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Stéphane leads the pack

Frenchman cycles 3,540km in 23 days and wins INEOS’ coveted yellow jersey

3
min OCT 2017

BRITON Chris Froome may have won The Tour de France for the third successive year.

But it was a Frenchman who earned – and thoroughly deserved – the coveted yellow jersey in INEOS’ first ever Tour de France Challenge.

Stéphane Frigiolini, 31, completed the entire distance of 3,540 km, on his own, in 23 days even though he was working.

Every day the computer technician cycled to work from his home in Offlanges, Franche-Comté, to the office 26km away in Tavaux and then home again. Once he got home, he went out on his bike again.

To make it harder for himself, he rode 2,775 metres uphill.

“I was probably cycling about 100km a day while I was working and more than 200km at the weekend,” he said.

As he neared the end of the INEOS challenge, he asked his bosses at INOVYN if he could take two, half days off.

“In the beginning I just wanted to do as many kilometres as possible to be sure the Tavaux Team succeeded because it was important for me to complete the challenge for the charity we had chosen,” he said. “But then I realised I stood a chance of being first so I decided to give it a go. Those two, half days meant I could complete the 3,450km and stay in front.”

Stéphane also had an added incentive. An INEOS colleague in Antwerp, Belgium, was hot on his heels.

“I would like to congratulate Rudi Rutten because he was second all the way and that helped me to keep going,” he said.

And kept going he did.

“I have done a couple of 200km rides in the past years but nothing compared to what I have just done,” he said. “My legs will remember this challenge for quite a while.”

So he is tempted to give Britain’s Chris Froome a run for his money in next year’s Tour de France?

“I would love to,” he said. “But I would need many years of training to be half as fit as him.”

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World leaders

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Energised – and up for the challenge

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The European Union has set aside tens of billions to support innovation in industry while trying to meet those targets – and Greet believes if anyone can find answers to some of society’s great challenges, INEOS can. “We are good at finding opportunities in every challenge,” said Greet. “And the European Union knows that by offering incentives and partnering with industry, they may stand a chance of meeting the grand societal challenges.” Outside Europe too, the opportunities are growing for INEOS to fund new projects at its sites thanks to support schemes, tax exemptions and grants for innovation and investment. “There is money to be had for supporting a lower carbon economy,” she said. 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There’s no stopping us now

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Debate: How do we encourage children to give up sugary foods?

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4 min read

INEOS' tour de force

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3 min read

Stéphane leads the pack

BRITON Chris Froome may have won The Tour de France for the third successive year. But it was a Frenchman who earned – and thoroughly deserved – the coveted yellow jersey in INEOS’ first ever Tour de France Challenge. Stéphane Frigiolini, 31, completed the entire distance of 3,540 km, on his own, in 23 days even though he was working. Every day the computer technician cycled to work from his home in Offlanges, Franche-Comté, to the office 26km away in Tavaux and then home again. Once he got home, he went out on his bike again. To make it harder for himself, he rode 2,775 metres uphill. “I was probably cycling about 100km a day while I was working and more than 200km at the weekend,” he said. As he neared the end of the INEOS challenge, he asked his bosses at INOVYN if he could take two, half days off. “In the beginning I just wanted to do as many kilometres as possible to be sure the Tavaux Team succeeded because it was important for me to complete the challenge for the charity we had chosen,” he said. “But then I realised I stood a chance of being first so I decided to give it a go. Those two, half days meant I could complete the 3,450km and stay in front.” Stéphane also had an added incentive. An INEOS colleague in Antwerp, Belgium, was hot on his heels. “I would like to congratulate Rudi Rutten because he was second all the way and that helped me to keep going,” he said. And kept going he did. “I have done a couple of 200km rides in the past years but nothing compared to what I have just done,” he said. “My legs will remember this challenge for quite a while.” So he is tempted to give Britain’s Chris Froome a run for his money in next year’s Tour de France? “I would love to,” he said. “But I would need many years of training to be half as fit as him.”

