German PVC producer Vinnolit has announced plans to expand capacities for chlorine and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) at its site in Gendorf.

The company, which has been part of the US Westlake Group since July 2014, will implement ThyssenKrupp Uhde’s energy-efficient single-element membrane technology at the chlorine plant, which currently has a capacity of 180,000 t/y. At the same time, Vinnolit will expand VCM capacity in two steps through 2021.

"With the expansion, we are strengthening our value chain in the Bavarian Chemical Triangle. This strengthens our competitiveness and is also a strong signal of our parent company Westlake Chemical for growth in Europe," said Vinnolit’s managing director, Karl-Martin Schellerer. He added that the expansion is also aimed at better balancing its regional capacities and reducing VCM shipments.

The Gendorf plant supplies chlorine and VCM to its on-site PVC plant as well as to its other German plants in Knapsack, Burghausen and Cologne. Vinnolit additionally operates a membrane chlorine plant at Knapsack with a capacity of 250,000 t/y.