PET film manufacturer Mitsubishi Polyester Film (MPF, Wiesbaden / Germany; www.m-petfilm.com) said it is increasing its production capacity at its Wiesbaden site. Around EUR 110m is being invested in a new BOPET line – the fifth at the plant – and it is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2024. The manufacturer of this large-scale system, with a capacity of 27,000 t/y, was not disclosed.

According to Mitsubishi, the polyester film market in Europe is growing by around 5% annually. Parent company Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC, Tokyo / Japan; www.m-chemical.co.jp) decided to make this investment because demand is expected to continue in the future. Mitsubishi Chemical’s polyester film division manufactures at five locations worldwide – Japan, China, Indonesia, the US and Germany.

Mitsubishi Polyester Film, currently produces 50,000 t of polyester films for various applications. Its “Hostaphan” film, for example, is used in the automotive sector and for medical applications. The company employs around 560 people and achieved a turnover of EUR 154m in 2020.

The plant planned in Wiesbaden is already the third investment Mitsubishi has made polyester film in a short period of time. In 2018, a new BOPET plant was installed in the US state of South Carolina, and in 2022 a new BOPET plant is expected to go on stream in Indonesia.