Celanese has announced plans to expand and debottleneck capacities for vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) and acetic acid across its global network.

The Dallas-headquartered group will expand VAM production at Clear Lake, Texas, USA, adding 150,000 t/y by the fourth quarter of 2018. The project will lift total capacity to 450,000 t/y, making it the largest and most efficient VAM plant in the world, Celanese said.

In addition, a series of debottlenecking projects will be implemented at its other VAM and acetic acid plants located around the world, although Celanese did not give specific details. In total, another 140,000 t/y of acetic acid and 150,000 t/y of VAM will be added through 2020, using Celanese’s new generation AOPlus acetic acid and VAntagePlus VAM proprietary technologies.

Celanese said the projects will help it meet demand growth through 2020. Investment costs were not revealed.

The company added that it is also in the initial stages of a debottlenecking project across its POM production lines to support the continued growth in its engineering materials business. Scott Sutton, Celanese’s chief operating officer, said the debottlenecking will support a growing customer base and respond to the increasing complexity in high-performance polymers.

The first phase of the project is due for completion in 2020, with phase two to be completed shortly afterwards. No further details were given in relation to plant locations and capacities.

In separate news, the US group said it will expand capacity for its GUR ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in Nanjing, China. A new production line with a capacity of about 15,000 t/y will be added by 2019 in order to meet rising demand for UHMWPE in sheet, profile and filter markets as well as in lithium-ion battery separators for electric vehicles. Celanese puts demand growth in the range of 20-30% per year, adding that most processors of the plastic are located in China