Dow has announced that it will upwardly adjust the nameplate capacity of its Stade, Germany, propylene oxide plant to 590 kilotons per annum (1.3 billion pounds), which represents a more than 7% increase over the 550 kilotons per annum (1.2 billion pounds) previously reported by the company. "As raw material and energy costs remain a challenge in the chemical industry, optimizing our assets and setting new standards for efficiency in production, without large capital expenditures, is a high priority for us," said Earl Shipp, business director, Dow PO/PG. "We have continually improved and optimized our process technology over the years. Dow continues to practice the chlorohydrin technology to make PO, and we now operate the first and second largest PO production facilities in the world. The efficiencies we can achieve through economies of scale, Six-Sigma and process technology improvements keep us competitive in an ever-changing world," said Martine Schoenmaker, Chlorohydrin Technology Center Leader. The world's largest single producer of propylene oxide, Dow's global propylene oxide capability now totals 1,860 kilotons per annum (4.1 billion pounds). In addition to its Stade plant, Dow produces propylene oxide in Texas, Louisiana and Brazil.

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