Problems delay on-spec output at BASF's Ludwigshafen No 2 cracker

08 June 2011 16:36  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS)--BASF’s No 2 cracker at Ludwigshafen, Germany, has encountered some technical problems while ramping up operating rates, resulting in a delay to the output of on-spec ethylene (C2) and propylene (C3), a company source said on Wednesday.

“It will take longer than expected to start the cracker properly. We hope to achieve on-spec production in the next week,” said the company source, without disclosing the cause of the problems.

The cracker, which has a nameplate ethylene capacity of 400,000 tonnes/year, was shut down for planned maintenance in late April and began to restart on 3 June.

The restart process was progressing smoothly as late as 6 June, and the company had been confident of achieving on-spec production by the end of this week.

BASF also operates a smaller cracker at the Ludwigshafen site, which has the capacity to produce 220,000 tonnes/year of ethylene.

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By: Nel Weddle
+44 20 8652 3214

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