Page 18 - Plastics News June - 2020

Mitsui Chemicals, launched operations at PP SINOPEC installs world's first and largest
compounding site in Netherlands
itsui Chemicals, Inc. and Prime Polymer Co., Ltd.
M(a join entity owned 65 percent by Mitsui
Chemicals and 35 percent by Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.)
have launched operations at Mitsui Prime Advanced
Composites Europe B.V. (ACE), a joint venture first
established in June 2018 with Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Located within Chemelot Industrial Park in the
Netherlands, ACE marks the Mitsui Chemicals Group's
first polypropylene (PP) compounding site in Europe.
By launching ACE, the Mitsui Chemicals Group is getting
together an integrated European system for research,
production and sales. This will allow the group to
provide effective lightweighting solutions to
automakers and auto parts manufacturers with
European bases while also responding to global
demand growth.
The lightweighting technologies of the Mitsui
Chemicals Group have met with excellent feedback
from a number of automakers, including those in
Europe. By continuing to utilize these technologies,
the Mitsui Chemicals Group aims to expand its network
of production, sales and technology services for the
supply of high-quality products, and will work
proactively to further bolster and expand its business
for PP compounds. At present, the Mitsui Chemicals
Group operates production sites in eight regions
around the world (Japan, U.S., Mexico, Europe,
Thailand, China, India, Brazil) and research sites in six
regions (Japan, U.S., Europe, Thailand, China, India).
The group is now moving to bolster its research,
production and sales networks for high-quality PP
compounds, which will contribute to lightweighting in
the automotive sector.
June 2020 18
hydrogenation reactor
hina Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec),
CChina's leading energy and chemical company, has
successfully installed the world's first and largest
slurry-bed residue hydrogenation reactor of on June
10 in Zhoushan, China, setting China's new record of
highest integral hoisting weight by asingle equipment.
Designed by Sinopec Engineering, the largest single-
unit hydrogenation reactor in the world weighs 3,025
tons. The reactor's outside diameter is 6.156 meters
(20.2 feet) and has a wall thickness of 320mm. It's the
core equipment of Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical's
40-million-ton/year refining-chemical integration
project, phase II.
The record-breaking installation adopted the 5,200-
ton slidable hydraulic gantry lifting system for the
main hoisting task, and a 2,000-ton XGC28000 crawler
crane coordinated the lift from the other end. The
5,200-ton hydraulic gantry lifting system has the
advantages of lifting heavy weights, shifting
integrally, and requiring fewer steps of assembly &
disassembly of the middle tower, this solution
effectively minimized the impact on the construction
site and shortened the overall construction period.
The system will be relocated integrally to prepare for
the lifting and installation of the second
hydrogenation reactor, it will complete six more
similar hoisting tasks in the coming months. Sinopec
also announced progress on an expansion project that
can produce up to 1 million tons of ethylene and
refined oil annually in the Hainan Free Trade Zone,
located in South China. It is estimated that this project
will fuel growth of downstream industries with more
than 100 billion RMB ($14.1 billion) and become a new
engine for regional economic development.
Plastics News