Nalco to increase prices of paper chemicals in Asia Pacific

Nalco has decided to increase prices on a broad range of products sold into the Asia Pacific market - the increase covers products across its three main divisions. Most increases will range from 7 to 30%, and will depend on the product's exposure to rising raw material, energy and transportation costs. In a few cases, as in products containing phosphate-derived raw materials, price increases will be well in excess of 30%.

The increase in Asia Pacific comes on the back of an earlier announcement of price increases for paper chemicals in North America.

Emulsion Polymers: Dow increases prices in Europe, Middle East, India and Africa

In yet another price increase announcement, Dow Emulsion Polymers stated that with immediate effect or as contracts allow, prices will be increased by € 280/MT (dry) for all styrene butadiene (S/B) latex based emulsion products sold into paper, carpet, and specialty applications in Europe, and up to $ 600/MT (dry) for S/Bs sold to Middle East, Africa and India. The increase is to help offset the rising costs of transportation, raw materials and energy.

Kemira Expand Water Treament Chemical Production in China

Kemira will invest in its water treatment business in China, adding a new production line for polyaluminium chloride (polyaluminum hydroxychloride). It will increase its annual capacity at its Chongquing plant from the current 6,000 tons to 20,000 tons and expects to be operational in the first quarter of 2009.

The investment is being made by Kemira Water Solutions (Chongquing) Co Ltd, of which Kemira owns 80%.

The detailed announcement is available on Kemira's web site.

A perspective on the Indian and Chinese Colourants Market - Dyes and Pigments

An interesting perspective on the Indian and Chinese colourants market.

Kemira starts up new company in Indonesia

PT Kemira Indonesia has been established as a new company in Indonesia from the 1st Jannuary, 2008. The company will support its pulp and paper chemical business in South East Asia and is based in Indonesia where currently over 8 million tons of pulp is produced and 7.4 million tons of paper. Forecasts are for significant growth in the future.

Yusli Sabidin has been appointed as the Managing Director of PT Kemira Indonesia and will report to Mats Rönnbäck, the head of Kemira's Asian region.

The representative office in Jakarta will be closed and no mention is made of where the new company will be located.

The full announcement is available on Kemira's web site.

Frost & Sullivan author new report on paper chemicals market in China

Frost & Sullivan have produces a new report on the market for paper chemicals in China:
'Chinese Pulp and Paper Chemicals Markets'

The report covers five market segments:

• pulping and de-inking chemicals
• process chemicals
• functional chemicals
• coating chemicals
• water treatment chemicals

The report has been reviewed by Pulp & Paper Online and some points they pick out are:

• The market earned revenues of $993.7 million in 2006 and this is estimated to reach $2,417.0 million 2013
• With the increasing use of recycled fibre (much of which is imported) there is a growth in the use of chemicals for bleaching, de-inking, washing, strength etc
• 95% of the chemicals required by the pulp and paper industry can be produced locally
  

Kemira sells 50% stake in Japanese peroxide JV

Kemira has announced that it will sell its 50% share of the Japanese peroxide JV Kemira-Ube Ltd to the remaining partner. The sales of the JV were in the region of EUR 20 million, but the value of the deal between Kemira and Ube was not disclosed. Ube will form a new hydrogen peroxide JV with Mitsubishi Corporation.

Kemira's Asian Technology Centre in Shanghai becomes operational

Kemira has announced that its new Asian Technology Centre for the pulp and paper industry, located in Sanghai, is now operational. The centre is part of Kemira's global R&D network with links to other centres in Europe and America. The centre aims to bring a local presence and competence in the differences found in Asia - recycled fiber, wood fiber and non-wood fiber, and the different application requirements.

The Asian centre will also develop close links with customers, partners (eg specialist suppliers of process technology and automation) and local universities/research institutes.

The head of the new Asian Technology Center is Dr. Xinshu Wang and the Asian business is lead by Mr Mats Rönnbäck with Mr Ronald Kwan as the Managing Director of China.

Dow Chemical increases acylic acid and acrylate prices

Dow Chemical has announced price increases for acrylic acid and acrylates:
butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, methyl acrylate and glacial acrylic acid globally as follows: North America by $0.03/lb; Asia Pacific by $70/tonne; Middle East/Africa by $70/tonne; Latin America by $70/tonne and Europe by Euro 50/tonne.

