Exxon Mobil has completed the expansion of its specialty elastomers manufacturing plant in Newport, doubling the plant’s capacity and increasing the company’s global manufacturing capacity for Santoprene thermoplastic elastomers by 25%.

President Karen McKee said: “Exxon Mobil’s high-performance plastics help to make
automotive and consumer products lighter, resulting in improved fuel efficiency and higher performance when compared with products made with traditional materials.”

Santoprene thermoplastic elastomers are engineered to perform like vulcanised rubber, and they can be re-used and re-
engineered, leading to reduced shipping weights, improved recycling capabilities and more-sustainable manufacturing.

The project created about 35 full-time production jobs (plus 130 jobs during the construction phase). Exxon Mobil (www.corporate.exxonmobil.com) also manufactures Santoprene in Pensacola, Florida.

This announcement follows the company’s recently announced plans to expand its Fawley refinery in the UK to increase its production of ultra-low-sulphur diesel by almost 45% (or 38,000 barrels per day).