LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB), one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, is expanding its presence in Southeast Asia through its joint venture, HMC Polymers Company Limited (“HMC”), which announced today it will build a fourth Polypropylene production line at its site in Map Ta Phut, Thailand. Constructing the new unit will allow HMC to maintain domestic market share and aims to address the projected five to six percent annual demand growth for polymers in the Southeast Asia Region.
The new unit will be the most advanced unit in the world using LyondellBasell’s Spherizone production technology and will have a nameplate annual production capacity of 250 kilotons (kt).
“Asia is one of the fastest growing regions in the world, with demand for polymers boosted by expanding populations, increasing individual wealth and urbanization. LyondellBasell’s Spherizone technology will help to address those growth opportunities,” said Jim Seward, LyondellBasell Vice President, Sustainability, Technology and Joint Ventures. “Our technology provides solutions for the transportation of clean water through strong and long lasting pipes and contributes to the preservation of food through packaging and films that improve portability, extend shelf-life and prevent contamination.”
“This investment will allow us to further develop our highly differentiated range of products, benefitting also from the innovation expertise of LyondellBasell as a Joint Venture partner,” said Martyn Tickner, President of HMC Polymers. “The strong collaboration between all shareholders will ensure continued successful growth of HMC, and also maintain our ability to support our loyal base of customers as the largest PP producer in Southeast Asia.”
HMC produces polypropylene mainly for the domestic Thailand, China, Southeast Asia, Indian Subcontinent and Australian markets.
Spherizone technology allows for the production of highly differentiated polypropylene (PP) products for applications such as sewage, drainage and household fresh water pipes.
LyondellBasell is a leading licensor of polypropylene and polyethylene technologies with more than 280 polyolefin process licenses globally. HMC Polymers currently operates a Spherizone line and with this addition, HMC becomes the first company in the world with two Spherizone licenses. The polymer company also operates two additional polypropylene lines at its Map Ta Phut site using LyondellBasell’s Spheripol technology.
About LyondellBasell
LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road, and ensuring the safe and effective functionality in electronics and appliances. LyondellBasell sells products into more than 100 countries and is the world's largest producer of polymer compounds and the largest licensor of polyolefin technologies. In 2019, LyondellBasell was named to Fortune magazine’s list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies.”