3 min read

Action Stations

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4 min read

Graduates sign up for heat of the battle

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2 min read

Out of Africa – and fit for everything

IT was a short, sharp lesson for a privileged few in perhaps what really matters in life. Air. Food. Water. And shelter. Those, argued American psychologist Abraham Maslow, are every human’s basic needs. Once we have those, that’s when we want more. In today’s modern world we have – and demand – a whole lot more. Everything we need is within our grasp. We can order our groceries at the gym, send a text message to someone on the other side of the world and turn the heating off from the pub, if we want. So what happens when those ‘necessities’ vanish overnight? Twenty nine graduates from INEOS found out for themselves when they signed up for a 350km run, ride and hike across the unforgiving and scorching African desert in one of the rarest and toughest team-building challenges ever set by a company. Very quickly they learned that morale boosts did not come from bonuses. They came from glimpses of a rare black Rhino, a cooling breeze, the stunning view of sunrise from the summit of the Brandberg, the highest peak in Namibia, or the sight of base camp after a long and tiring day in the desert. The graduates worked well as a team, supporting each other as they scrambled over the challenging and rough terrain. “Sometimes we were pushing each other up rocks and other times we were pulling each other up,” said Gabby Isidro, a 26-year-old Energy and CO2 Trader based at INEOS’ Hans Crescent office in London. For INEOS Chairman Jim Ratcliffe, it was mission accomplished. He had told INCH shortly before they left for Namibia: ‘It’s remarkable what people can do and accomplish when they turn the brakes off in their heads.” That’s certainly how Gabby feels today. “I don’t think you truly realise your physical and psychological strength until you are pushed to your limits,” she said. Gabby readily admits she was one of the least likely people to have volunteered for the six-day adventure into the unknown. She wasn’t overly sporty and her mum Julia wasn’t keen on the idea of her daughter running, hiking and cycling in the blistering heat through the untouched Namibian desert. “I was overweight and unfit and my mum was concerned about my right wrist which is part metal, part plastic,” she said. “I’d had five operations between the ages of 18 and 22 and she was worried that all of that reconstructive work could be undone.” But the criteria for joining was simple – If you feel you can do it, you’re in – and Gabby felt she could do it. She also suspected, remembering with a smile, that being half Portuguese might give her an advantage in the searing heat over some of the more fair-skinned graduates. “I was determined to do it,” she said. “I wanted to get healthy and fit. I knew for the bike ride I would need to wear titanium casing and a compression sock but it just showed there is always a way round things.” The training beforehand was intense but invaluable. “I travel every week and have a lot of responsibility which I love but I remember being in Norway, Belgium and Switzerland in the dead of winter over January and trying to fit in my training. I very quickly, though, got better at managing my time and I got used to taking my gym equipment everywhere I went.” In May, she and her 28 INEOS colleagues from around the world boarded a plane for Windhoek, which is possibly the world’s smallest international airport. Kasper Hawinkel, a Production Engineer from INEOS Oxide in Belgium, remembers the journey well. “I remember having some doubts about my ability to complete the whole event,” he said. “I didn’t think it was possible to cycle 190km and run two half-marathons and a marathon in one week. I was wrong.” Gabby was also quite nervous but before she could really focus on the challenge ahead, she was fielding calls from potential suppliers who were bidding for an INEOS power contract. “At home I am never without my phone but out there there’s nothing. No phones, no emails, no computers,” she said. “I thought I might struggle with that but it was a real pleasure to be able to fully switch off from work and the outside world in general.” Each graduate had been given a luggage allowance of 15kg. Aside from the essentials – different shoes for running, cycling and hiking – Gabby packed some make-up. The hair straighteners were left at home. Every day presented fresh challenges. But every day the graduates faced them head-on – and as team. “You just take every day as it comes,” said Gabby. “In some ways you cannot plan for it. You are stuck in the desert, you have no choice, and you have to get from A to B so there is no point in moaning.” But there was also a real sense of pride – and a sense that they were all in it together. “That certainly kept me going,” said Kasper. “I was confronted with multiple difficult moments both mentally and physically, but I didn’t want to give up and let down the team.” Jill Dolan from INEOS’ HR department had sent the graduates a good luck message on behalf of the In Nam’17 project team before they left. “Challenges bring out the best in people as they prove you can do things you may not have thought you could do,” she said. “Those graduates will also have made friends for life built on a mutual journey of individual and team challenge and achievement.” Kasper and Gabby said life-long friendships were formed. “All of us have shared this unforgettable experience,” he said. The graduates had been warned about the heat. “When you look back it is terrifying,” said Gabby. “But at the time you just get on with the job in hand. There was an absolute determination to get through each day.” The wind was also a constant companion, sometimes unbearably so. “One day the wind was so strong that it took us almost three hours to cycle 10km (6 miles) in the 47 degree heat,” she said. “It was relentless.” Nearly half of her colleagues that day ended up being treated for dehydration. Gabby kept going – only to fall off her bike 3km from base camp. “At first I thought I must have fractured my skull because I couldn’t see properly because of all the blood,” she said. “But it turned out that even though I has split my head open, I had just dented my forehead.” The experience has changed her – not least because she now bears a small scar on her forehead. “It has helped me to find perspective and cope better in difficult or tense situations,” she said. “If ever I feel overwhelmed at work I can simply reflect on any moment of the Namibia challenge and remember that we got through it.” She is also determined to remain fit – no matter how busy she is. “I now realise that being healthy, fit and in the best physiological condition, I will be able to manage anything that is thrown my way,” she said. Phill Steffny, a safari guide from Cape Town, was one of the guides on the trip. “It’s a mind-blowing, life-changing experience,” he said. “And everyone has changed.” He said the drive and determination shown by the graduates had been inspirational. “These types of people work for INEOS,” he said. “It is in their DNA.” Phill will be among the guides leading next year’s graduates into the desert. “I think everyone can do amazing things,” he said. “You may not have a clue how to do it. But if you are given the opportunity, I cannot understand why anyone would not want to do it.” He added: “If you are on your own out there, it’s different. But they were a team. Everyone was in the same boat. One day one person might feel good, then lousy the next. It’s like life. It’s the same.”  

