US-based KBR, a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies, has been awarded a licence and engineering and a proprietary equipment supply contract by China Pingmei Shenma Group (PMSM) to build two new polycarbonate plants in Kaifeng and Pingdingshan in the Henan Province in China.

Under the terms of the contracts, both 100,000 metric tonnes per annum plants will utilise KBR's proprietary phosgene-based interfacial polycarbonate technology PCMAX, said a statement from the company.

As part of its overall polycarbonate strategy, PMSM intends to expand its total production capacity to 800,000 metric tonnes per annum, it said.

KBR's unique PCMAX technology produces a wide range of high quality polycarbonate product grades with minimal capital investment, it added.

Yang Jianguo, general manager, PMSM, said: “Our company is a world-leading technology licensor. The polycarbonate project using KBR’s advanced PCMAX technology is the largest technology import project for us in recent years.”

“This project supports China's requirement for advanced and high-quality developments as well as our corporate vision of industrial transformation and upgrading,” he said.

John Derbyshire, president, KBR Technology, said: “We are is excited to be part of this major investment project. Growing demand for polycarbonate products in China presents an attractive opportunity for PMSM.”

“Our superior PCMAX technology will empower PMSM to be a market leader in the polycarbonate business."

KBR globally licenses and designs polycarbonate synthesis and compounding plants as well as complementary phenolic technologies, including phenol/acetone, and bisphenol-A (BPA). KBR's integrated phenolics offering provides advantages in raw material, utility, Opex and maintenance costs.

Estimated revenue associated with this project was booked into backlog of unfilled orders for KBR's Technology Business Segment in the second quarter of 2018, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service