Synthos to build 120ktpa butadiene extraction unit

O?wi?cim, Poland – Synthos SA has made the final investment decision to build a new butadiene extraction unit with associated logistic infrastructure in Plock, in central Poland.

Scheduled for commissioning and first production in 2024, the unit will have a butadiene production capacity of 120 kilotonnes per annum, said Synthos in a statement. 

Air Liquide Engineering and Construction, licencing BASF NMP butadiene extraction technology, has been awarded with the overall engineering, procurement and Construction services and supplies for the project, it added. 

According to its website, Air Liquide's butadiene extraction technology uses N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) as a selective solvent to recover 1,3-butadiene from a crude C4 stream. The technology is claimed to be 'highly reliable' with "excellent ecological footprint."

Synthos did not disclose the financial details of the investment. 

The Polish synthetic rubber and polymer manufacturer said the project was aligned with its strategy to make “continuous innovations and expansion” in various segments, including synthetic rubber and latexes.

The move, it added, “will safeguard Synthos’ strategic feedstock position close to its consuming assets in CEE (central and eastern Europe).”

Synthos operates manufacturing sites in O?wi?cim and Sochaczewie in Poland; Kralupy, the Czech Republic; Wingles, France and Breda, the Netherlands.

The company is also in the process of acquiring Trinseo SA’s synthetic rubber business which is mainly located in Schkopau, Germany.