Helm (Hamburg, Germany; www.helmag.com) has announced plans to distribute propylene glycol to be produced by oil and petrochemical company MOL (Budapest; www.molgroup.info) at the Hungarian plant currently under construction in Tiszaújváros. The agreement is global except for Central and Eastern European markets, where MOL intends to handle distribution.

The EUR 1.3 bn investment in Tiszaújváros (see Plasteurope.com of 31.03.2022), the start-up date for which had been delayed due to the pandemic and is now set to be operational in H2 2022, is expected to produce 200,000 t/y of polyol and 80,000 t/y of propylene glycol. The product range is to include both technical and higher-grade monopropylene glycol and dipropylene glycol grades.

Propylene glycol is used in pharmaceutical raw materials, for the production of unsaturated polyester resins, and in the de-icing sector.

MOL is also building a new propylene plant in Tiszaújváros with a production capacity of 100,000 t/y, which is to supply the polyol complex from 2024 onwards.