Lotte Chemical completes HEC plant in Yeosu

South Korea’s Lotte Chemical Corp. announced on Monday its commencement of commercial production at the plant of Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose (product name: Hecellose) in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province earlier this month.

In December last year, Lotte Chemical constructed the Hecellose production facility on its Yeosu development site, specializing in Lotte Fine Chemical Co. 's key specialty product, Hecellose.

Hecellose, a cellulose derivative made from ethylene oxide and pulp, serves as an additive in various industries such as water-based paints, household goods, and cosmetics, providing viscosity and moisture retention.

With the completion of the Yeosu Hecellose plant, the entire process, from sourcing raw materials for 10,000 tons of Hecellose products to production, now takes place in one location.

Lotte Chemical has established a system to safely supply ethylene oxide, a key raw material for Hecellose products, through pipelines to the new plant, instead of conventional land transportation.

This enables Lotte Chemical to generate revenue through the sale of ethylene oxide products and commissioned production of Hecellose. Simultaneously, Lotte Fine Chemical will benefit from a stable raw material supply, strengthening its foundation for expanding the Hecellose business.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com