Slovnaft has scheduled the commercial launch of its new LDPE 4 production plant for early 2016 after completing the installation of technology at the unit. Speaking after the 220,000 tonne/year low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit was inaugurated at the company's Bratislava plant. This new production unit improves its competitiveness and offers the chance to further expand into new markets.

It also means long-term stability for the region in which it operate, for its employees and also for hundreds of its suppliers and clients. The current LDPE plants at Slovnaft are to be decommissioned. The production unit - built by Italy's Maire Tecnimont Group through a consortium of affiliated companies comprising its main subsidiary Tecnimont as well as Germany-based Tecnimont Planung und Industrieanlagenbau - is capable of producing new types of higher-quality polyethylene with minimal emissions, greater operating security and lower energy consumption.