After years of construction and months of announcements, a new Braskem America plant started up in La Porte.
The plant makes ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, or “UTEC.” Braskem states that UTEC is eight times lighter than steel and lasts 10 times longer than high density polyethylene. UTEC applications include automotive, transportation, electronics, fibers, textiles and industrial among other uses. 
Braskem operates another plant in La Porte, which continues to make polypropylene. The company has almost 900 million pounds of existing polypropylene capacity in La Porte. The new plant is a converted polypropylene unit, with an estimated cost of $34 million according to early reports.
Braskem employed 100 workers in La Porte prior to opening UTEC facility, with an unspecified number now on board with the new plant.
Braskem is based in Brazil, with North American headquarters in Philadelphia. The firm is owned in part by Brazilian national oil firm Petrobras.
Source: PlasticNews.com, “Braskem opens Texas UHMWPE plant,” by Frank Esposito, January 18, 2017.