Westlake Expanding Kentucky Facility

Westlake Chemical will spend up to $240 million to expand ethylene and polyvinyl chloride production at its Calvert City, Ky., plant. The company is converting the feedstock of its ethylene cracker at the site from propane to ethane while at the same time expanding the unit’s capacity by 40% to 630 million lb per year. It is also expanding its PVC capacity in Calvert City by nearly 20% to about 1.3 billion lb. The company expects to complete both projects in 2014. Westlake has been boosting its petrochemical capacity to capitalize on cheap ethane feedstock from shale. Early next year, it will start up a 240 million-lb expansion of its Lake Charles, La., ethylene plant.