Dow to build new facility

The Dow Chemical Company this week announced plans to build an integrated Specialty Alkanolamines facility in Plaquemine, Louisiana, to meet the changing needs of its isopropanolamines and gas treating customers. Financial details were not disclosed.

The new facility, which is scheduled to come on-line in early 2007, will replace existing Amines capacity in Midland, Michigan, and South Charleston, West Virginia.

"Plaquemine offers Dow an efficient capital investment opportunity due to the on-site production of key raw materials - ethylene oxide and propylene oxide," said Kevin Dillan, global business director, Dow Amines. "This facility will enable us to serve the broader global market due to its economy of scale and flexibility."

According to Dow, the new plant will have extensive product-mix flexibility, which will allow the business to provide products to meet changing market needs and, at the same time, reduce levels of co-products and by-products that are common in today's operations.