On 27 May 2011, Russia’s Lukoil (Moscow; www.lukoil.com) officially commissioned a new PVC plant operated by subsidiary Karpatnaftochim (Kalush / Ukraine; www.knh.com.ua). The new 300,000 t/y capacity is split among two independent S-PVC lines. Construction of the new lines first began in 2007; altogether Lukoil invested some USD 236m into the project.

The PVC is delivered either in “big bags” or normal bag sizes, with key destination markets being Russia, Ukraine as well as “several eastern European countries”. Karpatnaftochim just inaugurated a new electromembrane chlorine plant in November last year, which is capable of churning out 200,000 t/y of caustic soda and 180,000 t/y of chlorine – see Plasteurope.com of 17.11.2010.