Grupa Azoty Starts New PP Plant in Poland
Polish chemicals and plastics producer Grupa Azoty has started up what it says is the first new polypropylene plant to be built in Europe in 15 years, while also realizing one of the largest investments in the European chemical industry.
The facility at Police on the Oder River in northwest Poland, which costs more than 7.2 billion zloty (€1.63 billion) to build, will be capable of producing 437,000 t/y of PP and 429,000 t/y of propylene feedstock when it reaches full run.
Azoty has licensed the Oleflex technology of Honeywell UOP to make the polymer-grade propylene through propane dehydrogenation (PDH) and the Unipol technology of W.R. Grace to produce the PP. Marketing of the PP under the Gryfilene brand is due to begin in August
An added feature of the new production complex, the company said, is a gas terminal with handling and storage infrastructure for sourcing feedstock by sea, as well as numerous unspecified auxiliary systems.
Managing board president Tomasz Hinc said the start-up “significantly strengthens” Azoty’s position in the European market, adding that “Poland will join the group of leaders in the production of this plastic in Europe.”
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the plant’s output will help the country to reduce its trade deficit for chemical products, which currently hovers around 18 billion zloty (€4 billion).
Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist
