It seems like the tide is beginning to turn for Spanish PET manufacturer La Seda de Barcelona (LSB, Barcelona / Spain; www.laseda.es). In June, the Spanish giant produced some 48,000 t of PET, of which it sold an impressive 45,000 t – a 30.8% increase over the same period of 2009. LSB says the turnover is the highest it has achieved in the past 16 months. Breaking down the 2010 production figures even further, the company says it sold some 123,000 t of PET in Q2 2010, up 14.4% year-on-year and an impressive 38.7% more than sold during Q1 2010.

But the good news does not stop here. After restarting its plant in El Prat de Llobregat in April, LSB ran the line at its full nameplate capacity of 14,000 t/y throughout June – see also Plasteurope.com of 28.05.2010. The group’s other plants have also been producing steady numbers, including the ones in San Giorgio / Italy (12,000 t/y), Turkey (10,500 t/y), Volos / Greece (7,500 t/y) and Portalegre / Portugal (4,000 t/y).

La Seda says that thanks to the production efficiency it achieved in 2009 it is well prepared to contend with non-European imports, which it says reached a total of 800,000 t last year.