Basell to stop producing polypropylene in Varennes, Quebec in 2008
Basell announced that it will stop producing polypropylene at its Varennes, Quebec site in April 2008. The plant is expected to continue normal operations until the time it ceases production.
Michael Mulrooney, president of Basell North America, said, "Basell has been present in Varennes for thirty years, so this was not an easy decision. Although the initial slurry technology was replaced at Varennes in the late 1980s with a single Spheripol process plant, as a stand alone site with small capacity, the operating costs are no longer competitive."
This past June, Basell announced that it would also stop producing polypropylene at its Sarnia, Ontario site in mid-2008.
Basell currently operates two polypropylene lines in Bayport, Texas and is in the process of re-starting a third line at that site. The company also has two polypropylene lines in Lake Charles, Louisiana. All of these units use Spheripol process technology. Basell's joint venture in Mexico, Indelpro, operates a Spheripol process line and is building a new 350 KT Spherizone polypropylene plant at Altamira which is scheduled to start up in early 2008.
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