Egypt's EChem to ramp up PVC, VCM & EDC capacity by 50%

16-Jul-08

Egypt's EChem is expected to ramp up the output at its Alexendria-based polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant by 50% from 80,000 tpa to 120,000 tpa by the year end. Also, EChem is slated to expand its current 100,000 tpa vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and 140,000 tpa ethylene dichloride (EDC) capacities by 50% each. The increased output will meet the increasing needs of the growing domestic markets, projected to grow at 8-9% this year. Current PVC consumption in Egypt hovered around 200,000 tpa. EChem's expansion relies a great deal on the availability of the sufficient ethylene feedstock. Ethylene required for the vinyls expansion will be sourced from Ameriya-based Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals' (Sidpec) 300,000 tpa cracker, which was to expand by 50-100% in 2008.