Communicator

INEOS' Project One site in Antwerp has already received its first major ‘landmark’: the ethane tank | INEOS, 5 June 2024

Antwerp, Belgium – June 10, 2025

INEOS has officially announced that its landmark €4 billion Project ONE ethane cracker in the Port of Antwerp has reached 70% completion, marking a major milestone for what is described as Europe’s largest chemical investment in a generation.

The announcement was made during a site visit by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, hosted by INEOS Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The event highlighted the scale and significance of the
project, which now employs over 2,500 workers on site as construction activity peaks.

"The visit marks a significant milestone for the project, which has now reached 70% completion and employs over 2,500 people on site. Construction is progressing at full pace, with major equipment, including giant furnaces and modular plant components, already installed. Civil works are nearing completion, and utility integration is well underway,” the official INEOS statement reads.

Commissioning and Outlook

Commissioning of Project ONE is scheduled to begin in autumn 2025, with mechanical completion anticipated by the end of 2026. Start-up of the facility is targeted for early 2027. The project is expected to create 450 high-quality permanent jobs and thousands more during the construction phase.

Sustainability and Innovation

Project ONE is designed to set new standards for sustainability in the European chemical sector. The ethane cracker will have a carbon footprint less than half that of the best-performing steam crackers in Europe, thanks to advanced technologies such as ultra-low NOx burners and the capacity to operate on low-carbon hydrogen from day one. The facility will be able to meet 60% of its heat demand with low-carbon hydrogen, with the potential to switch to 100% hydrogen as supply becomes available.

Strategic Importance

Sir Jim Ratcliffe emphasized the project’s strategic importance for Europe’s industrial future, noting that Project ONE is the first new cracker in Europe in a generation. Prime Minister Bart De
Wever praised the project’s progress and its role in reducing CO₂ emissions while supporting the region’s prosperity.

Conclusion

With 70% of construction completed and commissioning on the horizon, Project ONE is on track to transform the industrial landscape of Antwerp and set a benchmark for sustainable chemical production in Europe. The project continues to attract attention as a model for innovation, sustainability, and economic growth in the region.

#cracker  #steamcracker  #gascracker  #projectone  #ineos  #belgium  #antwerp  #technip 

AMUR GCC Project showing the 9 Linde Pyrolysis Furnaces and the Quench Tower | AGCC website

Amur Gas Chemical Complex: Navigating Technology Licensing Challenges

The Amur Gas Chemical Complex (Amur GCC) exemplifies the intricate balance between technological ambition and geopolitical realities. Originally designed to become the world’s largest polymer production site, the project has faced significant delays due to shifts in technology licensing dynamics, even as its core infrastructure advances.

The Amur GCC Project

Amur GCC stands as one of the most ambitious petrochemical undertakings in Russia’s recent history and a flagship of Russian-Chinese industrial cooperation. Located near Svobodny in the Amur region of Russia’s Far East, the project is a joint venture between SIBUR, Russia’s largest petrochemical company, holding a 60% stake, and China’s Sinopec, which owns the remaining 40%. When completed, Amur GCC will be among the world’s largest producers of base polymers, with a design capacity of 2.7 million tonnes per year—2.3 million tonnes of polyethylene and 400,000 tonnes of polypropylene.

The complex is integrated with the broader Amur gas processing and gas chemical cluster, ensuring direct feedstock supply via pipelines. Gazprom’s Amur Gas Processing Plant (Amur GPP), which processes natural gas from East Siberian fields, will supply the primary feedstock to Amur GCC: ethane (up to 2 million t/y), and LPG (propane/butane, ~1.1 million t/y).

Steam Cracker and Downstream Progress

At the heart of the complex lies its 2.3 million t/y ethylene plant, supplied and partially engineered by Linde before the German firm’s confirmed withdrawal in 2022. Linde’s contributions included delivering critical components like the 1,500-ton quench tower, transported from South Korea to the remote Amur site—a logistical triumph showcased in earlier project updates.



Quench tower delivery to AMUR GCC, Nov 2021 | Credit: Linde Engineering 

By January 2024, SIBUR released a progress video on AGCC status update as of December 2023, confirming that polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) production units were being deployed as originally planned. The footage shows equipment installation for these downstream facilities, suggesting that proprietary technologies from Western licensors—Univation (Unipol PE gas-phase plants), ChevronPhillips Chemical (PE slurry process, undefined if MarTECH Single Loop or Advanced Dual Loop), and LyondellBasell (Spheripol PP Technology)—remain integral to the project. This indicates that either licensing agreements persisted post-2022 or SIBUR/Sinopec retained rights to use the technologies despite licensors’ reduced involvement.



Amur GCC Progress Video, Jan 2024. Reactor in this screenshot is a Slurry Loop Reactor | Credit: Sibur

Licensing Uncertainties and Delays

While Linde publicly exited the project by July 2022, when part of the equipment, including the pyrolysis unit, had already been built, SIBUR and Sinopec decided to reconsider the strategy for implementing the project, redesigned it and replaced contractors and license holders for the polyethylene and polypropylene lines. To this date, the status of other Western partners remains ambiguous as public disclosures from SIBUR and Sinopec have not clarified whether CPChem, Univation, or LyondellBasell continue to provide technical support or if their pre-sanction contracts are being honored. The lack of explicit withdrawal announcements contrasts with the project’s two-year delay.



Amur GCC Progress Video, Jan 2024. Reactor in this screenshot is likely a Gas Phase Unipol PE reactor | Credit: Sibur

It is a matter of speculation if SIBUR and Sinopec may be relying on existing licenses, in-house expertise, or third-party intermediaries to proceed with the original technologies. The January 2024 video underscores that downstream unit construction aligns with initial designs, implying that the licensors’ intellectual property is still being utilized, albeit without confirmed active collaboration.

Construction began in August 2020 and mechanical completion has been delayed to 2026 (originally 2024–25). Despite licensing headwinds, the Amur GCC achieved 76% mechanical completion by mid-May 2025 with commercial polyethylene production to start by Q3 2026, polypropylene production and full operations expected to follow in 2027 (source: interfax.com).

