MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global chemical producer, has announced the completion of the brownfield expansion of its Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) plant, resulting in the total PTA capacity of 700,000 tonnes per annum at Rotterdam and totally over 1 million tons together with Spain, said the producer in its press release.
Currently, the Rotterdam facility produces 380,000 tonnes per annum of PTA which is entirely used as a major feedstock of the site’s integrated Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) production, a recyclable packaging material. The expanded plant is undergoing final stages of start-up with expected commercial production in middle August 2017.
Commenting on this expansion, Aloke Lohia Group CEO of Indorama Ventures, said, "With this low cost proven technology and nearly double the PTA production capacity, the expansion will bring cost synergies to the site. The Rotterdam facility is well positioned to support the continued growth as its location allows access to the whole of Europe."
"This additional production will replace purchased PTA and significantly improve European profitability. We now look forward to the start-up of our gas cracker in Louisiana, USA in end of the year. These two landmark projects will enhance earnings and the competitiveness of IVL substantially," Mr. Lohia concluded.
As MRC informed before, in Q 1 2016, BP PLC sold its petrochemical complex in Decatur, Alabama, to Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. (IVL.TH), for an undisclosed sum, as part BP's plan to restructure its global petrochemicals business. The divestment is in line with BP’s global petrochemicals strategy of pursuing a competitively advantaged portfolio through world-scale, low-cost facilities that utilize BP proprietary technology, including the production of purified terephthalic acid, or PTA, a key raw material in the production of polyester.
Indorama Ventures is a leading producer in the polyester value chain in Thailand with strong global network and manufacturing across Asia, Europe and North America. Its products serve major players in diversified end use markets, including food, beverages, personal and home care, health care, automotives, textile, and industrial. The company’s main products are PTA, PET and polyester fibre, which are distributed across the world.
MRC