— By Plasteurope.com staff — 

By the end of 2025, Olin (Clayton, Missouri, USA; www.olin.com) and Mitsui Chemicals (Tokyo, Japan; www.mitsuichemicals.com) plan to dissolve their trading joint venture, Blue Water Alliance (Houston, Texas, USA; www.bluewateralliance.com), the companies announced. According to Olin, the move is part of its strategy to take a more active role in the PVC value chain. Nevertheless, both companies intend to remain open to collaborating on “strategic opportunities” in future.

Blue Water currently markets caustic soda, potassium hydroxide, and the PVC precursor ethylene dichloride (EDC) globally, primarily from Olin’s production surpluses. However, Olin says it is now considering the construction of its own PVC production facilities in the US and has already begun supplying Kem One with EDC for PVC production in anticipation. As a result, the company plans to increasingly use this material internally, according to Deon Carter, head of the relevant business unit.

Related: PVC precursors: Olin declares FM for plant in Texas due to Hurricane Beryl

Olin supplies Kem One with competitively priced EDC, which the French PVC producer converts into PVC and ships to the US – where Olin has been marketing it under its own brand since spring. However, several more years are likely to pass before Olin’s potential production site in Freeport, Texas, becomes operational.