Belarus Jan-April LDPE production down 52% year on year

MOSCOW (MRC)–Belarus’s overall production of low density polyethylene (LDPE) was about 20,800 tonnes in the first four months of 2017, down by 52% year on year, according to MRC”s DataScope Report.

According to the National Statistics Committee of Belarus, April LDPE production by the local producer Polymir was slightly more than 5,000 tonnes against 5,300 tonnes a month earlier. Thus, Polymir’s overall LDPE output totalled 20,800 tonnes in January-April 2017 versus 43,200 tonnes a year earlier.

A fire at one of the ethylene units in last June, which led to a two-fold reduction in the olefin production, was the main reason for a major fall in the output in 2016.

The company’s customers said Polymir planned to shut its LDPE capacity for scheduled maintenance works from 3 June. The preventive shutdown will take about a month, but some of the capacities will still be launched two weeks after the shutdown.

As reported earlier, an outbreak of gas-air mixture with the further flare combustion of outgoing products happened at workshop No. 104 on 18 June 2016. The fire damaged technological equipment in the production of ethylene, and some of the capacity has been idle since then.

According to the representatives of the company, this year the capacity for the production of ethylene will not be fully rebuilt.

Plant Polymir (“Naftan”) is the largest petrochemical company in Belarus, produces a wide range of chemical products, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), acrylic fibers, products of organic synthesis and hydrocarbon fractions. LDPE annual capacity is 130,000 tonnes.

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