Venezuela’s only LDPE plant working again

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Venezuela’s only low density polyethylene (LDPE) plant has restarted, a market source said on Wednesday.

In recent months, LDPE production at Polinter – Venezuela’s sole PE producer – was “intermittent” because of a technical problem. Polinter is controlled by Pequiven, which also supplies the feedstock ethylene for the PE production.

LDPE production restarted 20 December, a source said, indicating that the technical problem has been solved. 

Plastic processors have complained because of the lack of LDPE resins needed to make their own products, some saying that they had been forced to slow operations.

Finding foreign suppliers has been difficult because of long delays and a complex process needed to obtain US dollars. The government controls access to foreign currency necessary to buy imports through the Comision de Administracion de Divisas (Cadivi).

Polinter’s LDPE plant is located at El Tablazo, Zulia state.