Sibur set to launch production at new halobutyl rubber facility

Moscow – Sibur has completed construction of its halobutyl rubber production facility at Reliance Industries’ petrochemicals site in Jamnagar, India. 

First production batches from 60 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) facility are “expected soon,” Sibur reported in an 11 Feb announcement of the group’s 2020 financial results. 

The start-up of the halogenation unit marks a significant step-up for Sibur’s butyl rubber joint venture with Reliance – the majority partner with a 74.9% stake.

The partners started up a 120ktpa butyl rubber plant started up about a year ago. It is based on proprietary Sibur technology, which is being licenced to the JV.

The butyl rubber facility reached 100% capacity utilisation and produced over 60 kilotonnes in 2020, according to Sibur’s latest report. 

The market-share of butyl rubber produced at the new facility accounts for 20% of global butyl rubber output and 70% of the Indian market, according to the statement.

Product, it added, is also exported to countries including China, South Korea, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Europe, the US and Brazil.

In April 2020, Sibur also added a new 50ktpa unit to its thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) facility in Voronezh.

Output from the now 135 ktpa styrenic block-copolymer TPE facility is “equivalent to 5% of global TPE production capacity,” said the Russian group’s report.