INDORAMA
Plans for 220,000 t/y Brownfield expansion of PET capacity in Europe / Latest capacity increase comes on top of previous plans
After announcing plans late last year to invest almost USD 4 bn over the next five years – see Plasteurope.com of 23.12.2010 – Thai chemical giant Indorama Ventures (IVL, Bangkok; www.indoramaventures.com) is upping the ante once more. At a meeting held at the beginning of April 2011, IVL’s board decided on a 220,000 t/y Brownfield expansion of PET production in Europe. Indorama did not specify which of its five European sites would be affected, adding only that once on stream in 2013, the new line would raise IVL’s overall PET capacity in Europe to 1.3m t/y. In response to a query by Plasteurope.com, a company spokesman clarified that this latest expansion is in addition to the plans touted at the end of last year.
Commenting on the plans, group CEO Aloke Lohia said: “Our latest Brownfield expansion is going to be at a highly cost competitive capex as well as operate at the lowest operational cost by being able to leverage on existing infrastructure and close proximity to raw materials.”
Indorama already operates five PET plants in Europe. Plasteurope.com research found that its facility in Rotterdam / The Netherlands has a nameplate capacity of 190,000 t/y, which is to be raised to 390,000 t/y by Q1 2012 (see Plasteurope.com of 29.06.2010). In addition, IVL also operates a a 198,000 t/y plant in Klaipeda / Lithuania, a 155,000 t/y facility in Workington / UK, a 140,000 t/y PET plant in Wloclavek / Poland, and a 150,000 t/y line in Ottana / Italy. This latest capacity expansion most likely will occur either in Poland or in Italy, given that Klaipedia is a relatively new plant and in the face of the expansions already in the cards for Rotterdam. At the time of Indorama's takeover of the Ottana facility, market rumors already abound about a possible modernisation. As for Poland, PKN Orlen (Plock / Poland; www.orlen.pl) is about to commission its 600,000 t/y PTA line in Wloclavek – see Plasteurope.com of 08.08.2008. It would come as no surprise if Indorama were to exploit this additional feedstock capacity, as its already plans to do in Rotterdam.
The Thai group also produces 190,000 t/y of PTA in Ottana and another 350,000 t/y in Rotterdam.
Commenting on the plans, group CEO Aloke Lohia said: “Our latest Brownfield expansion is going to be at a highly cost competitive capex as well as operate at the lowest operational cost by being able to leverage on existing infrastructure and close proximity to raw materials.”
Indorama already operates five PET plants in Europe. Plasteurope.com research found that its facility in Rotterdam / The Netherlands has a nameplate capacity of 190,000 t/y, which is to be raised to 390,000 t/y by Q1 2012 (see Plasteurope.com of 29.06.2010). In addition, IVL also operates a a 198,000 t/y plant in Klaipeda / Lithuania, a 155,000 t/y facility in Workington / UK, a 140,000 t/y PET plant in Wloclavek / Poland, and a 150,000 t/y line in Ottana / Italy. This latest capacity expansion most likely will occur either in Poland or in Italy, given that Klaipedia is a relatively new plant and in the face of the expansions already in the cards for Rotterdam. At the time of Indorama's takeover of the Ottana facility, market rumors already abound about a possible modernisation. As for Poland, PKN Orlen (Plock / Poland; www.orlen.pl) is about to commission its 600,000 t/y PTA line in Wloclavek – see Plasteurope.com of 08.08.2008. It would come as no surprise if Indorama were to exploit this additional feedstock capacity, as its already plans to do in Rotterdam.
The Thai group also produces 190,000 t/y of PTA in Ottana and another 350,000 t/y in Rotterdam.
19.04.2011 Plasteurope.com [219191-0]
Published on 19.04.2011
German version of this article...