Strategic Implications

The Amur GCC’s trajectory highlights the resilience of large-scale petrochemical projects in the face of geopolitical disruptions. While Linde’s exit created logistical and technical gaps, the continued use of Western-designed downstream technologies—whether through preserved licenses or workarounds—demonstrates SIBUR and Sinopec’s commitment to delivering a world-class facility. The complex’s success will hinge on operationalizing these units without direct licensor support, a challenge that could redefine global norms for technology transfer in sanctioned environments. For now, the Amur GCC stands as a testament to both international collaboration’s potential and its fragility in an era of shifting alliances.

#linde  #univation  #lyondellbasell  #chevronphillips  #cpchem  #sibur  #amurgcc  #sinopec 
#steamcracker  #ethyleneplant  #amur  #russia  #unipolpe  #martech  #slurryloop  #gasphasepe  #spheripol  #polyethylene  #polypropylene  #ethane  #lpg 

$5.2 Billion Vietnamese Project Records $304 Million Loss in 2024, Continues to Weigh Heavily on SCG’s Financial Results in Early 2025

The Long Son Petrochemical Complex (LSP), Vietnam’s first fully integrated petrochemical facility, has experienced a turbulent launch and operational trajectory since its much-anticipated commercial start-up in late 2024. This article aggregates the latest developments, contextualizes them within broader industry trends, and references previous communications that highlighted both optimism and early warning signs.

Background and Launch

Long Son Petrochemicals Co., Ltd., located in Ba Ria-Vung Tau and wholly owned by Thailand’s SCG Chemicals (a subsidiary of SCG Group), represents a $5.2–5.4 billion investment and is designed to produce 1.55 million tonnes of polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene) annually. The complex includes a world-scale, so-called Flex Feed Cracker with a capacity of 998,000 tonnes of ethylene, 500,000 tonnes of propylene, and 101,000 tonnes of butadiene per year, using naphtha, LPG, and soon, ethane as feedstock.

*Data from the Long Son Environmental Permit (in Vietnamese Language) dated August 30, 2023.

Interactive Process Flow Chart of Long Son Petrochemical Complex based on 2023's Environmental Permit Data | Unique Feature available only on Portfolio Planning PLUS Platform.

After years of construction and trial runs, LSP officially began commercial operations on September 30, 2024. The launch was heralded as a transformative step for Vietnam’s plastics and downstream manufacturing sectors, reducing reliance on imports and boosting local industry competitiveness.

Operational Suspension and Financial Losses

Despite the high-profile start-up, LSP suspended operations in mid-October 2024—just two weeks after commercial production began. This abrupt halt was attributed to:

• High production costs: Naphtha, the primary feedstock, remained expensive amid volatile crude oil prices.
• Weak global demand: A global downturn in the petrochemical market, exacerbated by oversupply and sluggish downstream demand, led to poor product margins.
• Low chemical spread: The spread between naphtha and polyethylene/polypropylene prices dropped to $300–$343 per tonne, below the threshold for profitable operations.

SCG Chemicals reported a staggering loss of $303.6 million from LSP in 2024, with monthly expenses at the complex reaching $35.5 million—40% of which are non-cash items like depreciation. The financial drag from LSP sharply reduced SCG’s consolidated profit, even as its other businesses remained profitable.

Capacity Questions and Technical Details

Our prior communication raised questions about the actual cracker capacity and the interpretation of trial run figures, whereby we issued a mass balancing challenge that still awaits contributions from users of the PPPLUS Platform.

Various data sources have reported diverging plant capacities for both the cracker and the downstream plants. In addition, calculated feedstock requirements to match the reported ethylene and propylene outputs are not making any sense in terms of cracker capacity. The figures we have used to generate the site's mass balance and process flow chart are taken from the Long Son Environmental Permit (in Vietnamese Language) dated August 30, 2023. During the brief operational window, initial output was reported at 74,000 tonnes—well below nameplate, reflecting the ramp-up phase and subsequent shutdown.

Strategic Adjustments and Future Plans

SCG has not abandoned the project. Instead, it is adapting the business model to address structural challenges:

• Feedstock flexibility: LSP is being retrofitted to use imported ethane as a primary feedstock, which offers better margins than naphtha. The company plans to invest an additional $400–700 million to enable the cracker to use up to two-thirds ethane, with completion targeted by end-2027.
• Cost management: SCG is implementing group-wide cost reductions and discontinuing unprofitable businesses, aiming to save 5 billion baht and cut working capital by 10 billion baht by early 2025.
• Potential restart: With recent improvements in polyolefin-to-feedstock spreads (averaging $396/t in April-May 2025), SCG is considering restarting LSP as early as August 2025, contingent on further margin recovery and market stability.

Long Son Petrochemical Complex Assets | Market Intelligence by Portfolio Planning PLUS

Market and Policy Environment

Vietnam’s government has signaled support for LSP’s expansion, promising to streamline procedures and facilitate stable gas imports, including ethane from the U.S.. However, the domestic market remains under pressure from competitive international polyolefin imports and subdued export demand.

Summary on Key Facts and Timeline

• Sep 30, 2024 - Commercial Start-up: Official launch of Vietnam’s first integrated petrochemical complex in Vietnam.
• Mid-Oct 2024 - Suspension of Operations: Halted after two weeks due to poor margins and high costs.
• Full Year 2024 - 2024 Financial Loss: $303.6 million loss from LSP; group profit slashed.
• 2025 - 2027 - Upgrade/Expansion Plans: $400–700 million investment to enable ethane feedstock; expansion under review.
• August 2025 (TBC) - Potential Restart: Dependent on market spreads and demand recovery.

Outlook

The Long Son Petrochemical Complex exemplifies both the promise and pitfalls of mega-projects in volatile global markets. While its technical capabilities and strategic significance remain intact, the project’s near-term viability hinges on market recovery, successful feedstock diversification, and continued government support. SCG’s willingness to invest further and adapt its strategy suggests a long-term commitment, but the road to profitability remains challenging and closely watched by industry observers.

