The project, now under way, will give Supreme its first EPS capacity at Nagothane. The existing complex already can produce nearly 600 million pounds of PS annually.
A business development team also is being readied for EPS marketing, said Supreme’s senior general manager, Sharad Parate. The firm is accelerating its expansion into EPS since it took over control of Chennai, India-based Shin Ho Petrochemical (India) Ltd.
“We are already doubling the Chennai plant capacity to 26.5 million pounds by this coming March,” Parate said during the Society of Plastics Engineers conference, held Dec. 7-8 in India. He added that Shin Ho’s name changed to SPL Polymers Ltd. after Supreme took charge in April.
The firm has the ability to double EPS capacity at the Nagothane plant, based on market demand, he noted.
Overall, Supreme would be investing $225 million by 2011 in ongoing and planned expansions, which will include more value-added products, such as ABS.
The expansion also includes increasing PS capacity at Nagothane to 882 million pounds annually by 2009, according to Parate, who pointed out that Supreme’s PS resins are exported to 78 countries.
Supreme Petrochem is a joint venture of Mumbai-based firms Supreme Industries Ltd. and Rajan Raheja Group. Supreme Industries, established in 1950, claims to be India’s largest plastics processor, with 18 plants across the country doing injection molding and film, foam and pipe extrusion. Rajan Raheja is a diversified firm holding interests in a variety of businesses.
