INEOS (Rolle, Switzerland; www.ineos.com) announced that INEOS Oxide is embarking on a multi-million pound expansion of its Hull manufacturing facility to increase production of ethyl acetate (EtAc) by 100,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr). It is expected that the additional capacity will be available by the end of next year.
EtAc is in high demand for use in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, inks and flexible packaging and the Hull plant is already at full capacity. This new investment will enable the company to continue to serve customers across Europe for many years to come.
Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS founder and chairman, says, “We believe in British manufacturing and will support it wherever we can. Our Hull plant is at capacity and this extra investment will enable us to significantly increase production that we will sell all over Europe and across the world.”
The Hull site will also benefit from INEOS’ $1-billion decision to import U.S. shale gas to Scotland. A pipeline linking INEOS’ petrochemicals plant at Grangemouth with INEOS Oxide in Hull means the site will be able to use ethylene produced from imported US shale gas, as its main raw material.
Graham Beesley, CEO INEOS Oxide adds, “We are the largest producer of EtAC in Europe and we are about to get a lot bigger. Growth in demand for our products is strong and this investment will support our customers’ needs over the long term”
The Hull plant was originally built with expansion in mind and so the project should be completed quickly with very good cost economics. It will also benefit from easy logistical access to Europe and the global market, supporting both import of raw material, and export of EtAc.