#technipenergies  #basf  #mitsuichemicals  # univation #unipol  #hypol  #steamcracking  #lsp  #steamcracker  #vietnam  #crackerfeedstock  #massbalance  #longson  #scg 

Batangas Plant Assets & Technologies | Portfolio Planning PLUS

JG Summit Halts Batangas Petrochemical Operations

JG Summit Holdings has indefinitely suspended operations at its Batangas petrochemical complex, marking a pivotal shift for the Philippines' sole integrated naphtha-based production facility. The decision, driven by structural challenges in global markets, will idle the site for at least two years while the conglomerate evaluates strategic alternatives.

Petrochemical Operations Overview

JG Summit Olefins Corporation (JGSOC) operates the country's only fully integrated petrochemical complex, featuring:

• Naphtha cracker: 480,000 t/yr ethylene and 240,000 t/yr propylene capacity

Downstream units:

• 570,000 t/yr polyethylene (PE) across three plants
• 300,000 t/yr polypropylene (PP)
• Ancillary units producing benzene, toluene, and mixed xylenes

The complex supplied 100% of domestic PE and 68% of PP demand in 2024

Shutdown Drivers

The shutdown of JG Summit’s Batangas petrochemical complex was driven by a combination of challenging market dynamics and structural industry pressures. A persistent global oversupply, largely from ethane-based producers in the Middle East and North America, steadily eroded profit margins for naphtha-derived products. This unfavorable environment pushed polymer spreads to historic lows, culminating in JG Summit Olefins Corporation (JGSOC) reporting a ₱3.3 billion ($59 million) loss in the first quarter of 2025.

Beyond market forces, structural challenges also weighed heavily on the operation. The Batangas facility faced significantly higher operating costs compared to gas-based crackers, making it less competitive on a global scale. At the same time, export demand weakened as new regional capacities came online, further limiting the company’s ability to offset domestic pressures.

Operational and Financial Impact

Operationally, these factors forced JGSOC to fully halt its polyethylene and polypropylene production since January 2025. The shutdown created a domestic supply gap, leaving the Philippines entirely dependent on imports for these essential polymers. Financially, the impact was severe: JG Summit’s consolidated profit dropped by 61% year-on-year to ₱4.3 billion ($77 million), and the parent company had to absorb ₱17.1 billion ($306 million) in subsidiary debt as part of the restructuring.

Strategic Adjustments

In the wake of the shutdown, JG Summit has prioritized asset preservation by keeping the Batangas facility’s equipment in a condition that would allow for a potential restart or sale in the future. The company has also introduced workforce rationalization measures, rolling out employee care programs to support staff affected by the closure. At the same time, JG Summit is managing its remaining inventory by continuing to sell products from existing stockpiles, ensuring that any residual market demand is met.

Importantly, the conglomerate’s LPG trading operations under Peak Fuel Corp. remain unaffected by the petrochemical plant’s closure, providing some continuity in its energy-related business activities. Financial analysts believe that, despite incurring one-time restructuring costs of ₱7.9 billion ($142 million), the shutdown could actually enhance JG Summit’s consolidated EBITDA by 12 to 15 percent annually, as the company eliminates the losses associated with its petrochemical operations.

This strategic retreat from the petrochemicals sector allows JG Summit to shift resources and focus toward its core businesses, such as food manufacturing through Universal Robina and aviation via Cebu Pacific—both of which achieved strong double-digit growth in early 2025.

Outlook

The company’s decision highlights the ongoing structural challenges faced by Asian naphtha-based producers in a global environment increasingly shaped by the economics of shale gas and the competitive advantage it offers to gas-based petrochemical facilities.

#jgsummit  #jsoc  #philippines  #batangas  #steamcracker  #petrochemicals  #feedstock 

PRefChem Refinery Complex. Credit: prefchem.com

Malaysia’s Pengerang Refining Company (PRefChem Refining) has resumed operations by mid of May at one of its two residue fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) units at the Johor complex, following an extended shutdown for repairs since late January. The two RFCC units at PRefChem have a combined processing capacity of 170,000 barrels per day (bpd), making them among the largest of their kind in the region

Operational Challenges and Market Impact

• Both RFCC units had previously encountered operational disruptions in the fourth quarter of last year, further impacting production reliability. The recently restarted RFCC unit, which primarily produces gasoline, is not yet operating at full capacity, according to sources familiar with the matter. The unit had been offline since the last week of January due to technical issues, contributing to a significant reduction in overall refinery throughput.
   
• During the shutdown, crude processing rates at the 300,000-bpd refinery dropped to around 50% on average over the past four months. Since the recent restart, sporadic offers for gasoline cargoes loading in June have appeared in the market, signaling a gradual return to normal operations.
   
• In addition to gasoline, the refinery is expected to load 5–6 cargoes of diesel (each 300,000 barrels) in May, according to trade estimates, rebounding from less than 1 million barrels in April.
   
• On the petrochemical side, PRefChem’s only steam cracker, with an ethylene capacity of 1.2 million metric tons per year, has also been offline for repairs since late January. The cracker is slated for a restart in the second half of June, according to industry sources.

Strategic Context

PRefChem, a 50:50 joint venture between Malaysia’s state oil company Petronas and Saudi Aramco, operates the integrated refinery and petrochemical complex at Pengerang, Johor. The facility is a cornerstone of the Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC), which is Malaysia’s only fully integrated refinery, steam cracker, and petrochemical site. The complex is designed with multiple train configurations—including the two-train RFCC system using Axens technology (R2R) —to enhance production reliability and flexibility. Despite facing recurring operational disruptions since 2023, the company continues to invest in new technologies and capacity expansions to support long-term growth and regional energy security:

• New Projects: The $5.3 billion Pengerang Energy Complex, securing $3.5 billion in financing in December 2024, will add 2.6 million metric tons/year of aromatics capacity by 2028.
   
• Specialty Chemicals: The recently commissioned isononanol plant (250,000 tons/year) at the Pengerang Petrochemicals Complex achieved on-spec production in 2024, targeting full capacity by 2025.

Market Positioning

PRefChem remains strategically positioned as a major supplier of Euro 5-grade fuels and petrochemical feedstocks in Southeast Asia:

• Euro 5 Fuels: The refinery produces high-specification gasoline and diesel.
   
