INEOS will upgrade the Hull plant in Scotland

INEOS Oxide is today announcing a multi-million pound expansion of its Hull manufacturing facility to increase production of Ethyl Acetate (EtAc) by 100,000 tonnes per year. It is expected that the additional capacity will be available by the end of next year. 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. This is the first major UK investment decision to be made following the Brexit vote and reflects INEOS’ confidence in the UK economy and its ability to continue to deliver for its customers.
The Hull site will also benefit from INEOS’ $1 billion decision to import US Shale gas to Scotland. A pipeline linking 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.
The Hull plant was originally built with expansion in mind and so the project should be completed quickly with very good cost economics. It will also benefit from easy logistical access to Europe and the global market, supporting both import of raw material, and export of EtAc.