India expansions: SI Group expands tackifier capacity; Indorama Ventures increases capacity in Nagpur plant

Additives firm SI Group is to increase tackifier resin capacity at its Lote, India, manufacturing site by an expected 75%. The expansion will propel the site to become a regional hub for tackifier resin production and technology.

The investment addresses an increasing demand for Novolac tackifiers in one of its core regions. The expansion is slated for completion in two phases. The first phase will be completed by the end of 2021 and the second phase will commercialise in the latter half of 2022.

“We have decided to grow capacity as another step forward in demonstrating our commitment to supporting our customers’ growth and positioning ourselves as a leader in specialty additives,” said Robert Kaiser, Vice President - Rubber & Adhesives Solutions at SI Group. “This expansion will not only benefit the region’s supply, but it will also provide superior solutions at the highest reliability to our customers globally.”

“This investment positions SI Group to supply regional growth and meet strong forecasts within the Indian tyres & automobile sector,” stated Suresh Kalra, Vice President & Managing Director India at SI Group. He further said that these investments will strengthen the position of our customers and India’s Rubber Industry moving forward.

SI Group has a long history of manufacturing tackifier resins used to enhance the performance and durability of tyres. In addition to tackifier resins, the company also has a portfolio of antidegradants and bonding, curing, and reinforcing resins manufactured globally. This expansion follows the company’s previous announcements to also expand resin capacity in Nanjing, China, and Bethune, France.

In other news, Indorama Ventures’s subsidiary Indo Rama Synthetics (India) Limited (IRSL) will spend up to US$82 million upgrading equipment and adding capacity at its manufacturing site in Nagpur, India. The capital expenditure plan includes a new PET resin manufacturing facility, additional balancing equipment, and a large range of specialty yarns, further strengthening IRSL’s ability to serve clients across the country.

India is a strategic market for Thailand-headquartered Indorama, where the company operates all three of its global integrated business segments – Combine PET, Fibres, and Integrated Oxides and Derivatives (IOD). It adds that it has continually developed its PET resin business in India since 2016 through IVL Dhunseri Petrochem Industries Private Limited (IDPIPL), a joint venture with Dhunseri Ventures Limited.

The new PET resin facility at Nagpur will add 700 tonnes/day of capacity and is expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2022. Together with plants at Haldia and Karnal, the Nagpur facility further strengthens Indorama’s position as India’s largest resin producer, with a total capacity of over 1 million tonnes/year. With three manufacturing locations across the country, Indorama serves customers throughout India.

The plant at Nagpur, which Indorama has managed since 2019, is also the company’s first fibre manufacturing site in India, offering a wide range of staple fibres and filament yarns. Under the investment plan, it will meet global brands’ increasing demand for more high-quality and sustainable textile products.

(PRA)

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