• Integrated Complex: The site houses 3.4 million tons/year of petrochemical capacity, including propylene and ethylene, though recent spot propylene tenders suggest inventory management amid cracker downtime.

Analysts note that while near-term operational reliability concerns persist, PRefChem's long-term growth pipeline and low-carbon investments position it to capitalize on Southeast Asia's rising petrochemical demand.

#prefchem  #saudiaramco  #petronas  #pengerang  #rfcc  #gasoline  #diesel  #steamcracker  #malaysia 

Cilegon Plant - LOTTE Indonesia New Ethylene (LINE). Credit: PT Lotte Chemical Indonesia

PT Lotte Chemical Indonesia (LCI) is undergoing a transformative phase marked by significant investment, new long-term supply agreements, and persistent industry headwinds. The company’s strategy and recent developments provide insight into both its growth ambitions and the broader challenges facing the Southeast Asian petrochemical sector.

Major Expansion: New Cracker Facility

LCI is set to commence operations at its new mixed-feed cracker in Cilegon, Banten province, Indonesia, in the second half of 2025. This facility, part of a $3.95 billion investment, will have an annual production capacity of 1 million metric tons of ethylene. The new cracker is a central component of the Lotte Chemical Indonesia New Ethylene (LINE) project, which aims to strengthen the company's upstream integration and supply chain resilience.

Strategic 10-Year Ethylene Supply Deal

In May 2025, LCI secured a 10-year ethylene supply contract with PT Asahimas Chemical, an integrated chemical producer in Indonesia. The contract, effective from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2035, commits LCI to supply approximately 150,000 tonnes of ethylene per year to Asahimas Chemical. The agreement’s value is expected to exceed 10% of Lotte Chemical Titan (the Malaysian-listed parent)'s latest annual consolidated revenue, underlining its financial significance. Pricing for the contract is pegged to prevailing market rates, ensuring flexibility in a volatile market environment. The long-term deal provides both revenue stability for Lotte Chemical and supply security for Asahimas, supporting downstream chemical industries in Indonesia.

Financial and Market Pressures

Despite these strategic moves, Lotte Chemical Titan continues to face financial challenges. The company reported its eighth consecutive quarterly loss in Q1 2025, though losses narrowed year-on-year due to improved product spreads and contributions from its US associate. For Q1 2025, Lotte Chemical Titan posted a net loss of RM125.67 million, compared to RM178.03 million a year earlier, with revenue dropping 22.3% to RM1.49 billion on lower sales volume and prices. The global petrochemical sector is currently experiencing margin compression due to oversupply, particularly from China, which has weighed on profitability and forced companies like Lotte Chemical to operate existing Malaysian crackers at reduced capacity (45%-50% since December 2024).

Ownership Restructuring and Strategic Flexibility

To bolster its financial position, Lotte Chemical reduced its stake in the Indonesian venture from 49% to 24% in early 2025, selling the shares to a consortium of South Korean financial institutions. Lotte Chemical Titan retains a 51% stake in Lotte Chemical Indonesia. The company is also exploring feedstock flexibility for the new cracker, planning to source naphtha from the Middle East and potentially substitute up to 50% of naphtha feedstock with natural gas liquids such as LPG or ethane, depending on market economics.

Sector Outlook and Strategic Positioning

The Southeast Asian petrochemical industry is in a phase of consolidation, with mergers and acquisitions on the rise as companies seek to enhance shareholder value amid challenging conditions. Lotte Chemical’s long-term supply contract and the new Indonesian cracker position it to capitalize on regional  demand growth, even as it navigates short-term market volatility and restructuring pressures. The new supply agreement is not expected to impact the company’s share capital or ownership structure, maintaining stability for investors.

Conclusion

Lotte Chemical Indonesia’s ambitious expansion and strategic supply agreements reflect a commitment to long-term growth and regional market leadership. However, the company continues to navigate a difficult economic landscape characterized by global oversupply, margin pressure, and the need for financial restructuring. The coming years will be pivotal as the new cracker comes online and the company seeks to leverage its strengthened position in Indonesia’s growing chemical sector.

#lotte  #lottechemical  #indonesia  #malaysia  #lci  #lineproject  #cilegon  #asahimas  #agc  #asahiglass  #ethylene  #steamcracker  #ethyleneplant 

PJSC Nizhnekamskneftekhim (NKNKH), part of the SIBUR petrochemical holding, has successfully completed construction and initiated commissioning of its new EP-600 ethylene plant in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan. Construction concluded in December 2024, marking a major milestone for both the company and the Russian petrochemical industry.

Key Project Highlights

• Construction Completion: The EP-600 complex, the largest petrochemical expansion in Tatarstan’s modern history, was finished in December 2024 after four years of development.
• Startup and First Ethylene Production: In January 2025, the plant received its first tons of ethylene as part of commissioning activities, with commercial-grade ethylene already delivered to downstream consumers at Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Kazanorgsintez.
• Capacity Expansion: EP-600 doubles Nizhnekamskneftekhim’s ethylene production capacity, adding 600,000 tonnes per year. The facility can process 1.8 million tonnes of straight-run gasoline annually, also producing over 270,000 tonnes of propylene, 245,000 tonnes of benzene, and 88,000 tonnes of butadiene.
• Downstream Integration: The new complex enables expanded output of premium polymers and chemicals, including: 300,000 tpy of metallocene polyethylene, 250,000 tpy of polystyrene, 350,000 tpy of ethylbenzene, 400,000 tpy of styrene and 50,000 tpy of hexene.
• Investment and Technology: The project represents an investment of about 200 billion rubles. Notably, commissioning was managed using in-house expertise-without reliance on foreign licensors or vendors-demonstrating SIBUR’s growing technical independence.
• Environmental Standards: EP-600 incorporates advanced environmental solutions, including CO₂ emissions 10% below the best available technologies, and nitrogen oxide emissions significantly lower than both Russian and European standards.

Strategic Significance

The EP-600 project is central to SIBUR’s and Nizhnekamskneftekhim’s strategy for expanding Russia’s chemical and petrochemical complex through 2030. The facility’s products will support both existing and new production chains, boosting the development of the Volga petrochemical cluster and stimulating further investment in high-value polymer processing in the region.

