Malaysia's Lotte Titan has restarted its main cracker after a major turnaround at its facilities in Pasir Gudang, Johor Bahru that started in early March.

The cracker, which returned on line on 29 March, has nameplate capacities of 415,000 t/yr of ethylene, 234,000 t/yr of propylene and polymer plants.

Its downstream polyolefins units, namely the 230,000 t/yr low-density polyethylene unit, 115,000 t/yr high-density polyethylene unit and two polypropylene units with a combined capacity of 440,000 t/yr, also restarted at the same time.

The company completed its turnaround within the scheduled duration, even after the Malaysian government began the movement control order on 18 March.

There are no restrictions on operations of refining and petrochemical companies, which are considered essential operations.

Thailand's Siam Cement Group is likely to postpone the maintenance of its 900,000 t/yr cracker unit scheduled on April in the middle of coronavirus crisis, but the new timeline remains unclear.

Philippines' JG Summit planned to restart its 480,000 t/yr naphtha-fed cracker and downstream polyolefins units this week after an unexpected power outage occurred last week.

Supplies of polymers are expected to increase in the short term, as southeast Asian producers return from major turnarounds in the first quarter of 2020.

Argus on 2 April assessed dutiable prices of linear low-density polyethylene and polypropylene at $730-750/t cfr and $760-780/t cfr respectively, in southeast Asia.

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