Hazard Alert: Chemical reaction in styrene storage tank at Innova Manaus plant in Brazil

Company Background

The entity involved in this incident is Videolar-Innova S/A (hereinafter referred to as Innova), a leading private petrochemical and plastic processing enterprise specializing in styrenics in Brazil. It was established in 2015 through the integration of petrochemical assets acquired from Petrobras by the long-established plastics group Videlar. It is a core supplier of styrene monomer and polystyrene resin in the Latin American region.

The company operates three major production bases: two plants in Manaus, Amazonas, and the Triunfo Petrochemical Base in Rio Grande do Sul. Core chemical raw material production capacity is concentrated in the southern plant, with an annual styrene monomer capacity of 420,000 tons. The two Manaus plants focus on downstream polystyrene processing and plastic film production. Among them, Unit IV is a dedicated petrochemical storage and transfer zone in Manaus, equipped with a large group of atmospheric styrene monomer storage tanks. It supplies basic chemical raw materials to local electronics, food packaging, and daily necessities industrial chains. The plant has 150 production personnel on duty daily, operating on a five-shift rotation system.

Products cover styrene monomer, general/high-impact polystyrene, expandable EPS, BOPP films, and food plastic packaging, etc., supplying the whole of Brazil and radiating to multiple South American countries. In the first half of 2026, the company just disclosed a 423 million Real expansion plan for Manaus, increasing capacity for films and resins. It is a key large-scale chemical enterprise in the Amazon Industrial Park.

Full Incident Report Text

Innova issued an official report stating that on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 15, an abnormal chemical reaction occurred inside a styrene monomer storage tank at the company's Unit IV (Petrochemical Storage Area) located in the Manaus Industrial District.

After the dangerous situation arose, the company immediately dispatched its internal dedicated fire brigade to the scene to carry out risk control operations, while urgently contacting the Amazonas Military Police Fire Department (CBMAM) to rush to the scene for coordinated disposal. Multiple rescue teams simultaneously carried out tank cooling, gas monitoring, and area isolation work.

Innova clarified in its official statement that this storage tank chemical reaction incident caused no casualties, and no workers or rescue personnel were injured.

Regarding the specific trigger causes for the chemical reaction inside the storage tank, the company has not yet released detailed investigation conclusions. Currently, the on-site operation team continues to reinforce the physical containment around the involved storage tank, while simultaneously upgrading real-time monitoring programs for temperature and volatile gases across the entire area to maintain stable on-site safety conditions. Subsequently, they will jointly conduct in-depth traceability investigations with local fire and safety supervision departments to determine the cause of the accident.

At this stage, the storage area where the involved storage tank is located maintains a state of production shutdown and isolation. All material transfer pipelines are cut off and locked. Operations can only be resumed after a complete accident investigation report is issued and hidden dangers are rectified and accepted.