Borealis Builds 350,000 Ton Low-Density Polyethylene Plant for Wire and Cable Market

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). To enhance and maintain a leading market position in the growing wire and cable market and the Nordic packaging market, Borealis (Vienna, Austria) is investing $492 million to construct a new low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plant at the Stenungsund complex north of Gothenburg in Sweden.

The 350,000 tons per annum (TPA) project includes a new high-pressure LDPE plant, as well as modernizing and streamlining compounding and related material handling facilities. In line with the company’s scrap and build strategy, three old LDPE lines and one Unipol reactor will be phased out at Stenungsund. The three scrapped units have a total production capacity of 230,000 TPA. The new plant is scheduled for completion at the end of 2009.

The move to consolidate Borealis ‘position in wire and cable grades of polyethylene and build upon the cross-linkable polyethylene capacity is due in the second half of this year. It also reinforces Borealis capability to provide products for safe and reliable electricity supplies to domestic consumers and industry. In addition to supporting regional markets, the plant will export globally.

Borealis’ Scandinavian General Manager, Roy Vardheim said, “This investment will also enable us to maximize the flexible feedstock-olefin-polyolefin integration at Stenungsund, and by improving our overall asset competitiveness, ensure long term, profitable growth for the site.”

The total polyethylene capacity at the site will increase from 580,000 TPA to 700,000 TPA, making it a leading world-scale facility for advanced infrastructure applications and providing major economies of scale.

View Project Profile - 77000058 77000060

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) provides marketing communication services ranging from industrial database solutions to market forecasting, custom analytics, and specialty promotions that support high-level image campaigns.