Borealis
Encyclopedia
Borealis AG is Europe's second largest producer of polyethylene
(PE) and polypropylene
(PP) and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
(PE) and polypropylene
(PP) solutions for the infrastructure, automotive and advanced packaging market sectors. Its plastics are converted by customers into products such as food packaging, medical devices, diapers, energy and communication cables, water and sanitation distribution pipes and automotive parts.
With EUR 333 million net profit in 2010 and 5,100 employees, Borealis is headquartered in Vienna and operates primarily in Europe, with manufacturing operations in Belgium, Central Europe (Austria and Germany), Finland and Sweden. It also operates compounding units in Brazil, Italy and the USA, two innovation centres, European Innovation Headquarters as well as customer service centres located worldwide.
Though Borealis’ core products are polyolefins, the collective name for PE and PP, it also produces hydrocarbons, namely ethylene
, propylene
, and phenol
. With the acquisition of Agrolinz Melamine International (AMI), the company is expanding its product portfolio to include melamine
and fertilizer.
The company’s strategy is Value Creation through Innovation and its values are Responsibility, Respect, Exceed and Nimblicity™, a term that is purported to be a fusion of nimbleness, simplicity and flexibility.
Borealis is owned 64% by the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi
and 36% by OMV
, the Austrian oil and natural gas group.
communication cables and in building and automotive wires.
and acetone
are produced at Borealis' facility located in Finland and are sold mainly to the adhesive, fibre, epoxy
resin and polycarbonate
industries in northern Europe. Phenol is used in adhesives, construction materials, carpets, CDs, DVDs, mobile phones and household appliances. Acetone is commonly used in solvents for paints, acrylics, fibres and pharmaceuticals.
and fertilizer business markets. Agrolinz, an international provider of melamine (used to treat flooring and furniture for resistance to wear and tear) and fertilizer, is the melamine market leader in Europe. With its daughter company Linzer Agro Trade, Borealis operates its own wholesaling business with a focus on the Danube region where Borealis is a leading provider of fertilizer.
Water for the world is focused on four areas: supporting water access projects, developing and promoting best practices, raising awareness in communities and advancing sustainable water management.
). Its facility in Ruwais
, Abu Dhabi (UAE) produces Borstar PE products for the infrastructure (pipe, wire and cable), automotive and advanced packaging markets. Borouge
is the exclusive provider of the entire Borealis product line throughout the Middle East and Asia.
Officially opened in October 2002, this production facility is home to the first Borstar facility in the Middle East and Asia and hosts a 600,000 t/y cracker
as well as two Borstar bimodal PE lines that produce up to 600,000 t/y.
In 2010, under the project name of Borouge 2, Borouge tripled the polyolefins manufacturing capacity of the plant in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi to 2 million tonnes per year. The US$ 4.5 billion investment includes an additional ethane cracker, a third polyethylene unit and two new polypropylene units.
With the Borouge 3 project, the company is expanding its petrochemical plant at Ruwais in Abu Dhabi to 4.5 million tonnes per year (t/y) by mid 2014.
Additional investments in logistics hubs and compounding manufacturing plants in Asia serve Borouge’s customers in the growing local markets.
Polyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene is the most widely used plastic, with an annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons...
(PE) and polypropylene
Polypropylene
Polypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
(PP) and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
Overview
Borealis AG is an international company in producing polyethylenePolyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene is the most widely used plastic, with an annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons...
(PE) and polypropylene
Polypropylene
Polypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
(PP) solutions for the infrastructure, automotive and advanced packaging market sectors. Its plastics are converted by customers into products such as food packaging, medical devices, diapers, energy and communication cables, water and sanitation distribution pipes and automotive parts.
With EUR 333 million net profit in 2010 and 5,100 employees, Borealis is headquartered in Vienna and operates primarily in Europe, with manufacturing operations in Belgium, Central Europe (Austria and Germany), Finland and Sweden. It also operates compounding units in Brazil, Italy and the USA, two innovation centres, European Innovation Headquarters as well as customer service centres located worldwide.
Though Borealis’ core products are polyolefins, the collective name for PE and PP, it also produces hydrocarbons, namely ethylene
Ethylene
Ethylene is a gaseous organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest alkene . Because it contains a carbon-carbon double bond, ethylene is classified as an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Ethylene is widely used in industry and is also a plant hormone...
, propylene
Propylene
Propene, also known as propylene or methylethylene, is an unsaturated organic compound having the chemical formula C3H6. It has one double bond, and is the second simplest member of the alkene class of hydrocarbons, and it is also second in natural abundance.-Properties:At room temperature and...
, and phenol
Phenol
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...
. With the acquisition of Agrolinz Melamine International (AMI), the company is expanding its product portfolio to include melamine
Melamine
Melamine is an organic base and a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 66% nitrogen by mass and, if mixed with resins, has fire retardant properties due to its release of nitrogen gas when burned or charred, and has several other industrial uses....
and fertilizer.
The company’s strategy is Value Creation through Innovation and its values are Responsibility, Respect, Exceed and Nimblicity™, a term that is purported to be a fusion of nimbleness, simplicity and flexibility.
History
Borealis was founded in 1994 by the merging of Neste and Statoil. In 1998 the petro chemistry sector of OMV was included; OMV and IPIC took over the 50 % business share of Neste. In 2005 Statoil gave up its share of Borealis and one year later, in June 2006, the headquarter was relocated from Copenhagen to Vienna.Borealis is owned 64% by the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
and 36% by OMV
OMV
OMV is Austria's largest oil-producing, refining and gas station operating company with important activities in other Central European countries...
