Borealis

For the natural light display in the Northern Hemisphere known as Aurora Borealis, see Aurora (astronomy).

Borealis AG is Europe's second largest producer of plastics and is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.

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Overview

Borealis AG is an international company with 40 years of experience in producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) solutions for the infrastructure, automotive and advanced packaging market sectors. Its plastics are converted by customers into everyday products such as food packaging, medical devices, diapers, energy and communication cables, water and sanitation distribution pipes and automotive parts.

Borealis is owned 64% by the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi and 36% by OMV, the Austrian oil and natural gas group.

With EUR 5.7 billion revenue in sales in 2006 and 4,500 employees, Borealis is headquartered in Vienna and operates primarily in Europe, with manufacturing operations in Belgium, Central Europe (Austria and Germany), Finland and Sweden. It also operates special compounding units in Brazil, Italy and the USA, three innovation centres in Europe, and customer service centres across Europe.

Though Borealis’ core products are polyolefins, the collective name for PE and PP, it also produces hydrocarbons, namely ethylene, propylene and phenol. With the acquisition of Agrolinz Melamine International (AMI), the company is expanding its product portfolio to include melamine and plant nutrients.

The company’s strategy is Value Creation through Innovation and its values are Responsibility, Respect, Exceed and Nimblicity™, a unique term that is a fusion of nimbleness, simplicity and flexibility.

The company has a reputable safety record and was rewarded in 2005 with the DuPont Safety Award for the impact safety had made on its business since 2001, at which time it initiated a step-change in safety programme.

Key markets

Infrastructure

Pipe systems

Together with its joint venture Borouge, Borealis is the leading global supplier of advanced polyolefin plastics solutions for the pipe industry. Applications cover water and gas distribution, waste and sewage disposal, chemical and industrial projects, in-house plumbing and heating as well as oil & gas exploration and transport.

Energy and communication cables

As a leading provider of polyolefin compounds for the global wire and cable industry, Borealis solutions are widely used in low, medium and high voltage energy transmission and distribution cables, in data and communication cables and in building and automotive wires.

Automotive

Borealis provides a wide range of plastics solutions to the automotive industry that are used for dashboards, door side claddings, front ends, air vent systems, bumpers and under-body shieldings. These solutions are at the leading edge in areas such as zero gap applications for bumpers, off-line painted body panels and scratch resistant materials for car interiors and exteriors.

Advanced packaging

Borealis polyolefins are used for applications such as healthcare, courier bags, food packaging, flexible and rigid transport packaging, bottles, crates, boxes, trays, large containers and pallets.

The company also provides solutions for other market sectors including health and hygiene, agriculture and fishing as well as appliances and houseware.

Base Chemicals

Phenol and acetone

Phenol and acetone are produced at Borealis' facility located in Finland and are sold mainly to the adhesive, fibre, epoxy resin and polycarbonate industries in northern Europe. Phenol is used in adhesives, construction materials, carpets, CDs, DVDs, mobile phones and household appliances. Acetone is commonly used in solvents for paints, acrylics, fibres and pharmaceuticals.

Melamine and plant nutrients

Agrolinz Melamine International (AMI) was recently consolidated into Borealis. This new partnership will allow Borealis to diversify its product offering to include the melamine and plant nutrient business markets. AMI, an international provider of melamine (used to treat flooring and furniture for resistance to wear and tear) and plant nutrients, is the melamine market leader in Europe.

Borstar proprietary technology

Borealis’ proprietary Borstar technology is built on process and catalyst technology development and is a focal point of the company’s innovation programme. The company uses this technology to design molecular structured materials to meet customers’ specific needs. Borstar PE and PP capacity expansion in both Europe and the Middle East is a core ingredient of the company’s strategy.

Joint venture Borouge

Borouge is Borealis’ joint venture with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Its facility in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi (UAE) produces Borstar PE products for the infrastructure (pipe, wire and cable) and advanced packaging markets. Borouge is the exclusive provider of the entire Borealis product line throughout the Middle East and Asia.

Officially opened in October 2002, this production facility is home to the first Borstar facility in the Middle East and Asia and hosts a 600,000 t/y cracker as well as two Borstar bimodal PE lines that produce up to 600,000 t/y.

Borouge 2, scheduled for start-up in 2010, will triple Borouge’s production capacity to 2 million t/y of Borstar polyolefins and will include PP production for the first time in Ruwais.