Next Steps

• Ramp-Up: The plant aims to reach full design capacity by the end of 2025.
• Further Expansion: With EP-600 as a foundation, SIBUR is advancing additional projects, including new hexene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and polystyrene units, as well as premium metallocene polyethylene production. Construction of these downstream facilities is scheduled to begin in 2025, with commissioning targeted for 2028.

With the successful completion and startup of EP-600, Nizhnekamskneftekhim and SIBUR have reinforced their leadership in Russia’s petrochemical industry, laying the groundwork for further growth and innovation in the sector.

#sibur  #nizhnekamskneftekhim  #kazanorgsintez  #ethyleneplant  #steamcracker  #russia 

Lukoil Stravolen petrochemical producer has been created, some of the technologies added with known capacities.


#lukoil  #stravolen  #univation  #unipolpe  #grace  #unipolpp  #ethyleneplant  #steamcracker  #technip 

Nizhnekamskneftekhim manufacturing site has been created and its first and second ethylene plants have been added.

#linde #ethyleneplant  #steamcracker  #sibur  #nizhnekamskneftekhim 

PJSC "Nizhnekamskneftekhim" has been created.


#Nizhnekamskneftekhim  #sibur  #russia  #rubber  #ethyleneplant  #steamcracker 

Dow Werk Böhle has been created, cracker and production capacities have been added.

#steamcracker #naphthacracker  #dow  #germany  #böhlen

Dow Inc. has announced a significant delay to its highly anticipated Path2Zero project in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, while also expanding its review of European assets in response to ongoing market challenges. The Path2Zero initiative, originally slated for phased startup in 2027 and 2029, represents an $8.9 billion investment to build the world’s first net-zero emissions steamcracker (ethylene plant) and polyethylene production facility. This project was designed to decarbonize 20% of Dow’s global ethylene capacity and boost its polyethylene output by about 15%, supplying roughly 3.2 million metric tonnes of low- or zero-carbon plastics annually.

The decision to delay construction comes as Dow faces persistent global economic uncertainty, including unpredictable U.S. trade policies and tariffs that have dampened demand and increased market volatility. According to Dow CEO Jim Fitterling, the pause is intended to preserve cash flow and avoid escalating costs before major construction begins. By delaying the project, Dow expects to save $600 million in 2025, contributing to a $1 billion reduction in capital expenditures for the year. Despite the setback, the company remains committed to the long-term vision of the Path2Zero project, which is seen as crucial for future growth in sectors such as pressure pipes, wiring, cables, and food packaging.

In addition to the Path2Zero delay, Dow is broadening its review of European assets, particularly in light of high feedstock and energy costs, weak demand, and increasingly complex regulatory conditions in the region. This expanded review now includes all value-creating options for its polyurethanes business, as well as three high-cost, energy-intensive upstream assets: the steam cracker in Böhlen, Germany; chlor-alkali and vinyl assets in Schkopau, Germany; and the basics siloxanes plant in Barry, U.K. The company aims to complete this review by mid-2025, with possible outcomes ranging from idling to shutting down these facilities.

Financially, Dow reported a net loss of $290 million in the first quarter of 2025, reversing a profit from the previous year, largely due to lower prices and higher costs. The company has also implemented a global workforce reduction of 1,500 jobs and is targeting approximately $6 billion in near-term cash support through asset sales and legal settlements. Despite these challenges, the Alberta government and other project stakeholders continue to support the Path2Zero initiative, emphasizing its long-term importance for the region’s economy and the global shift toward low-emissions energy.

#dow  #dowchemical  #dowolefins  #steamcracker  #b öhlen #germane  #schkopau  #chloralkali  #netzero   #chloralkali 

Kawasaki refinery aerial view @ENEOS Corporation

ENEOS to Restructure Petrochemical Operations with Planned Shutdown of Kawasaki Ethylene Unit by 2027

Tokyo | Feb 26, 2025 -- ENEOS Corporation has announced that it will begin considering ways to optimize its petrochemical production and supply network, with the expectation that one of its two ethylene production units at the Kawasaki Refinery Plant in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture will be shut down. This decision is part of ENEOS’s Third Medium-Term Management Plan, which aims to establish a solid earnings base and strengthen the competitiveness of its petroleum refining and marketing operations. Safe operations and a stable supply of energy remain key priorities for the company.

The Japanese petrochemical industry is currently facing a structural decline in domestic demand for its products, as well as intense international competition, particularly from other Asian countries. The construction of new petrochemical plants, especially in China, has led to an oversupply situation, forcing existing ethylene production units in Japan to operate at lower rates. As a result, the industry is under significant pressure.

The ethylene production unit scheduled for termination is located in the Ukishima South Area of the Kawasaki Refinery Plant, with the shutdown planned for the end of fiscal year 2027. The Kawasaki Refinery Plant currently operates two ethylene production units: the Ukishima North Area unit, which began operations in 1971 and has a production capacity of 540,000 tons per year, and the Ukishima South Area/Kawasaki Area unit, which started in 1970 and has a capacity of 448,000 tons per year.


#eneos  #steamcracker  #ethyleneplant  #naphthacracker  #kawasaki  #refinery  #plantclosure 

Ethylene Production Optimization in the Chiba Area scheduled for completion in fiscal year 2026.

April 1, 2025

Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. and Maruzen Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd.) have announced a significant change to their ethylene production operations in the Chiba area. Maruzen Petrochemical will shut down its own ethylene production facilities by fiscal 2026, and all ethylene production will be consolidated at Keiyo Ethylene Co., Ltd. Keiyo Ethylene is a joint venture between Maruzen Petrochemical, which holds a 55% ownership stake, and Sumitomo Chemical, which holds 45%. The shareholding ratio will remain the same after the consolidation.

This move comes in response to several challenges facing the industry, including a global oversupply of ethylene due to new, large-scale plants in China, as well as declining domestic demand for ethylene in Japan. Both companies recognize the need to improve operating rates, lower costs, and reduce CO₂ emissions to remain competitive.

