The company produced and packaged more than 130 metric tons of
polymer powder during the several-hour interruption, according to Naghi
Nojavan, Arya Sasol’s operations manager.
The workaround allowed the reactor to remain in operation while the
extruder was unavailable. Polymer products are typically converted from powder
into granules before being packaged and sold, a process that requires
additional electricity and chemicals.
Energy Savings
The decision was driven in part by recurring concerns over electricity
availability for polymer units, as well as the relatively high energy
consumption of extrusion equipment.
Farzad Esfahani, manager of Arya Sasol’s medium- and high-density
polyethylene unit, said the company had previously examined the possibility of
marketing the polymer directly as powder in response to potential power
constraints.
By bypassing the granulation stage, the company was able to continue
production while reducing electricity use and eliminating chemicals associated
with the granulation process.
Protecting Production and Margins
The temporary change in the production and packaging route also
expanded the company’s options for marketing its polymer products, according to
Arya Sasol.
The company said the powder sales generated sufficient margins to avoid
the financial impact of a production interruption while allowing the reactor to
remain operational during the extruder outage.
The move illustrates how polymer producers can use operational
flexibility to manage utility constraints and equipment disruptions without
necessarily shutting down upstream production.
Arya Sasol’s medium- and high-density polyethylene unit typically
supplies polymer in granular form, meaning that selling powder required the
company to adapt its existing production and packaging arrangements.