3 min read

INEOS’ vision paves way for fresh opportunities in Europe

INEOS’ ground-breaking decision to ship shale gas from America has paved the way for new investments on European soil. These competitively priced raw materials will now be used in plans to expand production of ethylene and propylene for INEOS’ businesses in Europe. Output from the new production will be used to feed INEOS’ derivative businesses, replacing ethylene and propylene currently purchased from other companies. In all, nearly 2 billion Euro will be spent on major new petrochemical projects in Europe, with Belgium, Norway and Scotland all likely locations for significant investments. “Without access to cost advantaged raw materials these investments could not be possible,” said Gerd Franken, CEO INEOS Olefins & Polymers North. Work on expanding the crackers at Rafnes, Norway, and Grangemouth, Scotland, is expected to start in 2019 and, once built, could add up to 900kt to INEOS’ overall of ethylene production capacity. In addition to the investments in ethylene, INEOS is also planning a new production facility to produce 750kt of propylene, with Antwerp in Belgium one of the possible locations. “The use of competitive raw materials to increase the self-sufficiency of our European businesses will support our position in Europe and help to protect our businesses against pressure from imported products,” said Gerd. “This will become increasingly important as significant new capacities come on-line in the US over the coming years.” The decision to expand capacity at Grangemouth is especially good news for the staff who, in 2013, had faced the prospect of the ethylene plant shutting due to dwindling North Sea gases. “That was our only feedstock and we were running out of it,” said John McNally, CEO INEOS Olefins & Polymers UK. “At times the plant was running at 50% capacity.” INEOS Chairman Jim Ratcliffe said that these would be the first substantial investments in the European petrochemicals industry in many years. “Collectively, these investments are the equivalent of building a new world-scale cracker in Europe,” he said. Pete Williams, Head of Investor Relations, said the investments, which could create up to 100 jobs in total, showed that INEOS was committed to maintaining a competitive manufacturing base in Europe. INEOS currently produces almost 4.5 million tonnes of ethylene and propylene – the key building blocks for many petrochemicals – but still remains the largest buyer of both in the region.

