Solutia Continues Growth and Investment Strategies

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- Solutia Incorporated (Saint Louis, Missouri) has battled the elements of today’s extremely competitive market with apparent success even despite bankruptcy and financial woes inherited from its predecessors. Last year, Solutia completed a major unit addition at its Anniston, Alabama plant that replaced capacity being idled due to a plant closure and consolidation in Missouri. See related Industry Alert titled - Solutia Begins the New Year with New Unit Startup and Closures.

Solutia began, and will end, this year with a series of projects aimed at strengthening its core market position, while also planning an additional $60 million in capital and maintenance projects identified by Industrial Info as part of its North American Project Database.

The most significant future investments appear to be planned in Florida at the Cantonment plant. More than $24 million of the current and future projects identified are planned for this site. A major conversion of distributive controls for the plant’s three natural gas fired steam boilers and area utilities including refrigeration and cooling systems is being scoped. A major retrofit of an existing carpet fibers line to swing produce flake and carpet fibers product is being engineered by Day & Zimmerman Incorporated (Greenville, South Carolina) that could begin construction late this year. This project would include the addition of a new extruder and mixing equipment.

Solutia’s Decatur, Alabama plant is also earmarked for several future investments, of which the largest appears to be control system upgrades again in the utilities section of the plant. New Delta V controls are planned for the plant’s number six coal-fired boiler, along with the potential for a liquid lime injection system to assist with meeting MACT standards.

Solutia is planning a significant number of planned maintenance turnaround projects making up 24% of the total dollars identified in this analysis. A majority of this activity and spending is planned for their Alvin, Texas Chocolate Bayou plant in a series of turnarounds planned to begin this fall and taking place through the summer months of next year.

Solutia continues to operate 15 individual plant sites across the United States and Canada and earlier this year Industrial Info learned that Solutia was considering its options for the future of its only plant in Quebec. This plant located in Lasalle has been in operation since the mid 1940’s and is considered a good potential for closure or even conversion to produce another line of products using the existing infrastructure.

View Plant Profile - 1007559 2001274 1002449
View PEC Report - 05002951 05002947 04003328 60001892

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