Kraton Polymers Chooses IPS for Comprehensive $20 Million-Plus Services Agreement

IPS to provide automation solutions for Belpre, Ohio, site modernization

Invensys Process Systems (IPS), a global technology, software and consulting firm, today announced that it has signed a five-year, more-than-$20 million contract to provide comprehensive industrial automation services and solutions to Kraton Polymers, a copolymers industry pioneer and a leading producer of styrenic block copolymers with facilities in the United States, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Brazil, China and Japan.

Under the terms of the contract, IPS will deliver services and solutions to modernize certain operating aspects of Kraton's Belpre, Ohio, facility. IPS will implement its InFusion™ enterprise control technology, replace the Belpre plant's existing distributed control system (DCS) and digital automation system with IPS' I/A Series® DCS, and install Foxboro instrumentation, batch management software and linear and non-linear advanced process control (APC) applications.

"This contract shows the breadth and depth of our offerings and expertise in the chemical industry," said Steve Blair, IPS President of North America. "By leveraging the entire portfolio of IPS services and solutions, Kraton has embarked on a site modernization project that will help maximize production and minimize operational costs as Kraton continues to address the needs of their customers, employees and communities."

Because of its age and current mix of automation systems, Kraton's Belpre plant requires an integrated solution built on a site-wide, unified automation platform that supports continued growth. This is what IPS has committed to deliver via its InFusion enterprise control capabilities and world-renowned engineering services. IPS will also provide configuration, installation, start-up and lifetime support services, all of which are expected to lead to higher returns for Kraton on investments in operations, efficiency and production.

"IPS understood our specific needs, and by being able to include instrumentation and APC, along with the core distributed control system, they were, in our judgment, the lowest risk, single-source supplier of an automation solution for the Belpre facility that should be completely manageable and scalable," said Ken Stach, Kraton's Vice President of Operations. "We feel that the entire IPS team showed strength and capability in dealing with our timing and budgetary needs, and we look forward to working with them in the years to come as Kraton pursues continued improvements to our operating efficiencies."