24

Investment funds cut net long positions on Ice TTF

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Australia’s Cleanaway, LMS to produce landfill gas

20/12/24

Australia’s Cleanaway, LMS to produce landfill gas

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Trump backs new deal to avoid shutdown: Update

19/12/24

Trump backs new deal to avoid shutdown: Update

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