MOL inaugurates €1.3bn polyols complex in Hungary

Tiszaujvaros, Hungary – Hungarian group MOL has inaugurated a €1.3-billion polyol production complex in Tiszaujvaros, northern Hungary.

The 200-kilotonne-per-annum (ktpa) plant will produce polyether polyols, primarily used for the production of polyurethane materials.

The raw materials, said MOL, will be used in products such as mattresses, moulded car seats, thermal insulation and elastomer shoe soles.

The construction & engineering project, which marks MOL’s biggest 'organic' investment, was carried out in collaboration with Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions and Evonik IP.

The facility covers “the entire value-chain from petroleum processing to polyol production,” featuring four main plants for hydrogen peroxide, propylene oxide, polyol and propylene glycol.

In addition, the investment includes a pilot polyol plant, a QA laboratory and an R&D centre in Százhalombatta, 200km to the west of Tiszaújváros.

“The polyol complex will significantly strengthen our company's position and competitiveness,” said Zsolt Hernadi, chairman and CEO of MOL Group.

This investment, Hernadi went on to say, puts Tiszaujvaros “back on the map of the European chemical industry.”