— By Plasteurope.com correspondent — 

Saudi Arabian petrochemicals giant Sabic (Riyadh; www.sabic.com) has launched a portfolio of certified low-carbon chemicals that it claims can enable product carbon footprint savings. The first product in the portfolio will be methanol from the company’s Chemicals business.

The group said the methanol is produced at a domestic Ar-Razi Saudi Methanol facility. Originally a 50/50 joint venture with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical-headed consortium Japan Saudi Methanol, Sabic increased its stake in Ar-Razi to 75% in 2018. A major 1.65 mn t/y expansion in 2008 brought the site’s capacity to over 4.7 mn t/y.

The highly concentrated CO₂ is produced as a by-product captured from upstream processes in a carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) step and used as an alternative feedstock to make new products. The CCU project converts the captured CO₂ into low-carbon methanol and its derivatives, while reducing usage of traditional feedstocks and yielding the same high-quality product specifications, Sabic added. 

Sabic worked with independent third parties to drive the development of a new carbon footprint certification module under International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC; www.iscc-system.org). Methanol is typically used, for example, in resins for laminate flooring and furniture panels and acrylic sheets, Sabic said.