Several Russian and international media have reported that petrochemical and plastics group Sibur (Moscow / Russia; www.sibur.com) has dusted off its plans for the construction of a new LDPE line in Astrakhan at the Caspian Sea, near the border with Kazakhstan – see Plasteurope.com of 26.02.2008. The reports indicate that a 500,000 t/y polymerisation line is to be built at the site, with commissioning scheduled for sometime in 2015 or 2016.

Neither Sibur nor its erstwhile parent company Gazprom (Moscow / Russia; www.gazprom.com), which operates a refinery in Astrakhan, have confirmed the plans. However, Russian media report that the official announcement is to be made in the coming weeks.