New world-class HP plant is serving mainly as dedicated raw material source for propylene oxide production Solvay announced today that MTP HPJV (Thailand) Ltd, its hydrogen peroxide joint venture with The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), has successfully commissioned the largest hydrogen peroxide (HP) plant in the world.
The production process of the new plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, is based on Solvay’s proprietary, high- yield hydrogen peroxide technology that enables such unique, large-scale plants to benefit from advantages in both specific investment and production costs. Solvay’s HP technology also brings significant environmental advantages such as reductions in energy consumption and in waste water.
The plant has a capacity of over 330,000 tons per year of hydrogen peroxide at 100% concentration and serves mainly as a captive raw material source for the manufacture of propylene oxide (PO) by Dow and Siam Cement Group (SCG). Propylene oxide is primarily used to produce propylene glycol, polyurethanes and glycol ethers. It is the second world-scale HP plant dedicated to PO production, the first being the 230,000 tons HP plant (Antwerp, Belgium) commissioned at the end of 2008, which serves a Dow and BASF HPPO plant.
Producing PO with HP offers unique and sizeable economic and environmental benefits compared with conventional propylene oxide production technologies. Although primarily constructed to provide HP for the Dow/SCG HPPO plant, up to a quarter of the new HP plant’s production will also be supplied to Solvay Peroxythai Limited (SPX).
SPX is the leading manufacturer of HP in South-East Asia and for over 20 years has been supplying products throughout the Asian region including unique, high purity grades to the food and electronic industries. This new project at Map Ta Phut will allow SPX to more than double its current capacity, consolidating its industry leadership in the region and offering greater long-term security of supply for its customers.
“This new world-class plant gives Solvay the means to bring its Hydrogen Peroxide business to a significantly higher level within this fast growing region and consolidate its position as technology leader”,
said Eric Mignonat, General Manager Strategic Development Unit Essential Chemicals at Solvay.
“We look forward to serving the very dynamic market and customers”,
he added.
SOLVAY is an international chemical Group committed to sustainable development with a clear focus on innovation and operational excellence. Its recent acquisition of specialty chemicals company Rhodia created a much larger player which is realizing over 90% of its sales in markets where it is among the top 3 global leaders. Solvay offers a broad range of products that contribute to improving quality of life and its customers’ performance in markets such as consumer goods, construction, automotive, energy, water and environment and electronics.
The Group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 30,000 people in 55 countries and generated EUR 12 billion in sales (pro forma) in 2010. Solvay SA is listed on NYSE Euronext (SOLB.BE – Bloomberg: SOLB.BB – Reuters: SOLBt.BR).
Solvay is an international industrial Group active in Chemistry, offering a broad range of products and solutions that contribute to improving quality of life.
The Group is headquartered in Brussels and employs worldwide about 30,000 people.
In 2010, its consolidated sales amounted to EUR 12 billion (pro forma).
The Group has three Sectors of activity:
SOLVAY Chemicals is the world’s largest producer of essential chemicals such as soda ash, hydrogen peroxide and sodium bicarbonate. It is also a global leader in specialty products such as fluorinated chemicals.
SOLVAY Chemicals had sales of EUR 3.0 billion in 2010.
SOLVAY Plastics is a leading world producer of specialty polymers and vinyls and has the widest plastics range available.
SOLVAY Plastics had sales of EUR 3.8 billion in 2010.
SOLVAY Rhodia is a world leader in the development and production of specialty chemicals and provides added-value products and high-performance solutions to diversified markets, including automotive, electronics, flavors and fragrances, health, personal and home care, consumer goods and industrial.
Rhodia had sales of EUR 5.2 billion in 2010.