4 min read

Drive to find manufacturing base

INEOS has begun its search for a site to build what it believes will be the world’s best 4x4. Britain is the favoured location but it has received a number of attractive offers from the UK’s European neighbours. “Whilst we would love this to be a British vehicle, this is a business venture and our hearts cannot be allowed to rule our heads,” said Tom Crotty, INEOS Director of Corporate Affairs. INEOS Chairman Jim Ratcliffe, who was born in the North of England, has voiced concern over the years about the slow death of manufacturing in the UK – and the need to reverse it. But only time will tell whether the UK proves to be the best place for INEOS Automotive to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in producing its Grenadier. Jim spotted a gap in the 4x4 market early last year when Jaguar Land Rover ceased production of its iconic Defender at its Solihull plant in the West Midlands. In an interview with INCH magazine last year, he said that INEOS’ Grenadier had been inspired by the Defender but it would not be a replica. “It might share its spirit,” he said. “But it will be a major improvement on previous models.” Dirk Heilmann, CEO of INEOS Automotive, said the search for a production site was the latest step in a fantastically exciting project. “Our plans for the vehicle are well advanced and the time has come to decide where we are going to build it,” he said. INEOS needs a site capable of producing at least 25,000 cars a year to an extremely high standard. Green field sites, former car plants and even existing production lines, which can be re-configured for the new vehicle, will all be considered. “We’ve already had high level discussions with the UK government as well as a lot of international interest,” said Tom. INEOS says its new 4x4 will be aimed at farmers, forestry workers, explorers and adventurers and enthusiasts. “It needs to be an uncompromising offroader that not only stands for adventure, but is also capable of being used as a workhorse,” said Jim. INEOS is determined that its new vehicle will offer a real and pure alternative to the current crop of standardised ‘jelly-mould’ SUV’s.

4 min read

INEOS staff make a move – to a new office

ABOUT 400 INEOS employees in Köln, Germany, will soon be on the move. INEOS has invested about 30 million Euros in a new, three-storey office block – modelled on the ‘O’ in INEOS – to bring all the administrative staff together for the first time. “We see this investment as a clear sign for our future and also a reflection of how important this site is to the INEOS group,” said Dr Patrick Giefers, Commercial Managing Director and Works Manager. It is an open-plan office, which is a relatively new concept in Germany. “This is not just a new building,” said Dr Anne-Gret Iturriaga Abarzua, Head of Communications at INEOS in Köln. “This is about a new style of working, communicating and spending your day at work. At the moment if I did close my office door, no one would know I was in here.” That will change when the staff move from their individual offices to the new one. “It might take a little getting used to but it will be so much better,” said Anne-Gret. Staff will be able to see each other in the glass-fronted offices. INEOS, though, has not just invested heavily in the new building. Money has also been spent working out where everyone should sit so that the new departments not only work well together, but people are happy – and different styles of desks were tested by staff before they were bought. “Those things matter a great deal,” said Anne-Gret. “The way it has been organised means that staff can now choose to work at their desks, in the coffee bar, in the cafeteria or in what INEOS has called ‘communication zones’.” Staff will also find a modern cafeteria run by a qualified nutritionist who, if asked, will advise people on what to eat, and an in-house gym where they can keep fit, if they want. At the topping out ceremony last month, Hermann Gröhe, Germany’s Federal Minister of Health, praised INEOS for its clear commitment to looking after the health and well-being of its staff. It is not yet known what will happen to the empty offices. The new office block, though, is just part of a 211-million Euro investment package for the site where a new tanker bridge, power plant and supply tunnel, between the west and east works, will be built. 

