Braskem Completes Construction of World-Scale PP Facility in LaPorte, Texas

Braskem (Philadelphia) has completed construction of its newest, world-class PP production facility in La Porte, Texas.  Said to be the first new PP facility built in North America since 2003, Braskem’s facility has a designed production capacity of over 1-billion lb/yr and has the capability to produce the entire PP portfolio including including homopolymer, impact copolymer and random copolymer.

Said Braskem America’s CEO Mark Nikolich, “We are proud to announce the milestone of construction completion for our new polypropylene production facility, the newest in the United States. This world-scale facility is a confirmation to our clients around the world that Braskem is committed to investing in their future. As commercial production begins later this year, Braskem will position the new facility’s domestic production capabilities to replace imported polypropylene volumes, which are currently addressing the shortfall in the United States’ domestic market. Commercial production activity at the facility, in conjunction with our new Global Export Hub in Charleston, South Carolina, will also directly support Braskem’s global export capability to its clients throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.”

The commissioning process is currently ongoing, with Braskem now focused on completing all necessary steps to ensure a safe and successful startup, including the implementation of COVID-19 enhanced facility health and safety guidelines to help protect Braskem team members and contractors alike. During this phase, the company is concluding functional tests and process tests to verify performance of controls and integrated safety systems. Initial production test runs are anticipated to begin in the next month with the first full scale commercial production activity currently expected within this third quarter.

Said Braskem America’s v.p.  of PP Alexandre Elias, “The COVID impact on the North American polypropylene industry during April and May affected durable segments such as automotive. However, this impact was partially mitigated with strong sales in nonwovens and packaging applications. In June, demand improved and Braskem’s North American polypropylene outlook for the third quarter is positive as clients are ramping up operations and demand has rebounded. Braskem is well-positioned to start up our new world-class polypropylene production line in the current market. The company’s global supply chain has made preparations to leverage North America’s competitive propylene and polypropylene position for exports supporting our clients in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. The combination of improved demand, planned outages in the third quarter, and export opportunities will support a smooth ramp up of the new facility.”