India is set to become a net exporter of Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) – used in the manufacture of both polyester fibre and PET – over the next four years, with exports expected to rise at a dramatic 48.9-per-cent CAGR from 2017–2022, to 1.552 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), according to a new report from GlobalData.

​

The report reveals that three upcoming projects, Nayara Energy Vadinar Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Plant, Indian Oil Corporation Paradip Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Plant and Indian Oil Corporation Panipat Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Plant with a capacity of 2.400mtpa, 1.200mtpa and 0.147mtpa, respectively are expected to commence production by 2022.

 

The largest PTA plants in India in 2017 were JBF Industries Mangalore Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Plant, Reliance Industries Dahej Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Plant 1, Reliance Industries Dahej Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Plant 2, Mitsubishi PTA India Corporation Haldia Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Plant 2 and Reliance Industries Hazira Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Plant 3.

 

“The new PTA capacity additions coming onstream by 2022 will turn India from net importer to a net exporter,” informed Vinuthna Bidar, Oil & Gas Analyst at GlobalData, adding that “the increase in domestic demand of PTA is majorly dependent on growth and demand of polyester products”.

 

India’s major PTA players

 

The major players in the country’s PTA space are Reliance Industries Ltd, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp, and Indian Oil Corp Ltd and Mitsubishi Corp. In 2017, these companies collectively accounted for 90.6 per cent of the PTA capacity in India.

 

The main sectors that consume PTA in India are Polyester Fibre and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). In 2017, these sectors accounted for almost 88.9 per cent of the PTA demand in India. 

 

The average price of PTA is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.3% from US$658.6/tonne in 2017 to US$737.0/tonne in 2022.

 

During 2008 to 2017, India was a net importer of PTA. According to GlobalData forecasts, imports as percentage of demand is expected to decrease from 9.0% in 2017 to 0.6% in 2022.