Formosa Plastics delays start up of US cracker, LDPE unit

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Formosa Plastics has encountered some unexpected delays in the start up of their new cracker and low density polyethylene (LDPE) plant in Point Comfort, Texas, USA, a company spokesperson said on Friday.

The company had been aiming to start the 1.25m tonnes/year cracker and 400,000 tonnes/year LDPE plant in December, according to their most recent statement regarding the status of their US expansion plans. The company did not give a new estimate of the likely start up date of the facilities.

Formosa started up a new 400,000 tonnes/year swing plant capable of producing both high density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) in August of 2019.

The company is also building a new 250,000 tonnes/year polypropylene (PP) plant in Point Comfort, Texas, which is planned to start up in the third quarter of 2021.

An expansion project at Formosa’s Baton Rouge, Louisiana polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant is also ongoing. The expansion will raise the site’s capacity by 136,000 tonnes/year and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021.

(Thumbnail shows trash bags, which are often made of LDPE. Photo by Michael Weber/imageBROKER/REX/Shutterstock)