Braskem, a Brazilian petrochemical company, is the biggest polymer producer in the Americas, with a large presence in Brasil and Mexico and an increasing activity in the US. Recent takeovers and green field projects have increased their total polymer production to over 7 million tons, largely dominated by PE (LD, LLD, EVA), PP, and PVC.

Braskem is 51% owned by the Odebrecht family and 49% by Petrobras, the Brasilian national oil producer, ensuring a good supply of feedstock products.

After the acquisition of Sunoco PP factories in the USA, Braskem bought the DOW polypropylene assets in the US and Europe in 2011. In this way they established a foothold on the European continent.

Braskem operates 35 production plants in Brazil, the USA and Germany with total capacity over 16 million tons of products and it makes Braskema major global player in polypropylene, polyethylene, PVC and chemistry products. Braskem employs about 7,500 people and its yearly revenue is about 24 billion USD.

Bioplastics

Braskem is the first company who started to produce on a world scale unit BIO- PE. This material is made out of sugarcane. The material behaves like normal HDPE but is made from renewable sources. In 2014, Braskem will also start to produce BIO-PP, derived from the same source.

Sustainability and global presence is high on the Braskem agenda and more investments will take place in the future.