2014 capacity utilisation levels return to long-term average / Eli import duties pressure polymer exports / Polyolefin overcapacity? / Plastics processing sector still in its infancy/ Ptans for four large conversion sites

摘要

The recent slump in oil prices is not yet reflected in the latest petrochemical figures for the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which - in addition to the dominant Saudi Arabia - is made up of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. Not only was there a 6% year-on-year rise in polymer capacity to 25.5m t/y in 2014, but plant capacity utilisation was also up by 4 percentage points and now stands at 85 %. Seen against the low capacity utilisation figure of 81% in 2013, however, this only marks a return to the longer-term average. Total polymer sales amounted to USD 30.8 bn (2013: USD 28.1 bn).