Stability in the Polypropylene Market Drives Basell to Expand

---

Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Due to the projected increase in the polypropylene market, Basell (Hoofddorp, Netherlands) is preparing to convert the recently mothballed spherilene linear low-density polyethylene plant located in Westlake, Louisiana into polypropylene lines, as reported by Industrialinfo.com as part of its North American Industrial Database in February 2002. Construction is scheduled to begin by the middle of this year, and the conversion should be complete by 2005, when it will then produce an estimated 225,000 metric tons per year.

In addition to this expansion, Basell is looking to build a new 400,000 metric ton per year polypropylene plant. The three locations being considered for this new unit are Carrington, U.K; Wesseling, Germany; and Sarnia, Ontario. Construction for the world scale unit will begin in 2005 and is expected to be operational in 2007. It is anticipated that the new unit will utilize Basell's new spherizone catalloy process. The three aforementioned locations considered for this new unit each currently operate small polypropylene lines based on old technology and will eventually mothball those lines. It is estimated that the polypropylene market will continue to grow and in order to satisfy the upcoming demand, at least one world scale polypropylene plant producing up to 600 metric tons per year will need to be constructed.

Basell, was established in October, 2000. They are the world's largest producer of polypropylene with manufacturing facilities located in eighteen countries. Polyethylene and advanced polyolefin materials are other products produced by Basell.