Pipe manufacturer Molecor (Getafe / Spain; www.molecor.com) is planning to set up a joint venture and build a production plant at the South African location of Richards Bay with its partner Sizabantu Piping Systems Pty Ltd (Pinetown / South Africa; www.sizabantupiping.co.za). The facility is set to go on stream mid-2016.

Both companies have further developed the market over the last few years and now want to tackle the next step with a domestically based extrusion line. Sizabantu will manufacture the pipes from oriented PVC (PVC-O) under licence with Molecor equipment. The South African firm, which has been Molecor's exclusive marketing partner in the country since 2012, hopes the move will help give it access to large-scale projects and open up the market for large-diameter pipes.

At its main Spanish plant, Molecor has a pipe capacity of 20,000 t/y following the last expansion measures. The company will not reveal how big the plant in South Africa will be.