Polyethylene plant expanded

JAKARTA (JP): PT Petrokimia Nusantara Interindo, a British- Japanese-Indonesian joint venture, will double the production capacity of its polyethylene plant in Merak, West Java, from 200,000 to 400,000 tons per annum.

The company's president, Jim Hay, said yesterday that the construction of the expansion project, likely to cost US$100 million, will start next year and production is expected to start by the end of 1996.

He said the company puts high priority on domestic sales of its products but will likely have to export part of the production from the expansion unit in the initial period of operation to optimize capacity utilization.

Petrokimia is 51 percent owned by BP Chemicals Investments Ltd. of Britain, 12.5 percent by Mitsui & Co. Ltd. of Japan, 12.5 percent by Sumitomo Corporation of Japan, nine percent by businessman Sigit Harjojudanto and 15 percent by PT Arseto Petrokimia. (riz)