Styrenics producer Ineos Styrolution (Frankfurt / Germany; www.ineos-styrolution.com) has plans to expand its styrene monomer capacity. The Ineos (Rolle / Switzerland; www.ineos.com) subsidiary has announced that it is commissioning an engineering study for the construction of a world-scale facility on the US Gulf Coast.

A specific location for the plant has not yet been decided on. Low-cost energy and feedstock costs from shale gas were the deciding factors for a site on the US Gulf Coast, as well as the good infrastructure in the region. The location will provide a competitive advantage to supply the global market, says Steve Harrington, president of Global Styrene Monomer and Asia-Pacific.

Ineos Styrolution operates two SM production sites on the US Gulf Coast. According to Plasteurope.com's Polyglobe database (www.polyglobe.net), the two facilities in Bayport and Texas City account for more than half of the company's total SM capacity of approximately 2.15m t/y. With the new facility, Ineos Styrolution would overtake Sabic, Sinopec and Shell, and become the new market leader for SM capacity.