Total Petrochemicals Will Shut Down a 200 Million Pound Per Year Polystyrene Unit

Total Petrochemicals USA Inc. announced Nov. 11 that it will permanently shut down a 200 million pound per year polystyrene unit at its Carville, La., styrenics site. The line has been idle since the second half of 2010. “The balance of supply and demand in North American polystyrene has shifted over the last decade,” said Stan Beisert, the company’s vice president of styrenics, in a news release. “While we remain committed to styrenics, this unit is no longer viable given current market conditions.” The company said it will improve the efficiency of its other PS units, which currently have nameplate capacity of 1.45 billion pounds annually. Houston-based Total said it believes it has sufficient capacity to meet demand for PS resin over the next few years. Source: plasticsnews.com