Braskem America plans resin export hub in South Carolina

Material supplier Braskem America has announced plans to build a new global export hub in Charleston, S.C. to provide packaging, warehousing, and export shipping services to support its U.S. polypropylene (PP) production facilities.

With the design and development phase well underway, Braskem said, the new hub is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2020 and will have a capacity to support export shipments of up to 450 million pounds of PP and specialty polymers annually to Braskem customers worldwide.

Braskem is partnering with the Port of Charleston and warehouse provider Frontier Logistics, which will construct, lease, and provide services to Braskem under a five-year agreement. Ahead of the facility’s completion, the company plans to continue to leverage its existing international export capabilities out of Houston, Texas, which will also be maintained following the launch of the new Charleston hub.

“The build-out of our new global export hub in South Carolina allows us to leverage our feedstock advantaged, polymer production assets in the U.S Gulf Coast, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, to best meet our international clients’ needs,” said Mark Nikolich, Braskem America CEO. “With excellent access to national rail and highway networks this important new logistics and distribution facility in the South Carolina port region significantly enhances Braskem America’s international export capability.”

The South Carolina Port Authority is currently undertaking a project to deepen the Charleston harbour to allow for the increased ability to fill large container vessels with heavy export cargo. Upon completion of Charleston’s deepening, the inner harbour will be 52-feet deep with a 54-feet deep entrance channel, making it home to the deepest harbour on the U.S. East Coast.

The new Charleston hub is being developed as Braskem works to complete Delta, Braskem’s new PP production line in La Porte, Texas, which is nearing completion and is scheduled for the launch of commercial production in the third quarter of 2020.

Braskem America is the U.S. subsidiary of Brazil-based petrochemical company Braskem.