EPS produced right next door to the Porvoo refinery
Customer case
Customer: StyroChem Finland Oy
- Business: over 40 years of experience in producing EPS
- Net sales: €120 million in 2012
- Personnel: around 80
Product supplied by Neste Oil: Pentane
StyroChem Finland is Northern Europe’s leading producer of expandable polystyrene (EPS). Production is based in Kilpilahti alongside Neste Oil’s Porvoo refinery, and sales offices are located in Finland, Denmark, Poland, Russia, Britain, and Germany. The bulk of the output from the company’s 100,000 t/a plant is exported.
Neste Oil supplies the pentane used as a blowing agent by StyroChem Finland to produce EPS, which is a styrene-based polymer plastic. In its base form, EPS consists of small, clear spherical beads measuring 0.4–2.5 mm across. Thanks to its versatility, good thermal insulation properties, and strength, EPS is ideally suited for use as an insulation material in the construction industry and in packaging. EPS products are widely used to insulate walls, floors, roofs, and protect buildings against ground frost. In the packaging field, EPS is used for products such as fish boxes, coolers, seating, bicycle helmets, and to protect fragile items during shipping. EPS products are cost-effective, safe, environmentally friendly, and fully recyclable.
StyroChem’s Managing Director, Thomas Stendahl, underlines the benefits of having a supplier like Neste Oil close to its production plant, both in terms of logistics and more generally.
”Working with Neste Oil in Kilpilahti is easy and flexible, and it’s also a plus that we used to be part of the same group years ago. We also source pentane from Neste Oil’s Naantali refinery, and deliveries from there also go very smoothly.”
Listening to the expectations of customers like StyroChem is important for Neste Oil and helps ensure a strong, long-term partnership.
”We work closely with StyroChem to meet their current needs and to keep up-to-date on their future product prospects,” says Laura Jansén, one of Neste Oil’s operational planners.
