Russian oil and petrochemical group Lukoil (Moscow; www.lukoil.com) is planning a new polypropylene plant in Nizhny Novgorod / Russia. This is a natural progression from the propylene that the company already produces as a by-product from its refinery in Kstovo. Russian news agency Tass has reported that the company has given the go-ahead for the required investment. Provisional capacity of the new line is 500,000 t/y.

According to Plasteurope.com’s Polyglobe database (www.polyglobe.net), Lukoil currently operates smaller capacity production of polyolefins at its Stavrolen plant in Russia and in Burgas / Bulgaria. In 2016, the group announced expansion plans for Stavrolen – for decent-sized PE and PP lines. How advanced the plans are there is currently not known.