Westlake plans new $250m US chlor-alkali plant

29 August 2008 12:26  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--Westlake Chemical is planning to build a new $250-300m chlor-alkali plant at its vinyls complex in Geismar, Louisiana, the company said on Friday.

The planned chlor-alkali unit aimed to produce 250,000 tonnes/year of electro chemical units (ECUs), bringing the company's total ECU capacity to 525,000 tonnes/year, it said.  

“This new facility is an important strategic investment for Westlake and will further enhance the vertical integration of our vinyls segment and allow us to capture value throughout the entire vinyls chain,” said Albert Chao, Westlake's president and CEO

“This new construction, along with the previously announced expansions of our Calvert City, Kentucky, operations and the construction of a new PVC [polyvinyl chloride] pipe plant in Arizona, will also allow us to offer our customers a wide array of quality products and service on a coast to coast basis," he added.

The project would be partially funded by the Gulf Opportunity Zone bonds issued in 2007, the company said, adding the plant was scheduled to start-up in the first half of 2011.

The new unit would be built adjacent to the existing vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) facilities at the Geismar complex, said Westlake.

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By: Hilde Ovrebekk
+44 20 8652 3214

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