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According to Sinochem News, Shintech, the U.S. subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., recently announced that it will invest around $3.4 billion to expand its manufacturing facility in Plaquemines, Louisiana. This move is aimed at strengthening the integrated production capacity for PVC and caustic soda businesses. According to the plan, the project will build the second ethylene cracking unit at the facility, with an annual production capacity of 625,000 tons. At the same time, a fourth set of production facilities for chlor-alkali and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) will be built, which is expected to increase the annual production capacity by 500,000 tons of VCM and 310,000 tons of caustic soda. The expansion project will be carried out in phases, with the first phase scheduled to be completed by the end of 2030. The project is expected to create 163 direct jobs, as well as approximately 655 indirect employment opportunities. To support this project, the state government provided Shintech with a package of incentives including a performance grant of $23.5 million. Since beginning operations in Louisiana in 2000, Shintech has invested over $9 billion in total. The company states that the new facility will employ advanced technologies to reduce carbon emissions per unit of product, thereby strengthening its competitive advantage in the global market.