Braskem Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Spheripol Process Technology at Neal, West Virginia Production Facility

KENOVA, W.Va. and PHILADELPHIA, June 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Braskem (B3: BRKM3, BRKM5 and BRKM6; NYSE: BAK; LATIBEX: XBRK), the largest thermoplastic polyolefins producer in the Americas and the leading producer of biopolymers in the world, celebrates the 30^th anniversary of the Spheripol process technology at its Neal production plant, located in the city of Kenova, West Virginia. 

Braskem's Neal production facility sits on a 100-acre site along the Big Sandy River and produces more than 500 million pounds of polypropylene homopolymers per year and directly employing over 100 people.  The plant is the first licensed deployment of the Spheripol process technology in the U.S., a technology that is now one of the most widely used PP production processes worldwide. 

Jeff Blatt, Plant Manager at Braskem's Neal facility, stated, "On behalf of the entire Braskem team, we are proud to celebrate the 30^th Anniversary of the Neal production facility taking a leadership role by bringing leading edge innovation to the market with the first U.S. Spheripol process technology deployment ever. Our track record for success in producing polypropylene in Neal has been a key part of Braskem's leadership position as the largest producer of polypropylene in the Americas."

"Since the initial launch of the Spheripol production process at Neal, the annual production capacity of the plant has almost doubled, and our future is as bright as ever. Over the past 8 years, Braskem has invested more than $20 million in Neal, West Virginia production facility infrastructure enhancements, helping extend our successful track record for plant safety, reliability, efficiency and environmental protection," concluded Mr. Blatt.  

Braskem is honored to be an integral part of the Kenova, West Virginia community and is a dedicated supporter of the Kenova Volunteer Fire Department and local Wayne County public schools. The company's support of the program, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) at Spring Valley High School, helps the next generation of student leaders explore future careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).  Braskem also supports the Wayne county public middle and elementary schools, helping excite young people about the vast opportunities open to them through fields of study in science.

ABOUT BRASKEM

With a human-oriented global vision of the future, Braskem strives every day to improve people's lives by creating sustainable solutions with chemicals and plastics. Braskem is the largest producer of thermoplastic polyolefins in the Americas and the leading producer of biopolymers in the world, creating more environmental-friendly, intelligent and sustainable solutions through chemicals and plastics. Braskem exports to clients in approximately 100 countries and operates 41 industrial units, which are located in Brazil, United States, Germany and Mexico, the latter in partnership with the Mexican company Idesa. For more information, visit: www.braskem.com

Braskem America is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Braskem S.A. headquartered in Philadelphia. The company is the leading producer of polypropylene in the United States, with six production plants located in Texas, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, an Innovation and Technology Center in Pittsburgh, and a new operation in Boston focused on leveraging groundbreaking developments in biotechnology and advanced materials. For more information, visit: www.braskem.com/usa

ABOUT BLUEVISION

Braskem's Bluevision is a platform that shows the capacity of the human being to actively and positively influence the course of the planet through their actions and everyday lives. For more information about Bluevision please visit: www.bluevisionbraskem.com

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SOURCE Braskem