By consolidating production at Keiyo Ethylene, which is Japan’s most advanced and largest ethylene facility, Sumitomo Chemical and Maruzen Petrochemical aim to increase the operating rate and competitiveness of the Chiba petrochemical complex. The consolidation is also expected to lower fixed costs and advance green transformation initiatives, supporting the companies’ efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions.

The Maruzen Chiba Plant, operated by Maruzen Petrochemical since April 1969, currently has a capacity of 525,000 tons per year (or 480,000 tons during repair years). Keiyo Ethylene, which began operations in December 1994, has a capacity of 768,000 tons per year (or 690,000 tons during repair years). The optimization and consolidation of ethylene production are targeted for completion by fiscal year 2026.

Overall, this consolidation is designed to ensure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the Chiba petrochemical complex by focusing production at the most efficient site and supporting environmental goals.


#sumitomo  #maruzen  #chemicals  #ethylene  #chiba  #japan  #consolidation  #keiyo  #cracker  #steamcracker  #ethyleneplant  #plantclosure 

Ibaraki plant cracker and ethylene capacity have been added.

#mitsubishi #chemical  #ibaraki  #kashima  #steamcracker  #naphthacracker  #ethyleneplant 

Keiyo Ethylene Company has been added, and Chiba ethylene plant with production capacities added.



#keiyo  #kec  #ethylene  naphthacracker #chiba  #japan  #maruzen  #sumitomo  #steamcracker 

Cracker technology has been identified, OCT plant and olefins nameplate capacities added.

#lummus #steamcracker  #liquidcracker  #naphthacracker  #osaka  #japan  #mitsui  #mcm  #ethylene #oct  #propylene 

SASREF Refinery in Jubail, Saudi Arabia © Saudi Aramco Media Gallery

Saudi Aramco is preparing to initiate the main tendering phase for a major expansion of its Saudi Aramco Jubail Refinery Company (Sasref) in Jubail Industrial City, with the solicitation of interest (SoI) round expected in the second quarter of 2025. This project is a key component of Aramco’s $100 billion liquids-to-chemicals program, designed to transform the Sasref refinery into an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex through the addition of a mixed-feed and of an ethane cracker, that will draw ethane from an adjacent refinery.

South Korea’s Samsung E&A is currently executing pre-FEED and FEED work under an 18-month contract awarded by Aramco in March 2024 and the project is expected to move into the EPC tendering phase following completion of the engineering studies.

Strategic international collaboration is central to the expansion. In November 2024, Aramco signed a development framework agreement in Beijing with China’s Rongsheng Petrochemical, outlining joint planning and cooperation for the Sasref project. This builds on earlier agreements from April and September 2024, which set the stage for a potential joint venture, with Rongsheng considering the acquisition of a 50% stake in Sasref and Aramco potentially taking a 50% stake in Rongsheng’s Ningbo Zhongjin Petrochemical Company (ZJPC)

Aramco has been the sole owner of Sasref since acquiring Shell’s 50% stake in 2019. The Sasref expansion is part of Aramco’s broader strategy to maximize value from its crude production, expand its downstream footprint, and foster international partnerships in both Saudi Arabia and China.

#aramco  #rongsheng  #steamcracker  #sasref  #jubail  #saudiarabia  #refinery  #petrochemicals  #refineryexpansion 

TotalEnergies Manufacturing Site at the port of Antwerpen ©Belga

TotalEnergies closes one of its two steam crackers in Antwerp, 253 jobs disappear "without layoffs"

Antwerpen, 22 April 2025 -- TotalEnergies will close one of its two steam crackers in the port of Antwerp, a decision that will impact more than 250 jobs. No forced layoffs will be announced, according to the energy group.

By 2028, the chemical cluster in the port of Antwerp will lose one of its three steam crackers. TotalEnergies has chosen to shut down its oldest Naphtha Cracker (NC2). The reason is a concerning overcapacity in the petrochemical market. Although 253 positions are affected by this closure, management seeks to reassure: no forced departures are on the horizon.

“We assure every employee of the affected steam cracker that they will be able to continue their activity at our Antwerp site,” says Ann Veraverbeke, CEO, in an interview with Gazet van Antwerpen. “This transition is possible because, by early 2028, 270 of our employees in Antwerp will reach the legal retirement age. The 253 employees from the old steam cracker will be essential to fill this wave of departures.”

Ethylene overcapacity

NC2, a petrochemical facility that transforms hydrocarbons into basic molecules used in the chemical industry, was “historically dependent” on a contract with a user of the ethylene produced, who did not wish to renew this contract, the French oil and gas group specified.

The facility “will no longer have outlets for its ethylene production” and TotalEnergies will “focus on its newest steam cracker (NC3), whose ethylene production is entirely consumed by TotalEnergies’ units in Antwerp and Feluy,” it added.

2017 Revamp of Naphtha Cracker 3

As part of a project to upgrade its refining and chemicals platform in Antwerp, TotalEnergies had started up a new ethylene cracker that runs on ethane feedstock in July 2017, investing nearly $60 million to revamp its Naphtha Cracker 3 to run on the light feed and the adaption of the site’s terminal to enable the import of 200,000 t of ethane per year by ship from Norway. The revamp was done to optimize supply by providing flexibility for the cracker to use either ethane, butane or naphtha as feedstock, so that advantaged feedstock could therefore account for more than 50% total input.

#totalenergies  #antwerp  #belgium  #petrochemicals  #steamcracker  #naphthacracker  #plantclosure  #ethylene 

The description of the Idemitsu Tokuyama Complex has been updated.

#idemitsu #tokuyama  #tokuyamacomplex  #japan  #naphth  #steamcracker  #naphthacracker 

Silleno project has been modelled, with technologies and their respective capacity identified, excepted for the ethylene  dimerization process.
 

