Construction on the project, which was considered the largest of its kind in the Americas, started in October 2017 and completed in June 2020, employing some 1,300 contractors. Braskem has created 50 new jobs to support the plant’s long-term production.

“Our investment of $750 million in the largest PP production line in the Americas and in the first new PP plant in North America since 2008 reflects our permanent commitment to meeting the needs of our clients now and in the future,” said Mark Nikolich, CEO of Braskem America. “With the startup of our new global export center in Charleston, South Carolina, we will dramatically expand our capacity to serve clients throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia.”

Alexandre Elias, Braskem’s PP director for North America, added that the new PP capacity has gone online just when the country’s industry most needed it. He commented: “The market has been adapting to the pandemic and demand in North America already has returned to pre-pandemic levels.”

In June 2020, Braskem announced the development of its new global export center in Charleston, South Carolina, which will have capacity to support export shipments of up to 204,000 t of PP and specialized polymers to its customers around the world. Design and development are already in the advanced stages.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist