Arkema Nears Completion of Major Project in Kentucky and Continues Future Investment Plans for the Site

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). Arkema Incorporated (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) has made some significant investments in its Calvert City, Kentucky plant site in recent years and is nearing commercial startup of a major unit addition. This new unit will produce HFC-32 refrigerant replacing CFC refrigerants eliminated through regulatory compliance initiatives of recent years. Industrial Info has tracked the progress of this estimated $50 million unit addition since the late 1990s which finally began construction in the summer of last year. Arkema is reportedly already evaluating further debottlenecks of the new unit to increase the units production capacity within the next year. The potential of additional refrigerant products to be produced at this site is also being studied and could equal another round of major project spending in the next few years.

Arkema is currently working with Apex Engineering Incorporated (Calvert City, Kentucky) as its E+C contractor for an expansion of its Kynar polyvinylidene (PVDF) product produced at the Calvert City plant. Morsey Constructors (Calvert City, Kentucky) is installing a new centrifuge as part of the expansion and the award of a fifth reactor to be installed this summer is expected to be completed soon. Another three phases of debottlenecking are being studied for this area of the plant that could take place over the next several years.

Arkema’s future investments are not limited to Kentucky; Industrial Info is currently tracking capital and maintenance projects at five other plant locations across the United States. Some of the most significant projects are plans for a debottleneck of its methyl mercaptan (MMP) plant located in Beaumont, Texas that could begin in early 2008. Arkema has demonstrated itself as a strong player in the global chemical market for many years and the potential for a continued trend of significant capital investments appears very positive.

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