Celanese Corp. (Irving, Tex.; www.celanese.com) announced that it will expand acetic acid and vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) capacity in North America.
Celanese will implement a series of low-capital debottlenecks in its Clear Lake, Tex., acetic acid facility and expects up to 150,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) more product. The current nameplate capacity of the facility is 1.35 million m.t./yr. The debottlenecks will happen in stages over the next several years with the expectation that total U.S. output will have a nameplate capacity of more than 1.5 million m.t./yr by 2016.
Celanese has also begun work on a 150,000-m.t./yr expansion of its Clear Lake, Tex., VAM facility raising plant capacity to 450,000 m.t./yr – making it the largest and most efficient VAM plant in the world. The expansion will be complete in 2018.
“Today’s announcement leverages Celanese’s leading acetyl technologies and exhibits our continued commitment to innovation and productivity in the Acetyl Chain. To have the ability to add incremental capacity as industry growth dictates, and do it with a nominal capital outlay, is a great tool and the hallmark of our industry leadership position,” remarked Pat Quarles, president of Acetyl Chain and Integrated Supply Chain for Celanese.