Lead Feature

Inspiring ideas to be born in Asia

Officially opened in March this year, the 27,000 sq m facility houses analytical and testing laboratory equipment and commercial-scale product processing equipment, including blown and cast film extrusion, injection moulding and compounding. The STC is the company's third regional technology centre. The other two are located in Brussels, Belgium, and in Texas, US.

Speaking to PRA in May this year, Jeffrey Beck, Global Marketing Manager, Polyethylene, said the STC comes at an opportune time to provide support to customers, since there has been an uptake of the company's Vistamaxx propylene-based elastomers and Enable and Exceed metallocene polyethylene (mPE) resins in the Asian region.

"With its equipment and people, the centre is a hallmark of ExxonMobil's quality. It incorporates development equipment that will enable us to add value to our customers' businesses and allow applications to be introduced faster," said Beck.

He also said that the engineers and scientists at the STC will provide a range of services. "This could involve developing known applications using our current slate of products. Or it could involve offering customers cutting-edge solutions by developing innovative applications based on next generation products, specifically tailored to the local markets in Asia."

From a regional perspective, ExxonMobil anticipates Asia will grow twice as fast as the developed economies of North America and Western Europe and it is here that it expects STC's advanced capabilities "to give customers even greater support and help tailor solutions to meet their needs."

To harness the attributes of its polymer solutions, ExxonMobil will rely on the STC as an important element of working with customers, according to Beck. "It has market facing resources as well as the technology support. Customers will be able to use the facility to test their products," he added.

The STC also adds on to the global network of technology centres that contribute to customer success in improved product performance, enhanced process reliability and output, lower raw material consumption and reduced time to market, says ExxonMobil.

Another factor of importance is that the company intends to produce its polymer solutions, such as the mPEs, at its second petrochemical project in Singapore. In view of the growth, it is also doubling the size of the existing complex and pumping up its capacity for both commodity and speciality plastics to 2.5 million tonnes/year.

The start-up of the units will occur in phases and when completed the plant will be ExxonMobil's largest integrated complex globally. It includes a world-scale steam cracker and associated derivative units, such as the PE, PP and speciality elastomers plants, an aromatics extraction unit and oxo alcohol expansion. Future expansion will also be dedicated to Vistamaxx elastomers.

According to Beck, "The supply to come on-stream in Singapore is another testament of our long-term commitment to the region. The complex offers diversity with its range of products and will allow us to grow applications with the supply."

He also affirmed ExxonMobil as a "supplier of choice" in the region that is able to offer resources such as the STC and the supply of polymers.