PET production resumes in Lopburi, Thailand after floods

(plasteurope) -- Thailand's Indorama Ventures (IVL, Bangkok) restarted its PET plant in Lopburi / Thailand after it was forced to stop production in September because of floods. Output will be ramped up and full operating rates are expected in May 2012, the company said.

IVL said its Petform packaging arm, which is co-located with the PET plant, is expected to come online shortly afterwards.

The Lopburi PET plant has capacity to produce 178,000 t/y, and produces mainly bottle grade PET for fast-moving consumer goods companies in Thailand. IVL also can turn out 91,000 t/y of PET at its site in Rayong, on Thailand's east coast.
MRC

(chemmonitor) -- The Russia-based producer ETANA is planning to launch the production of terephthalic acid (TPA), the main feedstock for polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

The company plans to purchase a part of raw material from abroad till 2018. The only Russian PET producer of TPA in the Republic of Bashkortostan, POLIEF, cannot meet the demand for the product.

ETANA inked the agreement on TPA deliveries with the South Korea-based producer KP Chemical. The main raw material for TPA production is paraxylene, which is produced in Russia in sufficient quantities.

MRC

(chemmonitor) -- Polyethylene (PE) monthly output dropped again this year in Japan according to the production results recently unveiled by Japan Petrochemical Association.

Japan-based PE manufacturer produced around 164,000 tonnes through March, down by 70,000 tonnes or 15.4 percent month on month. Besides, the figure was 77,000 tonnes or 18 percent if compared to March 2010.

The domestic low density PE (LDPE) output fell to the greatest extent.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- On Wednesday, 25 April, on the back of results of export trades in Belarus and desire of Russian producers to increase May prices, Ukrainian traders temporarily suspended LDPE sales, according to MRC analysts.

Export prices for LDPE in May grew at export trades in Belarus by EUR200/tonne. At the beginning of the month export quotations at trades were fixed for the Ukrainian market within EUR1,150-1,180/tonne, FCA Novopolotsk.

Russian producers also said about necessity to increase export prices for the Ukrainian market following the internal deficit. This week the USD50-100/tonne increase of May prices was discussed in comparison to April level.

Following a serious export price hike in Belarus and announced growth of export prcies for the Russian LDPE, Ukrainian companies temporarily suspended sales. Yet at the beginning of the month Russian and Belarusian 158 LDPE was offered within hryvnya (UAH) 16,300-16,500/tonne, VAT included, СРТ Кiеv.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- This week talks started on contact prices for Russian PVC in May. Russian producers announced the necessity to increase contract prices by rouble (Rb) 1,000-3,000/tonne, as MRC analysts said.

This week the participants of the Russian market started active talks on contract prices for PVC deliveries in May. On the back of a growing seasonal demand for the resin and limited imports, Russian producers intend to get higher prices. At the beginning of the week some producers said about the necessity to increase contract prices by Rb1,000-3,000/tonne compared to April prices (Rb43,000-44,500/tonne, VAT included, СРТ Мoscow).

Demand for finished goods out of PVC in April significantly grew an some local converters lan to reach 100% capacities in May as well as increase PVC purchases by 20-30% compared to April. Despite the growth of demand for finished goods out of PVC, many converters still have problems with circulating funds and the absence of efficient credit resource. Limited circulating funds of converters will play a key role in the price for the Russian PVC in May.

MRC