Global capacities exceed 252m t/y/ PET output spearheads expansions in 2012 / More than half of global output found in Asia / China will continue to extend its lead in the coming years / Sabic still ahead of Sinopec

摘要

For the first time ever, globally installed standard thermoplastics capacities broke the 250m t/y barrier in 2012, PIE's Poly-globe capacity database (www.polyglobe.net) shows. More than 7.4m t/y of new capacities were brought on stream -while only 640,000 t/y were permanently idled. All in all, the world's installed standard thermoplastics capacity rose by 6.8m t/y to 252m t/y, with PE and PP accounting for about 62%. PVC held on to its 18% share. Thanks to increased usage as a packaging material, polyester PET accounts for 11 % of the global market, and has overtaken the standard styrenic grades (GPPS, HIPS and EPS), which account for 9%.