Dow Thailand Group is considered the largest manufacturing base of Dow in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, there are a total of 14 manufacturing facilities under the management and operation of Dow in Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate, Asia Industrial Estate, and WHA Eastern Industrial Estate (Map Ta Phut) in Rayong province.
Thailand Manufacturing Facilities
Dow Facilities
Currently, there are 7 facilities across three industrial estates in Rayong under companies of a group of Dow Chemical Thailand. These facilities have been wholly operated by Dow.
Polyol Plant
Fully supported by the technology and market knowledge of Dow (the world’s leader in polyurethanes), this facility came on stream in 1993. These products are supplied mainly to the furniture and bedding, automotive, and electrical appliance industries. As rigid polyurethanes, they serve as insulators in refrigerators, electrical appliances, cold-storage units and walls.
Formulated Polyol Plant
On stream since 1993, this facility produces the raw materials supplied mainly to the furniture and bedding, automotive, and electrical appliance industries. As flexible polyurethanes, they appear in floor coatings, automotive seat cushions, couches, bath sponges, mattress and furniture frames.
Synthetic Latex Emulsion Plant
Acquired from Union Carbide Corporation in 2001, this plant produces a full range of synthetic latex polymers for use as adhesives in paint, paper, and wood industries; in cement mixing; as caulking and sealants in the textile and construction industries; as opacifiers in architectural paint; and in adhesive tapes and sticker industries.
Propylene Glycol Plant
Owned by Dow Chemical Company, the plant was established in 2012. Propylene Glycol (PG) plant converts the propylene oxide (PO) from the adjacent hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide (HPPO) facility to propylene glycol. Dow provides the technology, which includes the advanced energy reduction and throughput optimization technology. Most of the products are exported via the new RTC terminal.
Polyether Polyol Plant
Using proven DMC catalyst technology and started up in 2015, the new polyol plant sets new performance standards by utilizing cutting-edge technologies, which can reduce the overall footprint of our facility, including energy consumption and waste water generation by 50-70 percent, and eliminating 100 percent of solid waste. The facility delivers reliable supply of polyether polyol into a variety of consumer comfort and industrial applications.
Propylene Oxide Plant
On stream since 2011, this is the second plant worldwide that relies on the innovative hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide (HPPO) technology. Jointly developed by BASF and Dow, the breakthrough technology enables production of propylene oxide without styrene monomer as a by-product while avoiding the formation of other by-products, thus significantly reducing wastewater generation. This technology was internationally recognized with an Innovation and Excellence Award in Core Engineering from the Institution of Chemical Engineers, headquartered in the United Kingdom and 2010 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Propylene oxide serves as feedstock for various industrial products, including polyurethanes, propylene glycols, and glycol ethers, used for insulation, furniture, personal care products, and brake fluids.
Rigid Polyol Plant
Started up in 2018, a new world-class polyol plant for rigid polyurethane foam has a designed annual capacity of 79,000 tons and is located at the Asia Industrial Estate (AIE) site in Rayong province. The facility increases the Company’s capacity to offer high-quality insulation materials and solutions with reliable, energy-efficient performance that customers and the society can benefit from.
SCGC-Dow's Facilities
At present, six manufacturing facilities under SCGC-DOW Group, a joint venture of equal equity between SCG Chemicals Co., Ltd. and Dow, are operated and managed by Dow as follows:
Polystyrene Plant
First launched at Phra Pradaeng in 1978 as the first domestic polystyrene manufacturer, the plant was moved to Map Ta Phut and re-launched in 1995. Its feedstock is supplied by an on-site associate company (Siam Styrene Monomer Co., Ltd.) to produce a versatile plastic found in a wide range of everyday products. High-quality polystyrene manufactured by Siam Polystyrene Co., Ltd., finds applications in medical instruments, consumer electronics and electrical appliances, telecommunications, toys, office equipment, and numerous household items.
