Singapore (Platts)--17Feb2011/203 am EST/703 GMT
US Huntsman plans to invest $70 million to expand the design capacity of its polyetheramine facility at Jurong Island, Singapore, by 40,000 mt/year, the company said late Wednesday. The Singapore plant started operations in October 2007 with a production capacity of 16,000 mt/year. The company did not reveal when the construction program will begin but said "it is going ahead with the engineering design". Typically, polyetheramines are used either in epoxy coatings or in additives that enhance the performance of fuels, concrete and pesticides. With new amine applications emerging all the time, Huntsman is forecasting significant mid-term growth in the sector. Besides Singapore, the company has polyetheramine plants in Conroe, Texas, and in Llanelli, Wales.--Clement Choo, clement_choo@platts.comSimilar stories appear in Platts Asian Petrochemical Scan. See more information at http://www.platts.com/Products/asianpetrochemicalscan