Dow restarts Louisiana olefins plant

The Dow Chemical Co. has restarted its St. Charles Olefins 2 Plant near Hahnville, La.

The facility, which was idled in January 2009, began producing on-spec ethylene on December 25, 2012.

“The start-up of our St. Charles ethylene plant represents the first major milestone within our U.S. Gulf Coast investment strategy,” said Brian Ames, president, Dow Olefins, Aromatics and Alternatives. “This action further reduces the company’s purchased ethylene, lowering costs and strengthening the competitiveness of our high-margin, high-growth derivatives businesses.”

According to Midland, Mich.-based Dow, the restart is part of the company’s plan to further connect its U.S. operations with cost-advantaged feedstocks from increasing supplies of U.S. shale gas. Plans to increase ethylene and propylene supply and ethane cracking capabilities at existing U.S. Gulf Coast facilities strengthen its “competitiveness and enable profitable growth in the Americas,” Dow said.