INEOS Styrolution to build ASA plant in US, expand ABS capacity in Mexico

HOUSTON (ICIS)–INEOS Styrolution on Thursday announced plans to expand capacity of acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) in the Americas, including a new ASA plant in the US.

The producer is building a 100,000 tonne/year ASA plant in Bayport, Texas, expected to be operational by the end of 2020.

The unit will be adjacent to the INEOS Styrolution styrene plant, which will give it easy access to raw materials.

The Bayport site was also selected because of low-cost utilities, proximity to major customer markets, as well as infrastructure for domestic shipment and exports, the company said.

INEOS Styrolution is also increasing ABS capacity by 70,000 tonnes/year at its ABS/ASA plant in Altamira, Mexico.

The two projects will give INEOS Styrolution additional resources and reduce the need to import volumes from other regions, as well as support further growth in other producing regions such as EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and APAC (Asia-Pacific), CEO Kevin McQuade said.

Lego bricks are made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Photo by Isoplx/REX/Shutterstock.