8 January 2007 – Hydro Polymers has completed the second phase of its chlorine expansion at Rafnes in Norway, switching technology from a diaphragm to a membrane system and is now mulling a similar project at its Stenungsund site, in Sweden.
The Rafnes investment, costing ˆ85m, follows construction of a new chlorine plant opened in September 2005, which together double Rafnes’ chlorine capacity to 260,000tpa.
The company has now launched a study on converting the existing Stenungsund plant to membrane technology and boosting capacity to 330,000tpa from its current 225,000tpa figure. The project would help the company meet its commitment to the Swedish authorities to phase out mercury-based amalgam technology by 2010.
“This continued investment in chlorine capacity means that we can face the future with confidence as a fully integrated and self sufficient organisation in terms of the raw material required for PVC production,” says Helge Holen, newly appointed president of Hydro Polymers.
