SolVin sorts out vinyls assets

SolVin, the European vinyls joint venture between Solvay and BASF, has invested roughly $60 million to reorganize its production, concentrating on fewer sites, each with capacity of more than 300,000 metric tons per year. The investment follows the Jan. 1 closing of SolVin's vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride plants in Ludwigshafen, Germany. SolVin has been transferring those operations to sites in Spain, Belgium, and elsewhere in Germany. When the moves are completed later this year, the average capacity of the remaining plants will be 30% more than the European industry average, SolVin says.