Plant Resumption
Pontal da Barra Unit Reactivated with Imported Salt
Braskem resumed the production of chlorine, caustic soda, and the chemical compound dichloroethane at its unit in Pontal da Barra, which had been shut down since May 2019. The new operation will be carried out with salt purchased from Chilean licensed mines since Braskem has terminated rock salt extraction operations in the city and is now working on closing the wells. The company invested BRL 60 mn in technological and infrastructure adjustments at the Pontal da Barra plant and road and port logistics to integrate the salt transport process. The raw material from the Chilean licensed deposits arrives at the Port of Maceió, where it is stored and then transferred to the plan by trailers circulating over business hours.
Resuming the operation, with the adoption of best practices in people's safety, health, and respect for the environment, will allow the company to continue contributing to Alagoas's social and economic development, which will allow the preservation of more than 2,500 qualified jobs. The integrated production of PVC and caustic soda between the Maceió and Marechal Deodoro units fosters the chemical and plastic production chain in the State, engaging about 40 other industries in strategic industries, such as the hospital industry and civil construction.
Owing to the pandemic, industrial facilities were adjusted, and new measures were adopted. Among them are intense cleaning and sanitization of environments; adaptation of HVAC with validation by infectologists; implementation of social distancing protocols between workstations and transportation; and the supply of kits with masks and hand sanitizers for employees.
