Singapore Expansions: Sabic opens thermoplastic resin facility; DL Chemical opens US$340 mn polyisoprene rubber plant

Chemical firm Sabic has announced the official launch of its new US$170 million Ulten resin manufacturing facility in Singapore, marking the company’s first advanced specialty chemical manufacturing facility in the region.

Though it did not specify the capacity in Singapore, the firm says it will support its goal of increasing global Ultem production by more than 50%, in response to the growing demand from high-tech and manufacturing industries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan and China.

Sabic adds the facility will cater to the automotive, healthcare, and telecommunications sectors through application of high-performance Ultem resin.

Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the new Singapore facility reinforces SABIC’s commitment to localise a reliable supply of high performance materials that support complex and demanding supply chain requirements.

Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said, “The opening of Sabic’s new facility underscores Singapore’s role as a gateway to Asia and a leading hub for the chemicals industry.”

Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, CEO, Sabic said, “We’re excited to leverage Sabic’s advanced manufacturing capabilities to produce one of the world’s most advanced plastics in Singapore. The Ultem resin facility reflects our long-term commitment to the region’s high-tech economies and advanced manufacturing sectors, supporting the growth of advanced applications. Singapore’s widely networked trade agreements also provides us with competitive access to markets in the region.”

DL Chemical opens polyisoprene facility in Singapore to cater to surgical gloves

In other news, South Korea’s DL Chemical, a unit of the petrochemical-to-construction conglomerate DL Group, has announced the completion and commencement of commercial operations at what it says is the world’s largest polyisoprene latex plant on Jurong Island, Singapore. It is also Singapore’s first polyisoprene latex plant, and marks a significant milestone in the company's strategic expansion into the medical devices market.

The new plant, constructed by its Singapore subsidiary Cariflex Pte Ltd with an investment of US$340 million, spans 61,000 sq m within the Jurong Island chemical complex. This facility will produce Cariflex polyisoprene latex, for manufacturing surgical gloves.

Cariflex was acquired by DL Chemical in 2020 for US$530 million from US firm Kraton. It is the only company globally that manufactures anionic catalyst-based synthetic rubber and latex, known for its purity and transparency.

DL Chemical's investment in the new plant is a proactive response to the growing global demand for high-quality medical materials.

Cariflex's polyisoprene rubber latex is a synthetic, water-based polymer latex, suitable for a wide range of high-value applications such as surgical gloves, condoms and rubber stoppers.

It adds that discussions are already underway to enhance and expand production facilities, ensuring that DL Chemical can meet the increasing market needs.

The strategic location of the new plant on Jurong Island, a significant industrial hub in Singapore, offers numerous advantages, such as infrastructure and proximity to key markets in Asia, making it an ideal location for chemical production.

DL Chemical is the world’s largest maker of polybutene (PB), a raw material for lubricants, adhesives and electrical insulators. DL also produces polyethylene used in packaging film, plastic bags and laminates.

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