Global pricing briefs from Polymerupdate.com 5374

Polymerupdate (www.polymerupdate.com) reports that Korea’s Hanwha Chemicals has decided to concentrate its efforts towards production of specialty grade polyethylene (PE) going forward. Hanwha sources said naphtha prices prompted the shift away from commodity-grade polymers. The company operates a 285,000 tonnes/yr low-density PE plant and a 355,000 tonne/yr linear low-density PE plant in Yeosu. Output of both products will be reduced as Hanwha shifts production to specialty-grade PE.

In additional news, Polymerupdate has learned that a Polimeri Europa LDPE unit in Ferrara, Italy was idled starting Dec. 7. The 115,000 tonne/yr line has been affected by a continuing strike at Porto Marghera, which supplies monomer to Ferrara, with production expected to have resumed by Dec. 13. The strike has also affected operations at Polimeri’s 420,000 tonne/yr cracker.

In addition, Polymerupdate reports that a power outage at Polimeri’s Porto Torres, Sardinia based high-density PE plant is over, bringing back online 150,000 tonnes/yr of production capacity. A force majeure, however, remains in force on an LDPE unit of the company located at Brindisi, Italy, idling production capacity of 240,000 tonnes/yr since Sept. 18. Partial production resumed on Oct. 22.