Styrene-Butadiene Latex Plant
Started up in 1993, the plant leverages Dow’s latest technology with fully automated production process control along with bulk raw-material facilities, a sophisticated quality control laboratory and a full-fledged paper latex application laboratory to support the local paper industry and paper latex development. New technical improvements yield up-to-date technology every year. Dow is using styrene monomer derived from Dow’s own Styrene Monomer and Ethylbenzene Plant and butadiene derived from a local producer transmitted by pipeline within the Map Ta Phut complex. Styrene-butadiene finds applications in the production of high-quality coated paper and paperboard, carpet backing, concrete modification for the construction industry, binders for architecture paint, and paper and packaging industry such as toothpaste or soap boxes.
Ethylbenzene and Styrene Monomer Plant
Another first and foremost in Thailand, this plant came on stream in 1997, processing from benzene and ethylene into high-quality styrene monomer, supplying to our own polystyrene and styrene-butadiene latex plants. Styrene is also sold to local external customers as well. Together with the polystyrene plant, the plant supports national development by using locally manufactured raw materials to produce intermediate and finished products for domestic and re-export markets.
Polyethylene Plant (Train I)
With its first train started up in 1999, this plant produces linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) for the manufacture of assorted items for everyday use, including stretch cling film, food overwrap, detergent bags, laminated tubes, heavy-duty bags, agricultural film, and as a sealant layer for flexible food packaging. LLDPE also finds applications in rotational molding, found in household articles and toys that demand extra durability.
Polyethylene Plant (Train II)
For greater operating efficiency, broader product coverage, and faster response to customers’ needs, Dow established the second solution polyethylene train in 2010. This was also the first polyethylene plant with an ABB 800xA process automation system, containing Dow-developed software. Highly integrated with the existing plant, this new plant leveraged the knowledge and expertise from the first.
Specialty Elastomers Plant
Started up in 2011, this plant supplies customers in this fast-growing region with some of the most technologically advanced elastomers in the world. Versatile AFFINITY™ polyolefin plastomers offer excellent adhesion at high and low temperatures, excellent processability, and superior performance in packaging and other applications. ENGAGE™ polyolefin elastomers offer an exceptional combination of flexibility and toughness, making them a material of choice for diverse applications, including automotive thermoplastic applications.
Other Joint Ventures' Facilities
Dow and SCGC have jointly invested in two ethylene cracker factories and storage and port facilities service provider in Rayong province. We have also jointly invested with Solvay, the world’s leading manufacturer of chemicals and special materials, to produce hydrogen peroxide, a raw material for propylene oxide.
SCGC-DOW JV (Operated by SCGC)
Apart from 8 facilities under SCGC-DOW Group operated by Dow Chemical, Dow Chemical and SCGC also established a joint venturein a cracker business and jointly operate a storage and export facility service business under the operation and management of SCGC.
Company: Rayong Olefins Co., Ltd.
Location: Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate
Company: Map Ta Phut Olefins Co., Ltd.
Location: RIL Industrial Estate
DOW-Solvay JV (Operated by Solvay)
Dow and Solvay’s joint-venture announcement for a hydrogen peroxide plant project at Asia Industrial Estate, Rayong occurred in 2007. Operated by Solvay S.A., this facility was started up in 2011 to produce hydrogen peroxide from air and hydrogen, leveraging technology provided by Solvay under a license agreement to the Dow-Solvay joint venture.
Hydrogen peroxide is a raw material for SCG-DOW Group’s propylene oxide plant, whereas Solvay further refines it into a commercial-grade product under a separate entity (Peroxythai) for sale to external customers.
Hydrogen peroxide is a clean, versatile chemical with various applications in the paper industry, textile industry, electronics industry, chemical industry, effluent and wastewater treatment, food industry, as well as in disinfectants and consumer products.
Company: MTP HP JV (Thailand) Ltd.
Location: Asia Industrial Estate