PP Expansions: Grace licenses PP tech to India’s BPCL; LyondellBasell expands PP compounding output in China

Supplier of PP process technology W. R. Grace & Co has announced that India’s Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), the second largest Indian oil marketing company, has expanded its licenses for Grace’s Unipol PP process technology. BPCL will implement the technology using Consista catalysts on a new 400 kilotonne/year-reactor unit in Kochi, Kerala, India, and a 550 kilotonnes/year reactor unit in Bina, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Thomas Deman, President, Specialty Catalysts, Supply Chain and Procurement, Grace, said: “These two new licenses are evidence of the value BPCL derives from working with Grace. Our process technology and catalysts will enable them to produce a wide range of high-quality polypropylene resins, and our expertise will help optimize their reactors to meet the growing demand taking place in India. Grace is proud to support BPCL.”

With more than 33 million tons of global licensed production capacity and more than 4,500 KTA in India, Grace is a leading global licensor of polypropylene process technology. Fully recyclable, the high-performance polypropylene resins produced using UNIPOL^® PP process technology are ubiquitous and can be found in automotive parts, packaging, and consumer goods.

Bharat Petroleum’s Refineries at Mumbai, Kochi and Bina have a combined refining capacity of around 35.3 million tonnes/year. Its marketing infrastructure includes a network of installations, depots, energy stations, aviation service stations and LPG distributors.

In other news, chemical firm LyondellBasell (LYB) has announced the start-up of an additional production line at the Dalian site of its Advanced Polymer Solutions (APS) business, further expanding its presence in China. The new production line will produce a wide range of PP compounds, mainly supplying the automotive industry. As the second production line at the Dalian site, with an annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes, the new production line will double the site's current production capacity, enhancing the company’s ability to meet the growing market demand.

“The global automotive industry is experiencing rapid growth and transformation, especially in the new energy vehicle sector, and China has emerged as a significant player in this market,” said Torkel Rhenman, Executive Vice President Advanced Polymer Solutions of LyondellBasell. “With a renewed focus on value creation and speed to market supported by our dedicated teams, APS is positioned to excel in this dynamic market with the additional capacity of a comprehensive portfolio and innovative products.”

“The start-up of the new production line marks another milestone in our ongoing commitment to China market,” said Rolf van Beeck, Vice President of Advanced Polymer Solutions APAC and AfMEI of LyondellBasell. “We see great opportunities to accelerate the growth of our business here, and we keep investing in this market. We will continue to provide best-in-class products and services to our customers while promoting circularity through collaborations and our Circulen portfolio.”

Established in 2015, the Dalian site can produce 80,000 tonnes of PP compounded products at full capacity with four production lines, suppling to end applications including bumpers, instrument panels, interior trims, under-the-hood applications or structural parts and body panels for the automotive industry. Currently, the APS business operates five sites in China, with a portfolio of PP compounding, engineered plastics and masterbatch products.

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