Asia to dominate additional ABS plastic production amid auto, electronics boom
ABS is a thermoplastic polymer widely used in manufacturing car parts and other consumer goods.
Asia is set to lead the growth of the global acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) industry in the near term with at least 13 new and expanded production plants slated for launch in China and India, according to GlobalData.
A recent GlobalData research showed the region will boost its ABS production capacity by about 4.6 million tonnes per annum by 2027 once the planned new developments and expansion projects come online.
Asia’s projected additional capacity already makes up for roughly 98% of the world’s additional ABS capacity globally.
“The high demand for ABS in Asia is attributed to the booming automotive, electronics, and expanding constructive industries in the region,” the research firm said.
ABS is a thermoplastic polymer commonly used in manufacturing light, molded and rigid products in various industries like automotive and electronics sectors. It is also used to produce pipes, packaging tools, and other consumer goods.
Of the additional ABS capacity in Asia, 3.84 million tonnes per year will come from nine new developments and 760,000 tonnes will be generated by the planned expansions of four existing ABS plants.
All of the new and expanded capacity will come from China and India, including the 1.2 million tonnes per annum from the Zhejiang Petrochemical Daishan ABS Plant 2 in China’s Zhejiang province, set to come online in 2027.
In India, the country’s largest polystyrene polymer maker, Supreme Petrochem, is set to boost the capacity of its two production plants by about 700,000 tonnes per annum each, which will commence operations in 2024 and 2026.
