US cold spell impacts Kuraray’s elastomers production

Houston, Texas – Kuraray Group has recently announced that a cold wave that struck much of the US in mid-February 2021 has impacted its production operations in Texas.

“The cold wave caused a partial restriction in the supply of raw materials and a service interruption in some utilities,” said Kuraray in a 10 March statement. 

As a result, it said, a portion of the group’s manufacturing sites located near Houston and operated by Kuraray America have been under "scheduled operational suspension" since mid-February. 

Production items subject to this suspension include ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) and thermoplastic elastomers, which are manufactured in Pasadena and Poval-branded polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) manufactured in La Porte and Bayport.

Kuraray said it is currently evaluating the impact of the cold wave on its operating results, noting that it will promptly announce its findings if the financial effect is found to have been significant.