#silleno #kazakhstan  #axens  #alphabutol  #cpchem  #martech  #adl  #martechadl  #dualloop  #bimodal  #univation  #unipolpe  #lummus  #steamcracker  #srt  #steamcracking  #gascracker  #ethylene  #polyethylene 

CSPCL Huizhou Petrochemical Plant / Shell

Beijing, China, February 22, 2016 -- CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited (CSPC), a joint venture between Shell Nanhai B.V. and CNOOC Petrochemicals Investment Ltd., has officially announced the third phase of expansion for its petrochemical complex in Daya Bay, Huizhou, Guangdong Province. This ambitious project, valued at $6.7 billion, represents a significant step forward in meeting China's growing demand for petrochemical products.

The expansion will include the construction of a third ethane cracker with a planned capacity of 1.6 million tonnes per year (tpy) of ethylene, boosting the complex's total ethylene production capacity to 3.8 million tpy. Ethylene serves as a key building block for plastics and other essential chemical products. Alongside the cracker, the project will add 16 downstream derivatives units producing specialty chemicals including linear alpha olefins, Bisphenol-A (240,000 topy), polycarbonates (260,000 tpy), and diphenyl carbonate (220,000 tpy).

Linear alpha olefins are vital for manufacturing detergent alcohol and synthetic lubricants, while polycarbonates are used in impact-resistant plastics that can replace carbon-intensive steel. Carbonate solvents play a critical role in lithium-ion batteries, supporting the electric vehicle sector and energy storage solutions.

The new facilities aim to meet domestic demand across various industries, including agriculture, construction, healthcare, and consumer goods.

Scheduled for completion by 2028, the project incorporates innovative technologies to reduce environmental impact. CSPC plans to electrify compressor units and increase renewable energy usage to achieve a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, aligning with China's carbon neutrality goals.

#sustainabilitygoals  #steamcracker  #ethanecracker  #ethylene  #cnooc  #cspc  #shell  #china  #huizhou  #guangdong  #sustainability  #linearalphaolefins  #lao  #polycarbonate  #electrification  #renewableenergy  #carbonemissions  #neutralitygoals 

Dow Tarragona North has been created  and the cracker plant has been  added as well as ethylene and propylene production.


#dow  #spain  #iberica  #steamcracker  #linde  #ethylene  #propylene 

Saudi Arabia, 27 Feb 2025 - Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem) and global chemical giant LyondellBasell have announced a significant partnership to explore the development of a world-scale mixed-feed cracker in Saudi Arabia, bolstered by their successful securing of feedstock allocation from the Saudi government.

The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to conduct a joint feasibility study for the proposed facility, which would utilize both ethane and refinery off-gases as feedstock. This mixed-feed approach offers greater flexibility in raw material sourcing while potentially improving the economics of the operation.

The proposed cracker would be integrated with downstream units to produce a range of high-value petrochemical products, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and various specialty chemicals. Industry analysts estimate the total investment could exceed $5 billion, though the companies have not confirmed specific figures pending the feasibility study's completion.

For LyondellBasell, the partnership represents a strategic move to expand its presence in the Middle East, a region that offers competitive feedstock advantages and growing domestic markets. The company has been actively restructuring its global portfolio, seeking opportunities in regions with favorable economics while potentially divesting from higher-cost locations.

The Saudi government has strongly supported the development of domestic petrochemical capacity through initiatives like Vision 2030, which aims to reduce the country's dependence on crude oil exports by developing downstream industries, aligning with national priorities to capture more value from the country's natural resources.

If the feasibility study yields positive results, construction could begin as early as 2026, with production potentially starting by 2029. The facility would likely be located in Jubail Industrial City, where Sipchem already operates several petrochemical plants and where existing infrastructure could support the new development.

The project faces competition from similar large-scale petrochemical developments in the region, including those being pursued by Saudi Aramco and SABIC. However, industry experts believe growing global demand for petrochemical products, particularly in emerging Asian markets, provides room for multiple new facilities.

The announcement comes as part of a broader wave of petrochemical investments in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region, as producers seek to capitalize on competitive feedstock costs while meeting growing global demand for plastics and other petrochemical derivatives.

#aramco  #sabic  #sipchem  #lyondellbasell  #steamcracker  #ethane  #rog  #polyethylene  #polypropylene  #saudirabia 

Shell Polymer Monace site has been modelled with its complete mass balance and identification of technologies employed with their production capacities. 


#unipolpe  #univation  #ineos  #slurryloop  #innovene  #linde  #steamcracker  #ecu  #ethane  #gascracker 

New Delhi – India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is actively seeking strategic partners to ensure a stable supply of ethane feedstock for its ONGC Petro additions Ltd (OPaL) petrochemical complex in Dahej, Gujarat.

ONGC has issued an expression of interest (EOI) to collaborate with companies experienced in the operation and management of very large ethane carriers (VLECs), very large gas carriers, and liquefied natural gas carriers. This initiative aims to secure the necessary infrastructure for transporting 800,000 tonnes per year of ethane, which OPaL requires from May 2028 onwards.

OPaL operates a dual-feed cracker capable of producing 1.1 million tonnes per year of ethylene and 400,000 tonnes per year of propylene. The facility relies on a mix of naphtha and C2, C3, and C4 feedstock.

ONGC's plan involves establishing a joint venture company that will handle funding and the construction of VLECs. ONGC will then charter these vessels to transport its ethane requirements.

Interested parties have until March 27th to submit their proposals.

#opal  #ongc  #india  #vlec  #steamcracker  #ethane  #lpg 

Saudi Arabian Oil Co., DHAHRAN, 17^th Nov 2022, Aramco affiliate S-OIL to build one of the world’s largest petrochemical crackers in South Korea

Aramco is making its biggest ever investment in South Korea to develop one of the world’s largest refinery-integrated petrochemical steam crackers through its S-OIL affiliate, in line with the company’s strategy to maximize the crude to chemicals value chain.

The $7 billion Shaheen project aims to convert crude oil into petrochemical feedstock and would represent the first commercialization of Aramco and Lummus Technology’s TC2C thermal crude to chemicals technology, which increases chemical yield and reduces operating costs. It follows an earlier $4 billion investment into the first phase of the petrochemical expansion completed in 2018.

Located at S-Oil’s existing site in Ulsan, the new plant is planned to have the capacity to produce up to 3.2 million tons of petrochemicals annually and include a facility to produce high-value polymers. The project is expected to start in 2023 and be completed by 2026.

