Poland's Synthos plans synthetic rubber plant in Brazil

ERJ staff report (BC)

Warsaw – Polish chemicals manufacturer Synthos is planning a synthetic rubber plant in Brazil, reported Marcin Goettig for Reuters. The plant would be based on Michelin technology, using raw materials supplied by Brazil's major petrochemical company Braskem, Synthos said.

Synthos also said in statements published on 31 March that it had signed a conditional 15-year deal with Braskem worth around 4.5 billion zlotys (€1.1 billion) for the supply of butadiene to the planned plant.

Synthos said it also signed a conditional 20-year deal with French tire maker Michelin, under which Michelin would grant a licence for the production of synthetic rubber and transfer the related know-how to Synthos.

"The purchase of Michelin's licence and know-how will lead to an increase in the group's (Synthos) capacity in terms of butadiene-based synthetic rubbers to about 80,000 tonnes per year," Synthos said, adding the plant was planned for 2017.

The Polish company also said it had signed conditional multi-year deals for the delivery of synthetic rubber to Michelin and Italy's Pirelli Tyre worth 1.15 billion zlotys (€0.28 billion) and 1.55 billion zlotys (€0.37 billion), respectively.

All the deals are conditional on Braskem securing long-term contracts for the supply of crude oil to its plants.

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Full story from Reuters