In response to what it calls the “growth dynamics in the US petrochemical market”, Formosa Plastics (FPC, Taipei / Taiwan; www.fpc.com.tw) has announced plans to invest USD 2.1 bn into raising its naphtha cracking capacity in Point Comfort, Texas / USA. Once the relevant authorities give the all-clear, the Taiwanese firm plans to raise annual ethylene output by 450,000 t/y, bringing overall C2 capacity to a little more than 2m t/y. In addition, the cracker’s propylene output is to be raised by 400,000 t/y to 1.14m t/y. Formosa Plastics said the new project could be completed in late 2014 or early 2015.

FPC also announced plans to raise capacities in Point Comfort’s PVC chain, including another 150,000 t/y of ethylene dichloride, 120,000 t/y of VCM as well as 182,000 t/y of PVC. Once the expansions come on stream, FPC will have capacity to produce 1.66m t/y of VCM and 1.38m t/y of PVC at its North American sites Point Comfort and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At the former site, the Taiwanese company also manufactures more than 1m t/y of PE (both HD and LLD) as well as roughly 700,000 t/y of PP.