Solvay to double HMW HALS manufacturing capacity
Solvay will double the capacity of its Technology Solutions global business unit's high molecular weight (HMW) hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) production facility in Willow Island, West Virginia.
The core HALS products currently produced at the site are the foundations for the CYNERGY® and CYXTRA® polymer additive product families that enable Solvay customers to transform the performance characteristics of polyolefin plastics into advanced polymers for specialty applications in building and construction, agricultural films, and a host of consumer and industrial uses.
The investment is for a second, fully independent HMW HALS manufacturing unit to complement the existing line at Willow Island and to be operational by mid-2019. Solvay will leverage the site's technological and operational talent and expertise, as well as the raw material and supply chain already in place, to accelerate the unit's build out.
For more information, visit www.solvay.com or call (609) 860-4000.
Sasol: Additional jobs to come
Sasol has hired its 500th employee for its $11 billion ethane cracker and derivatives project in Calcasieu Parish and expects to hire at least an additional 200 employees over the next two years to support its new operations, resulting in 700 new jobs.
These new, quality jobs have an average salary of $80,000 and are in addition to the more than 450 full-time positions that support Sasol's existing operations near Westlake. This will bring Sasol's employment to over 1,150 in Southwest Louisiana by 2019. An additional 1,000 contractors will also support Sasol's East and West Plants once new units reach beneficial operation.
Sasol will begin a phased commissioning of the seven new units in 2018.
For more information, visit www.sasol.com or call +27(0) 10 344 5000.
Cabot reduces activated carbon manufacturing capacity in Marshall
Cabot Corp. has indefinitely idled three of the seven production units at its activated carbon manufacturing facility in Marshall, Texas.
The decision was driven by the need to better match the business's production capacity and cost structure with the current demand for powdered activated carbon in North America. Demand for powdered activated carbon following the implementation of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards regulation has been lower than originally expected, resulting in overcapacity.
Cabot expects this action plan to result in a pre-tax charge to earnings of approximately $9 million, of which less than $1 million is cash. Annual savings related to this action are estimated to be approximately $6 million, of which approximately $5 million is cash.
For more information, visit www.cabotcorp.com or call (678) 297-1300.
ExxonMobil begins production on Mont Belvieu polyethylene line
ExxonMobil Chemical Co. has commenced production on the first of two new 650,000 tons-per-year high-performance polyethylene lines at its plastics plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas.
The full project, part of the company's multibillion-dollar expansion project in the Baytown area and ExxonMobil's broader Growing the Gulf expansion initiative, will increase the plant's polyethylene capacity by approximately 1.3 million tons per year.
The Mont Belvieu plant capacity will total more than 2.5 million tons per year, making it one of the largest polyethylene plants in the world. These performance polyethylene products will deliver significant sustainability benefits, enabling lighter-weight, higher- performance packaging, lower energy consumption, and reduced emissions.
A significant portion of Mont Belvieu polyethylene will be exported from the Port of Houston. At peak, the site will ship more than 200 containers a day.
For more information, visit www.exxonmobilchemical.com or call (971) 444-1000.
