Ineos (Rolle / Switzerland; www.ineos.com) announced that it has signed a letter of intent with TGE Gas Engineering (Bonn / Germany; www.tge-gas.com) for a new ethane tank at its site in Rafnes / Norway. Investment costs of the tank, which is due to be commissioned in 2015, were not disclosed. Ineos said the new tank would allow it to better access ethane from world markets. The Swiss group recently signed a long-term supply and infrastructure agreement for ethane from the US – see Plasteurope.com of 28.09.2012. The shale gas derivative is due to be available in 2015, by the time the new tank is completed.

Ineos said that aside from enhancing its competitiveness, the investment also secures the long-term future of its operations in Norway. According to Plasteurope.com’s Polyglobe capacity database (www.polyglobe.net), the gas-based Rafnes cracker has a nameplate capacity of 560,000 t/y.