據天然氣新聞 2021年5月7日新加坡報道，由于疫苗接種計劃在亞洲各地推廣，制造醫療設備所需的基礎材料需求激增，韓國主要的石油化工生產商已經加大力度來提高聚丙烯的產量，這為韓國進口更多的石油化工原料石腦油打開了大門。

　　首爾的下游市場分析師表示：“今年第一季度，韓國對聚丙烯和聚乙烯的需求比去年同期大幅增加了34%以上。”

　　隨著東亞地區許多國家在第一季度末啟動冠狀病毒疫苗接種計劃，韓國醫療設備制造商正在滿負荷運轉，用于各種塑料醫療設備的國內分銷和出口。

　　因此，韓國石化企業表示，他們有能力滿足醫療設備和衛生產品制造商的需求，這些企業也熱衷于提供必要的材料。

　　韓國最大的石化企業韓華道達爾公司的一位管理人士說，該公司已經完成了一個為期4年的項目，以提高其聚丙烯生產能力。

　　根據這個項目，韓華道達爾公司新建了一個年產40萬噸聚丙烯的工廠，將其聚丙烯產能從此前的72萬噸/年提高到了112萬噸/年，增幅為55.6%，增幅為韓國最大。

　　此外，樂天化學表示，韓國醫療器械制造商Poonglim Pharmatech開發的一種新型LDS或低死亡空間注射器，已被選為全國接種過程中使用的主要注射工具之一，石化制造商計劃提高聚丙烯產量，因為該公司最能支持特定設備的制造。

　　因此，韓國石化工業協會稱，韓國石化原料石腦油的需求在未來幾個月可能呈上升趨勢。

　　李峻 編譯自天然氣新聞

　　原文如下：

　　S Korea may seek more naphtha as polypropylene, medical device needs surge

　　South Korea's major petrochemical makers have stepped up efforts to boost production of polypropylene as base material demand for medical device manufacturing surged following the rollout of vaccination programs across Asia, opening the door for the country to import more petrochemical feedstock naphtha.

　　South Korea's demand for polypropylene and polyethylene, which are essential for making general medical devices including mask filters, plastic disposable syringes and hypodermic needles, as well as protective medical suits and gears, jumped by more than 34% in the first-quarter from a year earlier, according to downstream market analysts based in Seoul.

　　With many countries across East Asia kicking off their coronavirus vaccination programs in late Q1, South Korean medical device manufacturers are running their plants at full capacity for both domestic distribution and export of various plastic-based medical equipment.

　　Accordingly, South Korean petrochemical producers said they are well positioned to cater to the needs of medical equipment and hygiene product manufacturers, and the companies are keen to supply necessary materials.

　　South Korea's biggest petrochemical maker, Hanwha Total, has completed a four-year project to boost its polypropylene production capacity, a company official said.

　　Under the project, Hanwha Total has built a new polypropylene plant with a capacity of 400,000 mt/year, raising its polypropylene production capacity by 55.6% to 1.12 million mt/year, the biggest in South Korea, from 720,000 mt/year previously.

　　In addition, Lotte Chemical said a new LDS, or Low Dead Space, syringe developed by South Korea's medical device manufacturer, Poonglim Pharmatech, has been selected as one of the main injection tools to be used in the nationwide vaccination process and the petrochemical maker plans to ramp up polypropylene output as the company stands best to support manufacturing of the particular device.

　　As a result, South Korea's petrochemical feedstock naphtha requirement will likely trend higher over the coming months, according to Korea Petrochemical Industry Association.