Huntsman considers MDI expansion
America’s Huntsman Corporation has commenced new design and feasibility studies looking into increasing its global capacity for the manufacture of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) through investment in a new, world scale MDI plant at its site in Rozenburg, the Netherlands.
The studies, including preliminary engineering for the new unit, have already begun and a final decision is expected to be made this year, with the new 400,000 metric tons capacity unit set to come on stream by mid-2011.
The plan may also incorporate the closure of older, less efficient capacity in Europe.
"These investments are required to satisfy the sustained demand growth that we're seeing across a wide range of MDI based applications,” said Polyurethanes Division president, Tony Hankins. We anticipate that during the next decade the global MDI market will continue to grow well ahead of global GDP, at around 7-8% per year — and in Asia well above 10%. We are determined to maintain our leading position in MDI, and to ensure that we can continue to support our global customers as their markets grow."
