NEWS
Boost – SABIC ’ s ‘ Cracker ’ plant is set for major investment .
ADVICE
SABIC ‘ Cracker ’ set to restart with major investment
Global petrochemicals giant SABIC is set for a major investment – believed to be up to £ 200m – in its iconic Olefins 6 plant at Wilton , near Redcar , helping to safeguard thousands of Teesside jobs .
Part of an overall £ 1bn-plus investment in transforming its Wilton-headquartered UK operations , the move will see the restarting of operations at the Olefins plant – known as the “ Cracker ” – which has been out of operation for the past year .
The investment in the Cracker , which is expected to resume operations by the end of 2022 , will end months of uncertainty for hundreds of SABIC ’ s Teesside employees and contractors , as well as thousands more within the local supply chain .
The move is part of SABIC ’ s aim to make its Teesside operations carbon-neutral by 2030 .
Fed raw material gases and liquids , the Olefins plant “ cracks ” apart their components at temperatures of around 1,000 degrees centigrade before cooling
ICL Boulby , the world ’ s first and only producer of the groundbreaking mineral polyhalite , is continuing to break production records – and has increased sales volume by more than 90 per cent in the third quarter of the year compared to 2020 .
The progress has continued with the mine hitting its highest hoist of more than 90,000 tonnes and recording its best-ever monthly processed polyhalite production performance of more than 80,000 tonnes . The achievements were described by Boulby general manager and vice president Andrew Fulton as an “ amazing and unprecedented performance ” as he praised the efforts of staff and their commitment to achieving targets and securing the future of them to below -180C to produce ethylene , propylene and butadiene .
These are the building blocks that allow the chemical and plastics industries to create a wide range of everyday items , from food packaging to car interiors , detergents and shampoo .
The latest investment will strengthen SABIC ’ S UK operations on Teesside while enabling a transition to decarbonise its chemical cracker and the company ’ s global operations .
A spokesperson for SABIC on Teesside said : “ The investment will strengthen site operations and enable the transformation of the Olefins 6 cracker .
“ This will reduce its carbon footprint by up to 60 per cent and a feasibility study for carbon neutrality is being undertaken , by using hydrogen as a fuel source .
“ More information on the investment project will be provided in the coming weeks . This is one of a series of actions SABIC is taking , as part of its carbon neutrality strategy .”
BOULBY RECORD-BREAKERS
the business .
The news came as multi-nutrient fertilisers produced at Boulby and marketed as Polysulphate have gained confirmation from leading international certification body Control Union that they are approved for use in organic farming .
A Jacksons Christmas Carol – debt recovery
Christmas seems to have come around faster than ever this year and the team at Jacksons are fully immersed in the festive spirit . After all , nothing screams Christmas quite like debt recovery !
With the stress of cooking the dinner and buying presents , the last thing you want is to be worrying about unpaid debtors . If your debtors have left you feeling like Ebenezer Scrooge , hopefully our Christmas Carol will help . Debts of Christmas Past Your presents from last year may be long forgotten , but your older debts don ’ t have to be . Under the Limitation Act 1980 , you have six years from the date the debt became due to take legal action . There is no reason to let historic debts haunt you anymore !
Debts of Christmas Present If you ’ ve been chasing debts that haven ’ t been paid , then now is the time to take action . In accordance with the Debt Protocol , you can issue a letter before action giving the debtor a reasonable period to pay the debt . If they fail to pay , the next step is to issue a claim in the County Court .
Debts of Christmas Future A few suggestions to avoid unpaid bills in the future – where possible , take payment on account before starting work , make sure your terms and conditions are up to date and adopt a solid credit control procedure to chase late payments .
We hope , like Scrooge , you have learned a few lessons and won ’ t let any debts ruin your Christmas . Now for a mince pie …
Michael Sproates , associate solicitor , Dispute Resolution and Debt Recovery , Jacksons Law Firm
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