WR Grace to expand polypropylene catalysts at plant in Germany

09 December 2009 15:41  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS news)--WR Grace plans to increase manufacturing capacity for polypropylene (PP) catalysts at its site in Worms, Germany, the US-based international specialty chemicals and catalysts producer said on Wednesday.

The expansion, which was due to start up in 2011, was in response to long-term customer needs, Grace said.

The company did not say by how much it would expand capacity, and it did not disclose capacity or financial details.

US major Dow Chemical said earlier this year it had increased PP catalyst capacity at a plant in Louisiana by 20% because of increased demand.

In related news on Wednesday, LyondellBasell, the world’s largest polypropylene (PP) producer, said it expected additional production shutdowns in the industry as supply-demand balances would likely become worse next year because of more polyolefins production capacity coming on stream in the Middle East.

Grace’s production site at Worms, near BASF’s Ludwigshafen production hub in Rhineland Palatine state, employs 900 people.

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By: Stefan Baumgarten
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