DSM To Close German Polypropylene Plant

DSM N.V. (Heerlen, The Netherlands), the Dutch chemicals group, today announced that DSM Polypropylenes is to close down a polypropylene plant in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, this month. The closure of the 70,000-tpa plant has been made possible by recent capacity hikes at existing polypropylene plants in Geleen (Netherlands) and Gelsenkirchen.

Following the plant closure DSM's polypropylene capacity will total around 800,000 tpa. In the second quarter of 2000 this capacity will be boosted to over one million tpa by the coming on-stream of a new 250,000-tpa polypropylene plant in Gelsenkirchen.

The closure of the plant, the modernization and capacity expansion of existing plants and the construction of a new plant are all in keeping with DSM Polypropylenes' strategy of strengthening its position as a leading polypropylene manufacturer on the European market.

DSM's business group DSM Polypropylenes (formerly called DSM Performance Polymers) concentrates on the production of polypropylene and polypropylene compounds. The principal trade names are: Stamylan P, Vestolen P, Keltan TP, Kelburon and Stamyroid. The business group has sales of around NLG 1.5 billion (1998).