Grace Announces Successful Start-Up of Two UNIPOL® PP Lines at Oriental Energy

Rhea-AI Summary

W. R. Grace & Co. announced the successful start-up of two 400 KTA UNIPOL® polypropylene process technology lines at Oriental Energy in Ningbo, China, increasing total capacity to over 6.3 million tons per annum. This expansion meets rising consumer demand in the region, with plans for an additional 2 million tons of capacity in the coming years. Grace's UNIPOL® PP technology offers a competitive edge in the polypropylene market, providing access to the broadest range of homopolymers and copolymers globally.

Positive

• Start-up of two new 400 KTA UNIPOL® PP lines enhances production capacity to 6.3 million tons annually.
• Rising customer demand in China supports growth in high-performance plastics market.
• Expected additional 2 million tons per annum capacity from UNIPOL® technology in the next few years.

Negative

• None.

COLUMBIA, Md., Dec. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- W. R. Grace & Co., the leading independent supplier of polyolefin catalyst technology, polypropylene (PP) process technology, and technology services, announced the successful start-up of two 400 KTA UNIPOL^® PP process technology lines at Oriental Energy in Ningbo, China. This brings the total UNIPOL^® PP operating capacity in China to more than 6.3 million tons per annum in the last twelve years making homopolymer, random and impact copolymers to serve the growing market for high performance plastics in China. As of today, we expect another 2 million tons per annum to come on stream in the next few years from UNIPOL^® PP Process Technology in China.

“The safe and successful start-up of the two UNIPOL^® PP lines at the Ningbo facility is an exciting moment for Oriental Energy. It comes at a critical time as the global economy bounces back from the pandemic and customer demand in the region rises. We are committed to our Chinese customers and look forward to supporting Oriental Energy for years to come to ensure their continued success,” said David Hartill, Vice President of Global Licensing and Services.

Mr. Wu, Yinlong, General Manager of Oriental Energy, remarked, “We appreciate the technical support that Grace provided during design, construction, and commissioning of these important PP assets. These lines are critical to our corporate vision and success in polyolefins, and we look forward to working with Grace to further optimize their performance.”

Oriental Energy currently has the largest UNIPOL^® PP process technology operating capacity in China, and there are plans to build additional polypropylene lines at their sites in Ningbo and Maoming in the coming years. They anticipate producing several grades of homopolymers, random and impact copolymers with these newest lines to meet the expanding resin requirements of their customers in the region.

About Grace’s UNIPOL^® PP Technology
UNIPOL^® PP technology provides licensees with a competitive advantage, allowing them to successfully participate in today’s highly competitive global polypropylene market. The UNIPOL^® PP technology family, with over 100 reactor lines licensed worldwide, manufacture the broadest range of PP homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers in the industry with a choice of close to 300 standard grades.

Product and economic performance is derived from the unique combination of Grace’s proprietary UNIPOL^® PP process technology, CONSISTA^® catalyst and donor systems, UNIPOL UNIPPAC^® Process Control System, and on-going global technical service & support. All UNIPOL^® PP technology licensees can take advantage of Grace’s strong, long-term commitment to ensure their success through continuous catalyst, donor, and product innovations, for the lifetime of the plant.

The UNIPOL^® PP process technology is an all gas-phase, state-of-the-art engineering design that provides mechanical and operational simplicity and delivers lower total installed cost, lower operating expense, accelerated project schedules, rapid start-ups and efficient product transitions.

The process technology, coupled with Grace’s proprietary 6^th Generation non-phthalate CONSISTA^® catalyst and donor systems, comprehensive technical services, and the UNIPOL UNIPPAC^® Process Control System provide our customers with an unparalleled advantage that enables them to achieve optimum PLANT LIFETIME PERFORMANCE™ and better business results. UNIPOL^® and UNIPOL UNIPPAC^® are trademarks of The Dow Chemical Company or an affiliated company of Dow. W. R. Grace & Co.-Conn. and/or its affiliates are licensed to use the UNIPOL^® and UNIPOL UNIPPAC^® trademarks in the area of polypropylene

Visit Grace’s website for more information about Grace polyolefin catalysts and process technology.

About Grace

Built on talent, technology, and trust, Grace, a Standard Industries company, is a global leader in specialty chemicals. The company’s two industry-leading business segments—Catalyst Technologies and Materials Technologies—provide innovative products, technologies, and services that enhance the products and processes of our customers around the world. With approximately 4,300 employees, Grace operates and/or sells to customers in over 60 countries. More information about Grace is available at grace.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, that is, information related to future, not past, events. Such statements generally include the words “expects,” “outlook,” “believes,” “plans,” “will,” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation: expected financial positions; results of operations; cash flows; competitive positions; and markets for securities. Like other businesses, Grace is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from its projections or that could cause other forward-looking statements to prove incorrect. Factors that could cause such differences include, without limitation: risks related to foreign operations, currency exchange rate changes; public health and safety concerns; natural disasters and force majeure events; changes in laws and regulations; the cost and availability of raw materials and energy; Grace’s legal and environmental proceedings; costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations (including those pertaining to climate change); cyberattacks; the economics of its customers’ industries; and shifting consumer preferences. Past results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on Grace’s forward-looking statements, which speak only as the dates originally made. Grace undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revision to the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of their publication herein.

Media Relations
Caitlin Leopold
Grace Corporate
T +1 410.531.8870 
caitlin.leopold@grace.com

FAQ

What is the significance of W. R. Grace's new UNIPOL® PP lines in Ningbo, China?

The new UNIPOL® PP lines increase production capacity to over 6.3 million tons annually, meeting heightened demand for high-performance plastics.

What are the future expansion plans for UNIPOL® PP technology in China?

There are plans to add an additional 2 million tons per annum capacity from UNIPOL® technology in the coming years.

How does UNIPOL® PP technology benefit its licensees?

UNIPOL® PP technology provides a competitive advantage with the broadest range of PP products and ongoing technical support.

What market demand is driving the expansion of W. R. Grace's operations in China?

The expansion is driven by rising customer demand for high-performance plastics as the global economy recovers from the pandemic.