Ukrainian energy, chemicals and fertiliser business Group DF (Kiev; www.groupdf.com) is to construct a titanium dioxide production facility at its existing Crimea Titan plant (Armyansk / Ukraine; www.titanexport.com). The plant will have an initial production capacity of 80,000 t/y, increasing to 120,000 t/y. The capacity of the current TiO₂ unit will also be increased to 120,000 t/y, more than doubling the company’s global market share.

Dmitry Firtash,Group DF chairman, said: “We are starting the construction of this new facility already this year, and by 2015 we will have invested around USD 300m in this project. Our plan is to produce 240,000 t/y at Crimea Titan, which is around 4% of the global market.”

The company said it intended to install modern European equipment, which, in terms of quality, will allow it to overtake China. It currently exports around 80% of its output. Group GF recently announced plans for a EUR 3 bn investment to consolidate and revitalise Ukraine’s petrochemical sector – see Plasteurope.com of 25.05.2012.