PET
Rising raw materials prices keep bottle polymer prices high / Increasing substitution pushes consumption upward
In contrast to predictions made in Plasteurope.com No. 13, 1995, that no noticeable increase in prices for PET bottle polymer could be expected in the third quarter, Hoechst Trevira GmbH & Co KG (D-65926 Frankfurt) has said it expects prices to continue spiralling upward. In Germany, Eastman Chemical Deutschland GmbH (Charlottenstr. 61, D51149 Köln) already has raised its Q3 1995 price by 10%,. According to the company, this already has been accepted by the market. Looking ahead to Q4, Hoechst Trevira's sister company, Hoechst Diafoil GmbH (Rheingaustr. 190-196, D-65203 Wiesbaden), has announced plans to raise polyester films prices 10% as of 1 October. This increase is attributed in part to higher starting material costs.
In a talk with PIE, Hans-Wolfgang Blumschein, marketing director for PET packaging materials at Hoechst Trevira, pointed to rising costs for feedstocks such as paraxylol, PET and MEG in Q3. Altogether, producers are facing higher costs on the order of DM 0.20 to DM 0.25/kg, which Blumschein said will be passed on to customers. He quoted Q3 producer raw material costs of around DM 3.40-4.00, with differences according to region or product segment. He noted also that Hoechst will be forced to cut production in September, due to supply bottlenecks for PET starting materials.
Hoechst believes that estimates for PET consumption in Europe of around 800,000 t in 1995 and 1.175m t in the year 2000 will have to be revised upward. Most recent figures point to substitution of PET for glass and PVC bottles, along with metal cans, in Spain and Italy, but especially in France, which has been a traditional domain of PVC. Consumption of PET bottle polymer in Eastern Europe has been estimated at 1.34-1.4m t by the year 2000.
Whether expansion of PET production capacities will keep pace with the rate of increase in consumption remains to be seen. In any case. new producers are appearing in Europe. Following its planned takeover of Akzo Nobel's PET business, Wellman plans to expand its European PET capacity to 180,000-225,000t/y by the year 2000. Sapo is planning to build an 80,000 t/y plant at Antwerp by early 1997. Eastman has announced plans for a 130,000 t/y plant for PET and a 290,000 t/y plant for terephthalic acid (PTA) in Rotterdam harbour, both set for startup in Q1 1998.
In a talk with PIE, Hans-Wolfgang Blumschein, marketing director for PET packaging materials at Hoechst Trevira, pointed to rising costs for feedstocks such as paraxylol, PET and MEG in Q3. Altogether, producers are facing higher costs on the order of DM 0.20 to DM 0.25/kg, which Blumschein said will be passed on to customers. He quoted Q3 producer raw material costs of around DM 3.40-4.00, with differences according to region or product segment. He noted also that Hoechst will be forced to cut production in September, due to supply bottlenecks for PET starting materials.
Hoechst believes that estimates for PET consumption in Europe of around 800,000 t in 1995 and 1.175m t in the year 2000 will have to be revised upward. Most recent figures point to substitution of PET for glass and PVC bottles, along with metal cans, in Spain and Italy, but especially in France, which has been a traditional domain of PVC. Consumption of PET bottle polymer in Eastern Europe has been estimated at 1.34-1.4m t by the year 2000.
Whether expansion of PET production capacities will keep pace with the rate of increase in consumption remains to be seen. In any case. new producers are appearing in Europe. Following its planned takeover of Akzo Nobel's PET business, Wellman plans to expand its European PET capacity to 180,000-225,000t/y by the year 2000. Sapo is planning to build an 80,000 t/y plant at Antwerp by early 1997. Eastman has announced plans for a 130,000 t/y plant for PET and a 290,000 t/y plant for terephthalic acid (PTA) in Rotterdam harbour, both set for startup in Q1 1998.
31.08.1995 Plasteurope.com [20593]
Published on 31.08.1995