Energy and petrochemicals group Indian Oil (IOCL, New Delhi / India; www.iocl.com) on 6 February 2019 celebrated the official start-up of its PP production plant at the east Indian Paradip, Odisha refinery south of Kolkata, West Bengal. With a total capacity of 680,000 t/y, the “Spheripol” lines rank among the ten largest PP facilities worldwide. The site’s output is intended to cover India’s growing PP demand.

According the Plasteurope.com’s Polyglobe database (www.polyglobe.net), the new facility puts India on par with Saudi Arabia as a PP-producing nation, which it will overtake to occupy third place worldwide once various plants currently under construction at other domestic locations are completed. IOCL recently also announced plans for further PP lines in India – see Plasteurope.com of 07.01.2019.