Czech petrochemical producer Chemopetrol a.s. (CZ-436 70 Litvinov; www.chemopetrol.cz), subsidiary of state- owned oil group Unipetrol (CZ-182 21 Praha 8; www.unipetrol.cz), has started up a new HDPE plant at Litvinov. The 200,000 t/y gas-phase plant, onstream since May, uses Univation technology and is being operated alongside an older slurry reactor with 100,000 t/y of capacity. The new unit produces injection moulding, blow moulding and film grades to complement the company´s existing products sold under the “Liten” trademark. Besides Poland, which has no HDPE production of its own, target markets are Italy and Germany.

In November 2002, a new PP plant is set to go onstream at Litvinov, Bernhard Reiffurth, general manager of Chemopetrol´s German subsidiary, told PIE. This facility, with its two parallel reactors operating under licence from BP Amoco, is capable of producing 250,000 t/y of PP homo- and copolymer grades, sold under the company´s “Mosten” trademark. An older PP plant with 110,000 t/y of capacity is to be dismantled.

In addition to its olefins activities, Unipetrol is active in PVC production through its subsidiary Spolana a.s. (CZ-277 11 Neratovice; www.spolana.cz). The group also owns Kaucuk a.s. (CZ-278 52 Kralupy; www.kaucuk.cz), a producer of PS and SBR. In recent months, a number of multinational groups have been talking to the Czech government about a takeover of Unipetrol.

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“Liten” data sheets as PDF document (68 KB)