Hercules Paper Technologies & Ventures Opens Shanghai Technical Center

Hercules opened a new technical centre adjacent to its manufacturing plant in Shanghai. The facility will also include training and office space and will become the primary headquarters for the Paper Technologies and Ventures Group in Asia.

The details are on Hercules' web site.

Thermax India targets growth in paper chemicals - signs agreement with GP Chemicals USA

Thermax Limited and Georgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC, based in Atlanta, Ga., USA, have signed a technology and manufacturing license agreement for paper chemicals. The agreement, which will be valid for seven years, was signed by M S Unnikrishnan, Managing Director, Thermax Limited and Peter Williams, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Georgia-Pacific Chemicals at Thermax Limited’s Pune office today. Products based on the licensed technology will enable Thermax to expand its business in the paper industry in India and South East Asia.

Chemcolour NZ buy Clariant's Australian TLP Division

Chemcolour Industries (NZ) Ltd has purchased Clariant's Australian textile, leather and paper division (TLP) - from its part-owner. A complicated web, but Chemcolour will become Clariant’s exclusive Australian distributor of products to the textile, leather and paper industries through its subsidiary, Chemcolour Industries Australia Pty Ltd.

It appears to be primarily a purchase of Clariant’s Sydney manufacturing site and the TLP business associated with it. The Sydney plant is a producer of wax-based products for the paper and plasterboard (gypsum board) industries, along with specialty chemicals for the leather and textile industries and chemicals for the construction industry in Australia and selected export markets.

This is certainly a business and a production site which Clariant could not sustain and needed a new future and impetus. The question is what Clariant's intentions are for the Oceania region where a number of paper chemical companies are committed and well established. It has been noticed in East Europe that a similar approach of appointing agents or distributors has been adopted. A way to lower costs, but it does increase the distance between the supplier and the customer.

Novozymes buys Indian Biocon for USD 102 mio

The Danish enzymes maker Novozymes AS has agreed to buy the enzymes business of India’s Biocon Limited for the rupee equivalent of USD 102 million (DKK 551 million).

Biocon is one of India's leading biotechnology companies, specialising in biopharmaceuticals, contract research, clinical research and enzymes. The company also has interests in the application of enzymes in the pulp and paper industry, although this is not the prime business reason for Novozymes making the acquisition.

As stated in the Novozymes press release, "India is an attractive market for Novozymes. There has been strong growth in the Indian enzyme market in the past years driven by macro economic developments. Enzyme use is still in its infancy, but growing awareness of enzyme potential and benefits make for attractive growth perspectives. The expected growth in the Indian enzyme market is more than 15% p.a. over the next 10 years."

Biocon and Novozymes´ current Indian business units are based in Bangalore, India and it is expected that 150 employees are expected to join Novozymes from Biocon. The transaction is expected to be completed by October 2007.

BASF prepare ground for two plants in Pudong near Shanghai

As reported in the Pakistan Textile Journal, BASF had a ground-breaking ceremony to start the development of two new chemical plants in China. Of particular interest to the paper chemicals market is the construction of a polyacrylate polymers plant with a minimum capacity of 30,000 metric tons per year.

Kolb acquired by Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLK)

The acquisition of the Swiss company Dr. W. Kolb Holding AG by the multinational Malaysian enterprise Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLK) was completed today.

KLK will continue running and expanding the two Kolb business locations in Hedingen (CH)
and Moerdijk (NL) and Kolb’s 230 employees, including the management will retain their independence. It is reported that this approach will allow Kolb to strengthen its position as a leading European manufacturer and distributor of non-ionic surfactants KLK will provide additional raw materials (especially fatty acids based on palm oil) and Kolb its alkoxylation expertise. In terms of market coverage, KLK gains additional bases in Europe and the US while Kolb is given full access to the difficult yet
indispensable Asian market.

The largely family-owned, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLK) has about 23,000 employees, some 173,000 hectares of land in Malaysia and Indonesia, and CHF 1.2 bio turnover (see www.klk.com.my)