Invista said Monday that it continues to make progress on a planned plant at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP), which will produce up to 400,000 tons of adiponitrile (ADN) annually.
The company said this $1.2 billion investment will help meet the growing demand for nylon 6.6 chemical intermediates in China and the Asia Pacific region. In January, the project obtained Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Safety Condition Review approval.
Detailed engineering and procurement on the project is advancing, with awards already made for more than 90 percent of the necessary process equipment. Invista plans to begin construction on the project this year, eyeing a production start date in 2022.
“We are confident about China’s demand growth and continue to advance our investment at SCIP,” Kyle Redinger, vice president of Invista Intermediates Asia Pacific, said. “By our estimates, China could be the world’s largest consumer of nylon 6.6 in the next few years and we believe it’s important to serve China from China to realize the full growth potential. We will continue our efforts to satisfy the strong local and regional demand for high-quality nylon products.”
When complete, Invista said the new ADN plant will integrate with its existing polymer facilities to directly supply domestic customers with the key building ingredients to produce nylon 6.6 and other high-value products in China and throughout the Asia Pacific region. The plant will incorporate Invista’s latest ADN technology that improves product yields, reduces energy consumption, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, enhances process stability and slashes capital intensity compared to existing technologies.
In January, Invista’s site in Orange, Tex., celebrated the fifth anniversary of ADN production. During this time, the site has set numerous production records for this key ingredient for nylon 6.6 plastics and fibers, which are used for many consumer and industrial applications.