OREANDA-NEWS. Indonesia's main polyvinyl chloride (PVC) producer Asahimas plans to start operations at a new 250,000 t/yr plant in December.

The unit is the first to be rolled out under Asahimas' expansion plan. The firm's new 400,000 t/yr vinyl-chloride monomer (VCM) and ethylene dichloride (EDC) plant will start operating in the first quarter of 2016.

Asahimas is likely to have PVC available for export after completing the new plant. Indonesia's domestic demand is weak as the economy struggles to maintain growth. The firm's existing 300,000 t/yr PVC plant serves the domestic market.

Asahimas also operates another EDC plant with unspecified capacity, as well as a 400,000 t/yr VCM unit.