The new LDPE plant at Plaquemine, Louisiana / USA started up by DowDuPont (Midland, Michigan / USA; www.dow-dupont.com) earlier this year has now reached full run, chief financial officer, Howard Ungerleider, said in a conference call with analysts to present results for Q1 2018. The facility, which according to Plasteurope.com’s Polyglobe database (www.polyglobe.net) will produce 350,000 t/y of the group’s “Agility” brand resin, is one of 14 new petrochemical units already in operation on the US Gulf coast or due to be commissioned by US- and foreign-based global players over the next year and a half – see Plasteurope.com of 30.08.2013 and 20.06.2017. From 2020, these will be complemented by eight new shale gas-derived ethane crackers as the region’s shale boom gathers additional force.

Ungerleider, who will be CFO of the new Dow when it starts life as a standalone company in mid-2019, said DowDuPont is on track to complete the debottleneck of its bimodal gas phase HDPE plant at St. Charles, Louisiana, by mid-2018. This will add 125,000 t/y of capacity. The new 320,000 t/y EPDM plant at Freeport, Texas, is scheduled to be on stream by year’s end.