Ineos expands acetate production at Hull

SWISS chemical giant Ineos has announced an undisclosed “multi-million pound investment” to increase production of ethyl acetate (EtAc) by 100,000 t/y at its Ineos Oxide-operated facility in Hull, UK.

The company says the Salt End plant in Hull is already operating at full capacity to meet demand for EtAc use in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, inks and flexible packaging. The expansion is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Ineos also announced a US$1bn investment decision to import US shale gas to its petrochemicals plant in Grangemouth, Scotland. A pipeline linking the plants at Grangemouth and Hull means the Salt End site will be able to use ethylene produced from shale gas as its main feedstock.

Ineos Oxide says this decision is the first major UK investment to be made following the UK vote to leave the EU.

Jim Ratcliffe, chairman of Ineos, said: “We believe in [UK] manufacturing and will support it wherever we can.”

Ineos is the largest producer of EtAc, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide in Europe and expects demand to stay strong over the long term.