Dow officially opens complex at Asia Industrial Estate

BANGKOK, THAILAND: The Dow Chemical Co. has officially announced the grand opening of its new production complex in Asia Industrial Estate (AIE), Ban Chang, Rayong province. This comes at the same Dow marks its 45th anniversary in Thailand and the 25th anniversary of the SCG-Dow partnership, part of the SCG-Dow Group.

A portion of an investment totaling more than USD $3 billion, the new production complex is a joint venture project between Dow, SCG and Solvay S.A. under the project named ‘Thai Growth Project.’

The project, which was announced in 2006, has involved the building of world-class production facilities including an advanced naphtha cracker plant operated by Map Ta Phut Olefins Co. Ltd (JV between Dow and SCG Chemicals), and downstream facilities to produce polyethylene (SPEII), specialty elastomers, propylene oxide and hydrogen peroxide, operated by Solvay. The successful completion of all plants under the ‘Thai Growth Project’ today makes Thailand Dow’s largest manufacturing base in Asia Pacific.

State-of-the-art technology and an emphasis on achieving the highest levels of environmentally-friendly production in operational processes throughout the entire complex are the hallmarks of the Thai Growth Project, with the overall aim of carbon footprint reduction in a sustainable industrial environment.

A recent example is the award-winning hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide (HPPO) technology invented by Dow and BASF that received both the 2010 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award and the 2009 Institution of Chemical Engineers' Innovation and Excellence Award in Core Engineering. This breakthrough HPPO technology uses simpler raw material integration and can achieve a 70-80 percent wastewater reduction and 35 percent energy consumption reduction compared with existing HPPO technology.

“The success of the Thai Growth Project has enabled Thailand to become the largest Dow manufacturing hub in Asia Pacific and underlines Dow’s commitment to continue long-term investment in Thailand,” said Andrew Liveris, chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Co.

“This year, Dow is also constructing a Propylene Glycol (PG) plant and ENLIGHT Polyolefin plant for encapsulant films used in solar panels. The objective of these projects is to expand Dow’s business portfolios, especially its specialty products, to address the world’s evolving needs and to support Thailand’s economic development.”

Jirasak Singmaneechai, MD of Dow Chemical Thailand Ltd, said: “The full operations of this new production complex not only support Thailand’s economic growth but also help create jobs for local people. The continued growth of Dow’s operations in Thailand and the company’s investment in world-class petrochemical technology in the country will provide a strong platform for competing in the often specialized international market, leading to sustainable Thailand-based growth in the industry.

"For making this major opportunity possible, I would like to thank our partners and all who have contributed to the Thai Growth Project and to acknowledge the dedication of our employees, whose commitment to safety has resulted in a record-breaking achievement of 41 million man-hours with no lost injury time.”

Kan Trakulhoon, president and CEO of SCG, said: “SCG is proud to be part of the success in the Thai Growth Project with partner, Dow. This project highlights Thailand’s high investment potential, making it the manufacturing base for Thai and international investors. Several key factors that make Thailand an attractive place to invest include our strategic location in the ASEAN region, strong manufacturing clusters, good infrastructure, commitment to research and development, and continuous support by the government. I am confident that Dow and SCG Chemicals will continue to make Thailand a strong and sustainable manufacturing base.”

Cholanat Yanaranop, president of SCG Chemicals Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of SCG, said: “SCG Chemicals is honored to be a part of Thai Growth Project’s success. This success not only increases the integration of the naphtha cracker, operated by Map Ta Phut Olefins Co. Ltd and raises proportion of our high value added products, but it also emphasizes the strong 25-year partnership between Dow and SCG Chemicals and commitment to sustainable growth.”

Vincent De Cuyper, group GM of Chemicals Sector and member of the executive committee of Solvay, said: “Solvay is proud to be a partner in this exciting world-class hydrogen peroxide plant in Thailand and looks forward to continue sharing its hydrogen peroxide technology with Dow in other regions of the world. Our new hydrogen peroxide unit represents the latest flagship of our peroxide leadership technology. This investment in production facilities with a strongly enhanced ecological footprint clearly shows Solvay's commitment to sustainable development.”