Shintech applies for permit to build 500,000 tpa grassroots ethylene plant

21-Apr-14

Shintech Inc., the US subsidiary of Japan’s Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd., has applied to the Louisiana Department of Environment Quality (LDEQ) for a permit to build a grassroots ethylene plant. The plant, planned with a production capacity of 500,000 tpa of ethylene, is planned to be located in Plaquemine, Louisiana, on land already owned by the company. Along with carrying out the required processes to secure a building permit, Shintech will continue its feasibility study on the investment outlay for the proposed plant construction, project profitability and a construction schedule. As per Platts, Shintech operates three PVC production facilities -- a 590,000 tpa plant in Addis, Louisiana; a 600,000 tpa plant in Plaquemine, Louisiana; a 1.45 mln tpa plant in Freeport, Texas. In June 2013, Shintech announced plans to hike the caustic soda, vinyl chloride monomer and PVC production capacity of its facilities in Louisiana by 200,000 tpa, 300,000 tpa and 300,000 tpa, respectively, by 2015.