Shintech, US subsidiary of Japanese PVC producer Shin-Etsu Chemical – the world’s largest player – has finally started up its long planned 500,000 t/y ethane cracker at its site in Plaquemine, Louisiana, USA, near Baton Rouge.

Start-up of the facility, which will take advantage of the abundant shale gas reserves in the US Gulf region, was announced by Toyo, the Japanese contractor that handled engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) for the project.

Lummus Technology US provided the ethylene process technologies for the cracker, which will supply captive feedstock to the site’s planned VCM and PVC production, further back-integrating the site’s infrastructure

The US cracker was initially expected to go on stream in 2018, but was delayed without comment. Commissioning has been in progress for nearly a year, according to reports that have emerged in dribbles.

Two years ago, Shintec also announced it would also build plants to produce 860,000 t/y of VCM and 660,000 t/y of caustic soda at the Louisiana complex. The first phase, to cost $1.49 billion, is would increase capacity for PVC by 290,000 t/y and for caustic soda by 270,000t/y, lifting the US company’s total capacity to 3.24 million t/y and 1.57 million t/y, respectively.

At the time, construction of the downstream facilities was expected to be completed by the end of 2020. Shintec has not announced any further details of the project’s progress.