Mitsui Chemicals expands PP compound capacity

Japanese petrochemical producer Mitsui Chemicals is expanding its global production capacity of polypropylene (PP) compounds as it looks to meet rising demand from the automotive industry.

Mitsui Chemicals has expanded PP compound production capacity at subsidiaries in three countries, adding two production lines in the US in June, one line in India in May and one in Mexico this month. It has also added capacity in the EU at original equipment manufacturers. The additions have boosted its global capacity by 5pc, to 1.05mn t/yr from 1mn t/yr.

Mitsui Chemicals said it has added 30,000 t/yr of capacity in the Americas, 15,000 t/yr in Asia and 5,000 t/yr in the EU, but did not give specific details. It has a target to increase capacity to 1.15mn t/yr by the end of March 2021.

Mitsui Chemical group companies have eight production bases for automotive PP compounds, in Japan, the US, Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, China, India and the EU.