, the Austrian oil and natural gas group.
Pipe systems
Together with its joint venture Borouge, Borealis is the leading global supplier of advanced polyolefin plastics solutions for the pipe industry. Applications cover water and gas distribution, waste and sewage disposal, chemical and industrial projects, in-house plumbing and heating as well as oil & gas exploration and transport.Energy and communication cables
As a leading provider of polyolefin compounds for the global wire and cable industry, Borealis solutions are widely used in low, medium, high and extra-high voltage energy transmission and distribution cables, in data andcommunication cables and in building and automotive wires.
Automotive
Borealis provides a wide range of plastics solutions to the automotive industry that are used for dashboards, door side claddings, front ends, air vent systems, bumpers under the bonnet and under-body shieldings. These solutions are at the leading edge in areas such as zero gap applications for bumpers, off-line painted body panels and scratch resistant materials for car interiors and exteriors.Advanced packaging
Borealis polyolefins are used for applications such as healthcare, heavy duty shipment sacks, food packaging, flexible and rigid transport packaging, bottles, crates, boxes, trays and pallets.Phenol and acetone
PhenolPhenol
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...
and acetone
Acetone
Acetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...
are produced at Borealis' facility located in Finland and are sold mainly to the adhesive, fibre, epoxy
Epoxy
Epoxy, also known as polyepoxide, is a thermosetting polymer formed from reaction of an epoxide "resin" with polyamine "hardener". Epoxy has a wide range of applications, including fiber-reinforced plastic materials and general purpose adhesives....
resin and polycarbonate
Polycarbonate
PolycarbonatePhysical PropertiesDensity 1.20–1.22 g/cm3Abbe number 34.0Refractive index 1.584–1.586FlammabilityV0-V2Limiting oxygen index25–27%Water absorption – Equilibrium0.16–0.35%Water absorption – over 24 hours0.1%...
industries in northern Europe. Phenol is used in adhesives, construction materials, carpets, CDs, DVDs, mobile phones and household appliances. Acetone is commonly used in solvents for paints, acrylics, fibres and pharmaceuticals.
Melamine and Fertilizer
Agrolinz Melamine International (AMI) was consolidated into Borealis in 2007 and renamed Borealis Agrolinz Melamine GmbH. This new partnership will allow Borealis to diversify its product offering to include the melamineMelamine
Melamine is an organic base and a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 66% nitrogen by mass and, if mixed with resins, has fire retardant properties due to its release of nitrogen gas when burned or charred, and has several other industrial uses....
and fertilizer business markets. Agrolinz, an international provider of melamine (used to treat flooring and furniture for resistance to wear and tear) and fertilizer, is the melamine market leader in Europe. With its daughter company Linzer Agro Trade, Borealis operates its own wholesaling business with a focus on the Danube region where Borealis is a leading provider of fertilizer.
Borstar proprietary technology
Borealis’ proprietary Borstar technology is built on process and catalyst technology development and is a focal point of the company’s innovation programme. The company uses this technology to design molecular structured materials to meet customers’ specific needs. Borstar PE and PP capacity expansion in both Europe and the Middle East is a core ingredient of the company’s strategy.Water for the world programme
To address the global water challenge, Borealis and Borouge initiated Water for the World, a programme that fosters local knowledge and partnerships throughout the value chain to provide sustainable solutions for the availability of safe water and sanitation in 2007.Water for the world is focused on four areas: supporting water access projects, developing and promoting best practices, raising awareness in communities and advancing sustainable water management.
Joint venture Borouge
Borouge is Borealis’ joint venture with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOCADNOC
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company or ADNOC is the state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates . It is considered to be the world's fourth largest oil company with access to country's oil and gas reserves, .-Operations:...
). Its facility in Ruwais
Ruwais
Al Ruwais is a town located some 240 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi city. The Ruwais industrial and housing complex has been developed by ADNOC as a major contributor to the national economy and represents a series of multi-million-dollar investments by the company...
, Abu Dhabi (UAE) produces Borstar PE products for the infrastructure (pipe, wire and cable), automotive and advanced packaging markets. Borouge
Borouge
Borouge, a manufacturer of polyoleofins, was founded in 1998, and is a joint venture of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Austria's Borealis...
is the exclusive provider of the entire Borealis product line throughout the Middle East and Asia.
Officially opened in October 2002, this production facility is home to the first Borstar facility in the Middle East and Asia and hosts a 600,000 t/y cracker
Cracker
Cracker may refer to:* Cracker , a type of biscuit, usually salted or savory edible* Cracker , a mountain peak in Glacier National Park** Cracker , located in the Lewis Range, Glacier National Park in the U.S...
as well as two Borstar bimodal PE lines that produce up to 600,000 t/y.
In 2010, under the project name of Borouge 2, Borouge tripled the polyolefins manufacturing capacity of the plant in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi to 2 million tonnes per year. The US$ 4.5 billion investment includes an additional ethane cracker, a third polyethylene unit and two new polypropylene units.
With the Borouge 3 project, the company is expanding its petrochemical plant at Ruwais in Abu Dhabi to 4.5 million tonnes per year (t/y) by mid 2014.
Additional investments in logistics hubs and compounding manufacturing plants in Asia serve Borouge’s customers in the growing local markets.