DATE : 2017-03-20
US chemicals giant Dow is to invest EUR 300 M in Germany over the next 2 years. The project concerns 3 neighbouring sites belonging to the subsidiary Dow Olefinverbund (Schkopau, Leuna and Boehlen, E Germany). EUR 200 M will be invested in site maintenance and modernisation with a further EUR 100 M possibly being invested in additional capacities or production units. Units at the 3 sites could be operating at full capacity in less than 1 year. In E Germany, Dow produces polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, extruded polystyrene, hydrocarbon resins, acrylic acid, butyl acrylate, powdered dispersions and aniline. Dow's cracker in Boehlen (565,000 tonnes capacity in 2015 according to Petrochemicals Europe) will close for 6 weeks in 2018 for major maintenance work. Although it mainly uses naphtha, 15% of its feedstock is currently gas and this proportion is set to rise to 50%, according to the German press.
The conversion necessary will require construction work and investment. The EUR 100 M budget for this work could be increased in proportion with the amount of propane cracker in Boehlen. However, a final decision on the project has yet to be taken.
Source Chimie Pharma Hebdo
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