US chemicals giant Dow (Midland, Michigan; www.dow.com) plans to increase its global polyolefin elastomers (TPO) capacities by 250,000 t/y. Aside from the new capacities that will come on stream once its speciality elastomers plant in Map ta Phut / Thailand begins operations sometime in 2011, Dow said an unspecified “technological breakthrough” would allow it to increase TPO capacity at its plants in Freeport / USA and Tarragona / Spain. Once the additional capacities come on stream, the company will be able to produce about 1m t/y of TPO.

Dow did not disclose the nameplate capacities of each individual plant earmarked for expansion, nor did the company specify when exactly the new capacities would come on stream.