INEOS struggling to start up ethyl acetate unit in Hull - source

13 January 2011 16:40  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS)--INEOS’s 245,000 tonne/year ethyl acetate (etac) unit at Hull in the UK restarted over the weekend of 8-9 January, a company source said on Thursday.

However, the start-up operation was “struggling" and it was not only feedstock limitations that were affecting the unit, the INEOS source added.

“The supply of raw material is not so good… it is all very vague at the moment as there are so many influences,” the source said.

Although the company had been able to fulfil all contractual obligations from current stock levels, there was very little opportunity to top up stocks as there was “almost no product” coming out of the unit.

Ethyl acetate production was shut down on 11-12 December 2010 due to restricted ethylene supply, but required maintenance was carried out at the plant during the downtime.

The supply of feedstock ethylene out of Grangemouth in the UK was still being limited and, additionally, force majeure (FM) was declared on feedstock acetic acid supplies out of Hull on 12 January.

Ethyl acetate prices in northwest Europe (NWE) were firming this week, with most assessments at €970-1,000/tonne ($1,276-1,316/tonne) FD (free delivered) NWE.

($1 = €0.76)

For more on ethyl acetate visit ICIS chemical intelligence
For more on INEOS visit ICIS company intelligence
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By: Jane Massingham
+44 20 8652 3214

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