Perstorp plans shutdown at 2-EH, NBA units

14 March 2008 15:09  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--Scandinavian oxo-alcohols producer Perstorp will shut down its n-butanol (NBA) and 2 ethyl hexanol (2-EH) plants in March/April for maintenance, a company source said on Friday.

 

The 100,000 tonne/year NBA and 125,000 tonne/year 2-EH plant in Stenungsund, Sweden, will shutdown for 20 days for a catalyst change.

 

The shutdown could coincide with a planned outage at Oxea’s units in Oberhausen, Germany, beginning on 24 May.

 

The maintenance at its 300,000 tonne/year unit was due to last between four and five weeks and was expected to maintain the tension in the 2-EH market.

 

Oxea’s 130,000 tonne/year butanols unit would also be affected. Downstream dioctyl phthalate (DOP) would be affected to a lesser degree, said a company source, but would still be out of action for a part of the planned shutdown.

 

2-EH production in particular at the site has been up and down so far this year. Although the overall market situation has eased somewhat, it has recently been extremely tight, firmed by restricted production from the Stenungsund plant and Oxea’s plant in Oberhausen.

 

Both producers said they had largely withdrawn from the spot market to focus on contractual commitments, which were currently under strict allocation.

 

Spot 2-EH prices were last assessed at €1,270-1,300/tonne ($1,984-1,032/tonne) on a FD (free delivered) NWE (northwest Europe) basis, according to global chemical market intelligence service ICIS pricing.

 

NBA prices were assessed at €1,150-1,180/tonne FD NWE.

 

($1 = €0.64)

By: Adal Rafiq
+44 20 8652 3214

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