European butadiene production rose 13% year on year to 554,000 mt in the first quarter of 2016, the latest data from industry body Petrochemicals Europe showed Tuesday.
The rise came as three new butadiene units in Europe were seen running at near full capacity amid strong demand from Asia.
New butadiene capacity totaling 310,000 mt/year came online in Europe in Q3 2015. Germany's Evonik started its 100,000 mt/year butadiene plant in Antwerp, Belgium, while Austria's OMV began running its 80,000 mt/year plant at Burghausen, Germany, and TVK started its 130,000 mt/year butadiene plant in Tiszaujvaros, Hungary, all during the three-month period. Production at the units was ramped up toward Q1 2016.
The EU exported 101,420 mt of butadiene in Q1, up more than threefold year on year, most of it to Asia, according to data from EU statistics agency Eurostat.
