Ineos to Restart US Acrylonitrile Plant

Ineos Nitriles will restart production of acrylonitrile in Green Lake, Texas, USA. Citing the advantaged feedstock position of the US and growing global demand, the company said it has decided to reinstate its fourth reactor at the site with a capacity of 100,000 t/y. However, it did not reveal when the capacity would come back online.

Despite extremely tough market conditions, Ineos Nitriles said it was convinced that a combination of long-term advantaged US propylene, world leading technology and economies of scale would ensure the plant could compete globally.

Gordon Adams, Ineos Nitriles’ commercial director, said the addition of significant production in China had forced world acrylonitrile operating rates down to below 80%, their lowest level since 2008.

The company operates four acrylonitrile plants, two in the US (Texas and Ohio) and two in Europe (Germany and the UK). Once the Green Lake capacity has been reinstated, Ineos Nitriles will have a total acrylonitrile capacity of 545,000 t/y.