MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell, the world's largest polyolefins producer, has shut its Equistar Chemicals polypropylene (PP) plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana, following a lightning strike, reported S&P Global with reference to LyondellBasell's statement July 16.
The lightning strike occurred July 13, LyondellBasell said in a letter to customers obtained by S&P Global.
"This unforeseen event caused utilities outages and a shutdown of all plant production lines," the company said. "We are currently evaluating the overall impact to the plant and are working towards restart; however, at this time, we do not have a complete timeline for startup."
There could be an update on operations by close of business on July 20, LyondellBassell said.
The plant has nameplate capacity totaling 509,000 mt/year of PP.
A LyondellBasell spokeswoman decline further comment.
As MRC informed before, LBI reported an equipment failure at its La Porte linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) plant, which forced the company to shut down the 355,000 tons/year unit without a return schedule, according to the company's official letter to its customers on 17 June 2021.
According to MR''s ScanPlast report, PP shipments to the Russian market were 607,8900 tonnes in January-May 2021, up by 33% year on year. Shipments of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased, whereas deliveries of PP random copolymers decreased.
LyondellBasell is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its 13,000 employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, and improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road. LyondellBasell sells products into approximately 100 countries and is the world's largest licensor of polyolefin technologies.
MRC