Ineos Oxide expands EtAc production

Ineos Oxide has detailed a multi-million pound expansion of its UK manufacturing facility in Hull to increase production of ethyl acetate (EtAc) by 100,000 tonnes each year.

The Ineos Oxide site in Hull, UK

EtAc is in high demand for use in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, inks and flexible packaging and the Hull plant is already at full capacity. This new investment will enable the company to continue to serve customers across Europe for many years to come. It is expected that the additional capacity will be available by the end of next year.

The Ineos Oxide plant in Hull was originally built with expansion in mind and so the project should be completed quickly with very good cost economics. The Hull site will also benefit from Ineos’ 1 billion USD decision to import US shale gas to Scotland. A pipeline linking the Ineos petrochemicals plant at Grangemouth with Ineos Oxide in Hull means the site will be able to use ethylene produced from imported US shale gas as its main raw material.

Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos founder and chairman, commented: ‘We believe in British manufacturing and will support it wherever we can. Our Hull plant is at capacity and this extra investment will enable us to significantly increase production that we will sell all over Europe and across the world.’ 

Ineos Oxide CEO Graham Beesley added: ‘We are the largest producer of EtAc in Europe and we are about to get a lot bigger. Growth in demand for our products is strong and this investment will support our customers' needs over the long term’ 

Ineos Oxide is a leading producer of solvents, speciality chemicals, ethylene oxide, ethylene oxide derivatives, propylene oxide and propylene oxide derivatives, with production facilities in Antwerp (Belgium), Koln (Germany), Hull (UK), Lavera (France) and Plaquemine, Louisiana (US).