New product and capacity expansion strengthen Borealis and Borouge’s commitment to wire and cable industry

10.04.2008

Borealis and Borouge reinforce their commitment to supporting the competitiveness of the wire and cable manufacturers, with the launch of a unique high productivity low voltage cable insulation material at Wire 2008 in Düsseldorf and the announcement of new plans for low density polyethylene (LDPE) capacity in the Middle East.

The world’s leading providers of innovative, value creating plastics solutions for the wire and cable industry unveiled Borealis’ ground-breaking Visico™ FX innovation to Wire 2008 visitors. This product advancement for moisture cured XLPE cables opens new doors for customers to potentially double productivity at the same time as reducing complexity of their production process. In addition to boosting profitability levels, the solution addresses environmental concerns by reducing both energy consumption and waste generation.

The potential development of a LDPE unit in Abu Dhabi to produce high performance material for wire and cable applications is part of a feasibility study announced on April 7, 2008. The project will add approximately 2.5 million tonnes per year of capacity by end of 2014 to Borouge’s polyolefin operations in Abu Dhabi.

This substantial capacity investment, considered together with Borealis’ 350,000 t/y LDPE plant in Stenungsund, Sweden, due for completion in 2009, highlights the truly long-term commitment of the companies to boost the competitiveness and meet the supply and quality requirements of customers around the world.

“This is an exciting time for us and our customers in the wire and cable industry as we continue to demonstrate our active commitment to delivering the advanced products and necessary supply levels to meet the sustainability needs of this very demanding market”, comments Hans Christian Ambjerg, Borealis Vice President Business Unit Wire and Cable. “These significant steps forward are testament to our company strategy of providing our customers with the capability to develop reliable, cutting-edge products that add real value to the market and society.”

Borealis has more than 40 years experience in providing consistently high-quality polyolefin compounds to the Wire and Cable industry and is the world leader in this market segment.

For further information please contact:

Kerstin Meckler
Group Media Relations Manager, Borealis
+43 122 400 389
kerstin.meckler@borealisgroup.com

Borealis and Borouge are leading providers of innovative, value creating plastics solutions. With more than 40 years of experience in polyolefins and using our unique Borstar® technology, we focus on the infrastructure, automotive and advanced packaging markets. We have production facilities, innovation centres and service centres across Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific and work with customers in more than 170 countries around the world to provide plastic materials that make an essential contribution to society and to sustainable development. We are committed to the principles of Responsible Care® and to leading the way in 'Shaping the Future with Plastics.’

Visico is a trademark of Borealis A/S.

For more information on Borouge, a joint venture between Borealis and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, visit www.borouge.com.

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