Swedish chemical producer Perstorp continues to make progress on upgrading its caprolactone plant in Warrington, UK. The project due to be completed in the second half of 2019 entails installation of a new peracetic still as well as new reactors to permit a higher production volume and facilitate expansion and debottlenecking.

A first upgrade was undertaken in 2011 with the addition of a second train. Work on the latest phase will begin sometime this year and is not expected to interfere with ongoing production. For the most part, this will entail demolition of much of the original plant built in the 1990s and reconstruction on the same site.

At the heart of the upgrade will be the installation of a new peracetic still as well as new reactors to permit a higher production volume and facilitate expansion and debottlenecking of caprolactone, which the company uses to make its Capa-branded high molecular weight linear polyester.

Further improvement of plant safety is also a goal of the work in progress, the company said earlier, explaining that the introduction of state-of-the-art technology and information systems will mean that fewer manual interventions will be needed in future.

Stephen Lewis, vice president of the caprolactones business unit, said the Swedish company continues to see strong confidence and demand among its customers, in particular for its range of derivatives marketed under the names Capa Thermoplastics and Capa Polyols.