MOSCOW (MRC) -- Karpatneftekhim (Kalush, Ivano-Frankivsk region), Ukraine's largest petrochemical plant,
stopped the production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) due to a fire on the olefin complex. The polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production continues, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.
The company's customers said the Ukrainian producer, after a fire in the ethylene production pipeline, was forced to almost immediately suspend the production of HDPE. While the production of PVC continues, but with reduced capacity utilisation. The exact dates of the outage have not been announced yet.
Further operation mode of Karpatneftekhim will be determined not earlier than next week, when the audit of the effects of the fire on the equipment will be completed. As previously reported, a fire broke out on the evening of 12 January.
Pyrogaz was burning in the open area of the plant; a 15-meter column of flame was visible above the plant. Fire at the Karpatneftekhim plant was localized on 12 Januarfy at 23.48.
Karpatneftekhim is one of the largest enterprises of Ukraine's petrochemical complex. Currently, the plant can produce annually 300,000 tonnes of PVC, 200,000 tonnes of caustic soda, about 180,000 tonnes of chlorine, as well as 250,000 tonnes of ethylene and 100,000 tonnes of polyethylene.
MRC