2 min read

INEOS continues to impress markets with strong performance

INEOS’ performance slowed down slightly after a record start to the year. In the first quarter the Group had reported earnings (EBITDA) of €753 million – up €199 million on the same time last year. But the second quarter, though down by €115 million on the first, was still impressive at €638 million compared to €570 million this time last year. Finance Director John Reece said the North American market had continued to benefit from its flexibility to be able to use cheaper raw materials and Europe was faring well thanks to the continued weakness of the Euro. He said markets in Asia had also seen some strength in the quarter. O&P North America reported EBITDA of €227 million compared to €225 million this time last year. “The US cracker business environment was solid with healthy margins and high operating rates throughout the quarter,” said John. Polymer demand was strong, particularly in certain product sectors such as pipe and injection moulding grades. O&P Europe reported EBITDA of €210 million – up €20 million on this time last year. “Demand for olefins has been solid in a tight market with top of cycle margins,” said John. Butadiene prices have now declined from their elevated level in the first quarter of the year. European polymer demand was good in a balanced market, with solid volumes and healthy margins in the quarter. Chemical Intermediates reported EBITDA of €201 million compared to €155 million this time last year. “The improved performance across all of the businesses continued in the quarter, with sustained good demand for products together with tight supply side conditions as a result of planned and unplanned competitor outages,” said John. The overall demand trend in the Oligomers business was strong in most product sectors and markets. Demand for the Oxide business was stable, with particular strength in ethyl acetate and butanol. Market conditions for the Nitriles business were healthy due to a combination of strong underlying demand, especially in acrylic fibre, and supply limitations due to a number of industry outages. Phenol markets remained balanced, with some weakness in Europe due to customer turnarounds. John said the Group had also continued to focus on cash management and liquidity, reducing its net debt by €500 million in just three months. At the end of June net debt stood at about €5.2 billion.

4 min read

Germany chosen for new cumene plant

INEOS is to build its own world-scale cumene plant in Germany with the very best technology. The decision was made in response to demand from its customers and to ensure a secure supply of cumene, an essential raw material for INEOS’ phenol and acetone plants in Gladbeck and Antwerp. “Our plan shows a clear commitment to our European phenol sites and our business,” said Hans Casier, CEO of INEOS Phenol. The new plant is expected to be up and running by 2020. INEOS Phenol is the world’s largest producer of phenol and acetone and the largest consumer of cumene. It already owns and operates one of the world’s largest single train cumene plants at its Pasadena site in Texas.

1 min read

Global demand drives European investment

INEOS Oxide is to capitalise on the continuing global demand for vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) an essential chemical used to make paints, windscreens, fuel tanks, PVC and adhesives. It plans to spend hundreds of millions of Euros building a new plant at one of its integrated European sites either in Saltend, Hull, Koln in Germany, or Antwerp in Belgium. CEO Graham Beesley described it as an exciting project for INEOS. “The demand for VAM in Europe continues to grow briskly but the market is currently uncomfortably reliant on imports from remote locations for sufficient supply,” he said. “Our new capacity is designed to plug the gap and improve supply dependability to our customer base.” All three locations benefit from pipeline or terminal supply of the raw material ethylene, and low cost logistics for the other key raw material, acetic acid. In addition, all three are also well positioned to supply the VAM market efficiently.

1 min read

Oxide plans to increase production

JUST months after buying out Arkema’s 50% stake in Oxochimie, INEOS Oxide wants to grow the business. It is now considering producing a new range of oxo derivatives, including 2-ethyl hexanoic acid and polyalcohols, to complement its existing products. Oxo alcohols are mainly used to produce acrylic esters, diesel additives and paints and make lubricants. The site of the new production plant is likely to be on a core INEOS site in either Zwijndrecht, Belgium, Dormagen, Germany or Lavéra in France. “This is a significant growth project for INEOS,” said CEO Graham Beesley. Oxochimie had been a 50:50 joint venture between INEOS Oxide and the French chemicals group Arkema. INEOS fully acquired it in March this year.

1 min read

INEOS awaits verdict on shale gas core wells

INEOS Shale’s quest to unearth shale gas in the UK continues. It has now submitted two planning applications to drill vertical core wells near Sheffield so it can analyse samples of the rock. Operations Director Tom Pickering remains confident that the first well could be drilled by early next year and believes the public’s appetite for shale gas exploration is growing. “Landowners are naturally worried about protesters but it is a different backdrop today,” he said. “There has been a huge shift from three and a half years ago when we first set out on this road. The mood has changed. Brexit has really concentrated the mind. People now see that we do need to be thinking about the UK’s energy security.” The cost of drilling each well could be up to £12 million. INEOS Shale now owns the rights to explore 1.2 million acres of land in the UK for shale gas. In January this year INEOS increased its acreage when it bought Moorland Energy and with it Government licences to explore an area stretching from Helmsley to East Ayton in East Yorkshire.

1 min read