MOSCOW (MRC) -- Russia's overall production of unmixed polyvinyl chloride (PVC) grew in the first eight months of 2017 by 16% year on year, totalling 577,400 tonnes. Only two producers have grown resin production: SayanskKhimPlast and Kaustik (Volgograd), according to MRC ScanPlast.
August production of unmixed PVC in Russia dropped to 46,500 tonnes from 63,100 tonnes a month earlier, all producers, all three producers reduced production volumes: RusVinyl, SayanskKhimplast and Bashkir Soda Company reduced their PVC output.
Overall PVC production reached 577,400 tonnes in January-August 2017, compared to 499,300 tonnes a year earlier. Only two plants out of four increased their output, and this year's high level of production growth was caused by the long forced outage at SayanskKhimPlast in February-July 2016.
The structure of PVC production by plants looked the following way over the stated period.
RusVinyl (JV SIBUR and SolVin) last month further reduced the capacity utilisation, in the last month of the summer the enterprise produced about 23,400 tonnes of polyvinyl chloride, of which about 1,800 tonnes of emulsion polyvinyl chloride (EPVC), against 24,700 tonnes a month earlier. Thus, RusVinyl's overall production of resin reached 203,800 tonnes in the first eight months of 2017 versus 209,400 tonnes a year earlier.
SayanskKhimPlast shut down its production capacities for a 30-day turnaround on 24 July. Thus, the plant's overall output reached 3,300 tonnes for the incomplete August, compared to 19,700 tonnes a month earlier. SayanskKhimPlast managed to produce 159,300 tonnes of resin over the stated period versus 62,800 tonnes a year earlier (the low output in 2016 was caused by the forced long outage from mid-February to July).
Bashkir Soda Company last month also shut its capacity for almost 10 days due to problems with ethylene supplies, as a result, PVC production amounted to only 12,100 tonnes against 10,800 tonnes in July (in July the enterprise shut its capacity for two-week prophylaxis). The plant's output of resin totalled about 152,900 tonnes in the first eight months of 2017, compared to 169,800 tonnes a year earlier.
Kaustik (Volgograd) slightly decreased its production last month, the plant's suspension PVC (SPVC) output slightly exceeded 7,700 tonnes versus 7,900 tonnes in July. The plant's overall production of resin reached 61,300 tonnes over the stated period, compared to 57,200 tonnes a year earlier.
MRC