Dow resolves water supply issues at Argentina plant

09 August 2010 18:09  [Source: ICIS news]

BUENOS AIRES (ICIS)--Dow Chemical has resolved water supply issues that plagued its Bahia Blanca polyethylene (PE) facility in Argentina during the second quarter, a company executive said on Monday.

Rolando Meninato, president of Dow Cono Sur, said “The largest of the two crackers of the Bahia Blanca plant suffered [from] the excess of silica in the water and was out of service for three weeks in April.

Because of a drought in the Bahia Blanca area, the source of origin of the water was changed, and the quality of it was different.”

He added, “The other cracker happened to have a technical problem around the same time. But they are both working normally at the moment.”

Dow chief executive Andrew Liveris mentioned the shutdown during the company’s 3 August second-quarter earnings conference call.

Meninato said the company was incorporating new water filters to address the problem.

“The matter has been solved and the water supply is not an issue for Dow Argentina anymore,” Meninato assured.

The Bahia Blanca plant is Dow’s largest polyethylene plant in Latin America.

This facility also suffered a natural gas shortage because of government ordered restrictions at the beginning of the South American winter.

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By: Cristina Kroll
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