Swiss company Equipolymers has started production at its new 175 000 tonne/year polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plant in Schkopau, Germany. The plant came onstream according to schedule on Monday and will bring total PET output from the site up to 335 000 tonne/year.

The start-up went ahead as planned despite claims from market players that there is a shortage of the raw material purified terephthalic acid (PTA) in Europe.

Equipolymers is a joint venture between Dow Chemical and Petrochemical Industries Co (PIC), also operates a 115 000 tonne/year PET plant at Ottan on Sardinia, Italy.