Kertih Polymer Park Showcased at Plastics Show

11/5/2009 — Press Release
The East Coast Economic Region (ECER) will be showcasing the Kertih Polymer Park, the country’s first and only plastics and polymer-related hub, at the 4th International Plastic and Rubber Trade Fair for Malaysia (M-PLAS 2009) exhibition.
The Kertih Polymer Park, currently a part of the country’s first Special Economic Zone with specialized incentives, is located on a 140-hectare land known as Lot Q.
The Kertih Polymer Park functions as a hub that supports plastics and polymer-related manufacturing activities and service providers
It is also aimed at promoting further downstream investments in the plastics and polymer-related industries by tapping into the potential synergies with the nearby Kertih Integrated Petrochemical Complex (KIPC).
The park has drawn immediate commitments of RM545m investments.
Hi Essence Cable Sdn Bhd, manufacturer of wire & cable has proposed investments of RM85m; Latenfield Pipe Industries Sdn Bhd, manufacturer of pipes is planning investments of RM40m; and FMD Polypipes Industry Sdn Bhd, manufacturer of pipes, is finalising its investment plans estimated to be worth RM20m.
Meanwhile, PETRONAS is establishing an R&D and technology centre to offer technical services, product improvement and development for plastics applications.
“This project is in response to the need to enhance the competitiveness of Malaysia’s plastics and polymer industry. The Kertih Polymer Park will provide focused development to cater to the specific needs of the plastics industry,” said Datuk Jebasingam Issace John, CEO of ECER Development Council.
“As the only location with a major plastics and polymer park in this region, Kertih is uniquely positioned to become an important hub for plastics conversion with ready access to raw material and export routes.”
The other plastics parks in the world are Dow Olefinverbund GmbH Value Park in Germany, Jain Plastics Park in India, and Abu Dhabi Polymer Park in United Arab Emirates.
Malaysia is already one of the largest plastic producers in the Asian region.
The plastics industry is increasingly dominant in Malaysia’s export mix. It registered a growth of 8.3 per cent in the first half of 2008 with a turnover of RM7.96 billion compared to the same period in the previous year.
It is targetted that by 2015, the industrial lots in KPP will be fully taken up, attracting RM2 billion worth of investments and creating more than 7,000 jobs.
“By embarking on this park, we plan to extend the local value chain for the country’s petrochemical industry and encourage innovation in end-product plastic manufacturing,” said Issace John
“Over the last 35 years, PETRONAS has laid the foundation by developing the oil, gas, petrochemical and supporting facilities within the PETRONAS Petroleum Industry Complex (PPIC), with investments worth RM70 billion.
“Now, it is up to the private sector, especially SMEs, to seize the opportunity to establish their plastics and polymer-related factories in KPP.
“The success of the park is based on easy access to feedstock and availability of existing infrastructure and support services in KIPC.
“This access to reliable and just-in-time feedstock supply translates into savings in logistics and warehousing costs. The plastics manufacturers’ capital outlay is reduced and they can focus on their core business.”
At M-PLAS, the Kertih Polymer Park will be showcased within the ECER Development Council’s booth which is at E11, located at Hall 5.
Held from November 4 to 7 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), M-PLAS 2009 is expected to attract some 200 international exhibiting companies from 20 countries and 8,000 trade visitors.
The last one held in 2007, attracted 6,729 trade visitors.