Dow plans new propylene glycol plant with environment friendly process in Thailand

22-Dec-10

The Dow Chemical Company plans to build a 15000 tpa propylene glycol (PG) plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand. The new PG facility will utilize propylene oxide (PO) derived from the new, sustainable hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide (HPPO) technology, developed jointly by Dow and BASF SE. The HPPO plant is being constructed as part of the integrated joint venture liquids cracker and derivatives project in Thailand with Siam Cement Group (SCG). The Thailand PG facility will use a safe, efficient and more environmentally friendly process and will have the capability to provide the same high quality glycol products that are produced in other Dow PG manufacturing facilities around the globe. This investment will greatly enhance support to Dow's customers in the Asia Pacific region for a variety of product applications including pharmaceuticals, food, personal care and more. In addition, the advanced energy reduction and throughput optimization technology that was implemented at Dow’s Stade, Germany PG site in September 2010 will also be implemented at the new Thailand PG facility. The advanced technology is an example of the Company’s commitment to delivering innovative technologies that address the world’s evolving needs by reducing energy consumption and environmental impact, while increasing throughput. "The new plant, combined with our new HPPO technology, demonstrates Dow’s commitment to our customers in the Asia Pacific region by offering locally sourced propylene glycol for enhanced supply reliability", said John Smith, Propylene Oxide/Propylene Glycols global business director. "With these investments, Dow is well-positioned long-term to strategically grow our PG franchise with sustainability and competitiveness in the region." Dow is a global capacity leader in PO and PG manufacturing, with global PO capacity of over 2,000,000 tons and global PG capacity of more than 700,000 tons. Dow currently has five global PG manufacturing facilities-one of the world’s highest capacity plants in Germany; two facilities in North America; a facility in Brazil and another in Australia.