Shintech begins petrochemicals expansion in Louisiana

PLAQUEMINE, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gov. John Bel Edwards and Shintech Louisiana, LLC executives announced the company will invest $1.49 billion to develop a new chlor alkali and vinyl chloride monomer production facility and expand existing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) manufacturing facilities in Plaquemine. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., the world’s largest PVC producer.

Construction of the expansion is expected to generate 2,000-3,000 jobs and create 120 new direct jobs once completed. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in approximately 100 new indirect jobs, for a total of 220 new jobs for Iberville Parish and the Capital Region. Shintech has operated in the area since 1999 and currently has 420 local employees at its facilities in West Baton Rouge and Iberville Parishes, where company operations also support more than 500 contractor jobs.

PVC is a versatile and durable product used in a variety of applications in the building and construction, healthcare, electronics, automobile and other sectors. Caustic soda is widely used in industries and utilities. As global market for the products continues to grow, Shintech is expanding facilities to keep pace with demand. The expansion will include development of an integrated PVC manufacturing facility that is expected to be completed in late 2020 and operational in early 2021.

Yasuhiko Saitoh, President of Shintech Inc. added, “We are pleased to proceed with this project and are going to carry out the construction at full throttle. This investment builds on our local and global sales capabilities and aligns with our long-range plan to leverage our economy of scale in the U.S. for production of PVC and caustic soda. We are extremely grateful to Louisiana state and parish officials and our neighbors whose strong support and understanding has enabled Shintech’s continued growth and success in Louisiana.”

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