Hanwha TotalEnergies completes elastomer pilot plant in Korea

Daesan, South Korea – Hanwha TotalEnergies, a 50:50 joint venture between Hanwha Solutions and TotalEnergies, has completed the construction of a new pilot plant for polyolefin elastomers (POEs).

The unit, located at JV’s site in Daesan, eastern South Korea, has capacity to produce 200 tonnes of POE and support process testing, said a 29 June statement.

The project was completed with an investment of KRW34 billion (€24 million) and took 18 months from August 2021, according to Hanwha TotalEnergies.

Low density, high elasticity and impact strength, the JV noted, make POEs suitable for uses such as automotive interiors and exteriors; food packaging, footwear and wiring.

POEs, it added, are increasingly used as film material for solar panels, the global market for which is expected to grow by 6.9% annually to reach $6.3 billion by 2030.

The pilot facility, continued Hanwha TotalEnergies, is significant the venture partners as it marks “the first joint project” carried out by the owner entities.

While Hanwha TotalEnergies led on construction and operational aspects, Hanwha Solutions supplied the POE production process technology and TotalEnergies the catalyst technology.

Hanwha TotalEnergies said it next aims to complete the basic design of a commercial POE plant based on the process and catalyst technologies within a year.

With 18 plant units in the Daesan Petrochemical Complex, Hanwha TotalEnergies produces a range of petroleum products and downstream polymers, including polyolefins.