PVC production in Russia up by 1% in January-July 2020

MOSCOW (MRC)–Overall production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) reached 557,000 tonnes in the first seven months of 2020, up by 1% year on year. Only three producers managed to increase their output, according to MRC’s ScanPlast report.

July total production of unmixed PVC was about 47,700 tonnes versus 77,200 tonnes a month earlier as SayanskKhimPlast and RusVinyl increased their capacity utilisation last month.

Overall output of polymer rose to 557,000 tonnes in the first seven months of 2020 from 553,700 tonnes a year earlier, only three producers increased their production, whereas RusVinyl reduced its PVC production.

The structure of PVC production by plants looked the following way over the stated period.

RusVinyl (JV of SIBUR and SolVin) produced about 19,200 tonnes of PVC in July, with emulsion polyvinyl chloride (EPVC) accounting for 1,000 tonnes, compared to 28,500 tonnes a month earlier.

RusVinyl shut its PVC production capacities for a scheduled maintenance works on 14 July. RusVinyl’s overall SPVC output reached 190,000 tonnes in the first seven months of 2020, compared to 196,300 tonnes a year earlier.

SayanskKhimPlast produced less than 4,000 tonnes of suspension PVC (SPVC) in July, whereas this figure was 27,700 tonnes in June.

SayanskKhimPlast shut its PVC production capacities for a scheduled maintenance works on 8 July. The Sayansk plant managed to produce about 169,000 tonnes of PVC in January-July, compared to 166,300 tonnes a year earlier.

The Bashkir Soda Company (BSK) worked without interruptions in July, but stopped for five days in June due to interruptions in ethylene supply.

while in mid-June, due to interruptions in ethylene supplies, PVC production was stopped for 5 days.

July total imports of suspension were 23,600 tonnes, compared to 15,800 tonnes a month earlier. The Baskhir plant’s overall production of PVC reached 154,300 tonnes in January-July 2020, up 4% year on year.

Kaustik Volgograd shut its production capacities for maintenance in May-June. As a result, the plant’s July PVC output was 7,200 tonnes, while in June it was 1,500 tonnes.

The plant’s overall production of PVC exceeded 43,700 tonnes in the first seven months of 2020 versus 43,200 tonnes a year earlier.

MRC, a partner of ICIS, produces polymers news and pricing reports from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.