Formosa Plastics to Expand PVC Production in Louisiana

Indicating strong continued demand for PVC, Formosa Plastics Corp. USA is again expanding its PVC plant in Baton Rouge, LA.

“This substantial investment will significantly boost our facility’s capacity, allowing us to better meet the growing demands of our customers,” the company said in a press release that provided no specifics about the new production capacity expected. 

The project is expected to create an unspecified number of jobs in the Baton Rouge area, as well as help Formosa “handle larger production volumes and manage peak demand periods more efficiently.”

Formosa has expanded PVC production twice at the plant, according to the company’s website. The facility operates one of the northern-most docking facilities on the Mississippi River and produces its own feedstock materials, electricity, and steam, the site notes. Formosa has operated the plant since 1981.

In August 2019, Formosa announced a $332 million expansion at the plant that was to add 15 employees to the 230 already working there. With three units making PVC, at the time, PVC production after that expansion was to jump 300 million pounds annually — a 20% increase in capacity. Construction on that expansion was to begin in 2020 and end in 2022. 

“Louisiana is one of only a few areas uniquely qualified with the resources and infrastructure to support our industry, allowing us to diversify our production across our locations, further adding to the reliability of supply for our customers,” said Plant Manager Paul Heurtevant about the previous expansion.

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