Singapore's TPC to take LDPE line off-stream on feedstock supply disruption

Market sources reported that The Polyolefin Co (TPC) is planning to take its LDPE line off-stream starting 17 April 2017 due to possible feedstock supply disruption. This comes after TPC’s ethylene supplier - Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (PCS) encountered technical glitches that forced the company to undertake unplanned shutdown at its 450,000 tons/year No. 1 cracker for about two weeks.

It is unclear at the moment that how long would TPC keep the 180,000 tons/year LDPE line shut, however, a source close to the company said the duration is very much depended on the restart schedule at PCS’s cracker.

At the meantime, TPC might need to reduce LDPE export allocation for May shipment and regional players are assessing the impact of the event on market equilibrium.