INEOS Styrolution Plans to Expand Production of ABS/ ASA at Altamira Plant

Germany: INEOS Styrolution, a global leading supplier of styrene monomer and copolymer products, plans to expand production facilities at its Altamira plant. The company manufactures a wide range of acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) products at its existing plant. The company aims to increase its ABS/ASA production capacity by 20,000 metric tons, which would lead to expand its overall copolymer production capacity to 180,000 metric tonnes at Altamira plant. This strategic expansion by the company would help company to maintain its competitiveness in the global market.  

TechSci Research depicts that the expansion of styrene copolymer plant by the company would increase the product range of the company and help to cater the growing demand for styrene copolymer across various downstream applications, which in turn would increase the demand for benzene as a pre-requisite for styrene production.

According to the recently published report by TechSci Research, “Global Benzene Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2020”, global benzene market is expected to surpass 46MMT by 2020 on account of continuously increasing demand from various industries using benzene derivatives in their manufacturing processes. Shale gas evolution in the US has increased the availability of ethane, which is a light feedstock used for cracking process. The use of lighter feedstock is hampering the yield of benzene and leading to a tight demand/supply scenario in the global market, due to which the market has become highly competitive and all major players are investing in R&D to improve the quality and properties of the product.