Comparing with 2008, growth of capacities dropped by 63%. MRC analysts do not regard this figure as critically small for the market as the equipment, capacity of which exceeds current PE consumption nearly 2 times, had already been installed in the market during the last decade.
At year-end, 331 PE processing lines were installed in that sector. The pipe extrusion sector demonstrated the highest growth of capacities (+92 kt/year) in 2009, despite the fall of pipe-grade HDPE consumption by 32% according to the results of the year. That sector is followed by the film extrusion (+57 kt/year) and cable extrusion (+28 kt/year) sectors. Converters in these three sectors are likely quite optimistic about r Probably, in these three sectors exactly the converters are optimistic about their business outlooks for the next 2-3 years.
For more detailed analysis of processing capacities and polyethylene consumption in the context of sectors, markets and types of finished goods of each converter is available in ⌠Polyethylene - 2010 Annual report.