January-Sept Belarus PE production down by 40% year on year

MOSCOW (MRC)–Belarus’ overall production of low density polyethylene (LDPE) totalled 45,200 tonnes in the first nine months of 2017, down by 40% year on year, according to MRC’s DataScope Report.

The local producer shut down some of its production capacities for maintenance in October, reported MRC analysts.

According to the National Statistics Committee of Belarus, Polymir, the local LDPE producer, increased its capacity utilisation in September and produced 6,300 tonnes of LDPE versus 5,200 tonnes a month earlier.

Thus, Polymir’s total LDPE output was 45,200 tonnes in January-September 2017, compared to 75,700 tonnes a year earlier.

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

The plant’s clients said Polymir had shut down some of its production capacities for the turnaround by early October, the outage would last for about a month.

Polymir (part of Naftan) is Belarus’ largest petrochemical company, producing a wide range of chemical products, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), acrylic fibres, products of organic synthesis and hydrocarbon fractions.

The plant’s annual production capacity is 130,000 tonnes.

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