Unipar will expand its cumene capacity by about 100 000 tonne/year in 2007

Unipar will expand its cumene capacity by about 100 000 tonne/year in 2007, according to group president Roberto Garcia.

Following last year’s expansion of Unipar’s Capuava, Sao Paulo plant to 210 000 tonne/year, a study is under way to define the next step and the capacity could reach 300 000 tonne/year. Unipar also intends to switch to a new technology route based on zeolite catalysts.

‘We intend to complete the study as soon as possible, so that the cumene project can coincide with the Petroquimica Uniao (PQU) expansion,’ Garcia added.

PQU, in which Unipar holds a 37.5% controlling stake, supplies propylene and benzene to the cumene plant. More propylene and benzene will become available in 2007 when PQU ex­pands its ethylene capacity from 500 000 to 700 000 tonne/year.

Unipar supplies all of its cumene output to Rhodia’s phenol plant in Paulinia, Sao Paulo. Rhodia, which is Brazil’s sole phenol producer, will raise its phenol capacity to 230 000 tonne/year in 2007.

Rhodia expanded the Paulнnia phenol plant to 165 000 tonne/year last year and subsequent debottleneckings have raised the capacity to 180 000 tonne/year. The next expansion is necessary to meet rising phenol demand, particularly from the wood resins sector.

Meanwhile, PQU is studying options for the import of naphtha to feed the second stage of its ethylene expansion in Capuava, Sao Paulo state. Garcia said the company needs to diversify its feedstock options ahead of a proposed expansion of the cracker to 1.2m tonne/year in 2009.