The steam cracker is expected to process by-products from crude processing, including naphtha and off-gas, to produce ethylene — a building block petrochemical used to make thousands of everyday items. The plant is also expected to produce propylene, butadiene and other basic chemicals.

#shaheen  #soil  #petrochemicals  #tc2c  #oiltochemicals  #crudeoiltochemicals  #southkorea  #aramco  #steamcracker  #ulsan  #thermalcrudetochemical  #naphtha 

ExxonMobil's ethylene plant n°3 in Baytown, Texas (Credit: ExxonMobil)

February 7, 2025 | Point Comfort, Texas, USA (ExxonMobil Corp.)

ExxonMobil is evaluating the construction of an $8.6 billion polyethylene plant in Point Comfort, Texas, as part of its global growth strategy. The proposed facility, which would include a large-scale ethane cracker, aims to produce ethylene and polyethylene—key components in plastic manufacturing.

The project is under review following Exxon's application for tax abatements under Texas' Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation Act (JETI). If approved, construction could begin as early as 2026, with operations expected to start in 2031.

The plant would generate approximately 600 permanent and contract jobs and employ over 3,000 workers during peak construction. Exxon projects the facility will contribute $3.6 billion annually to the state's economy once fully operational.

Exxon is also considering alternative locations for the project in the Middle East, Asia, and other parts of North America. The final decision will depend on market conditions and governmental support in competing regions.

#exxonmobil  #polyethylene  #ethylene  #steamcracker  #texas  #usgc  #gulfcoast  #ethanecracker  #gascracker 

DOW Chemical’s industrial complex, in Terneuzen, The Netherlands

24^th Jan 2025

Dow's decision to indefinitely postpone the maintenance of its No. 3 ethylene cracker (LCH-3) at Terneuzen reflects the company's strategy to navigate challenging market conditions in Europe.

Initially planned for 2023 and later rescheduled for 2025, the maintenance has now been deferred indefinitely due to weak regional demand and cost-cutting measures.

The idling of this cracker, which has a nameplate capacity of 680,000 tons per year of ethylene, will help Dow reduce expenditures while maintaining its ability to meet customer commitments through its other two operational crackers (LCH-1, LCH-2) at the site.

This move highlights the broader struggles in Europe's petrochemical sector, where subdued demand and oversupply have pressured margins.

The closure of downstream derivative production facilities at the DOW Chemical’s industrial complex, in Terneuzen, such as Trinseo's ethylbenzene-styrene unit and Olin's cumene unit in 2023, has further exacerbated the challenges in placing cracker products in the market.

Dow's flexibility in feedstock usage at Terneuzen has historically supported profitability, but current conditions necessitate operational adjustments.

The timeline for restarting LCH-3 remains uncertain and will depend on market recovery and investment in required maintenance.

#terneuzen  #netherlands  #dowchemical  #steamcracker 

Multiple technologies have been identified and added.
Work in progress to add other technologies used by the complex, not yet modelled on the platform. 

#kbr  #phenolacetone  #cumene  #badger  #lyondellbasell  #spheripol  #lupotech  #isopropylbenzene  #cumene  #badger  #bisphenol  #phenol  #polycarbonate  #asahikasei  #steamcracker  #gascracker  #eoeg  #ethyleneglycol  #meg  #scientificdesign  #hostalen  #hdpe 

IOCL chairman Arvinder Singh Sahney having a discussion with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on 24 Dec 2024 (Photo | Express)

Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), India's largest oil refiner, has announced a significant investment of approximately $7 billion (INR 61,000 crore) in a new naphtha cracker project in Paradip, Odisha. This project represents a major step in expanding India's petrochemical production capacity and boosting economic development in the region.

The naphtha cracker unit will be located at IOCL's existing refinery complex in Paradip. This strategic location offers synergies with the existing infrastructure and feedstock supply. The project is expected to create numerous jobs during construction and operation, contributing to local employment and economic growth. The investment proposals is part of Paradip refinery capacity expansion from 15 million tonne per annum (MTPA) to 25 MTPA.

This investment underscores IOCL's commitment to meeting the growing demand for petrochemicals in India. The naphtha cracker will produce key building blocks for various downstream products, serving industries ranging from plastics and packaging to textiles and automotive. This project will reduce India's reliance on imports for these crucial materials.

#iocl  #indianoilcompany  #steamcracker  #naphtha  #india  #paradip  #refinery 

BPCL Mumbai Refinery

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has unveiled plans for an ambitious $11 billion integrated refinery and petrochemical complex in Andhra Pradesh, marking a significant expansion of India's refining capabilities. The announcement comes as India positions itself to become a major global refining hub amid Western companies' shift toward energy transition.

In a recent interview, BPCL Chairman G. Krishnakumar highlighted the strategic importance of the project, stating, "We feel there is a big opportunity in the refining sector. India's primary energy demand itself is also going to increase three to four times as its economy expands." This expansion aligns with India's vision to become a developed nation by 2047, targeting a GDP growth from $3.8 trillion to $30 trillion.

The proposed facility in Andhra Pradesh will include a 9-million-metric-tons-per-year refinery and an ethylene cracker, with an estimated cost between 900-950 billion rupees ($10.56-11.14 billion). The complex will feature a 35% petrochemical intensity, and pre-project work, including land acquisition, has already begun.

The strategic location in South India is particularly significant, as approximately 80% of the complex's output will serve the southern region's petrochemical developers and automobile manufacturers. This new facility will complement BPCL's existing operations, which currently include three refineries with a combined capacity of 35.3 million metric tons per year, plus fuel purchases from the 3-million-metric-ton Numaligarh refinery in the northeast.

Beyond this major project, BPCL is diversifying its portfolio with renewable energy initiatives. The company aims to achieve 10 gigawatts of clean energy projects by 2035 and has formed a joint venture with Sembcorp to expand its current 300-megawatt renewable energy portfolio.

Additionally, Krishnakumar expressed optimism about the $20 billion Mozambique LNG project, led by France's TotalEnergies, in which BPCL holds a stake alongside other Indian companies. Operations are expected to commence in the first quarter of 2025, with gas monetization projected for 2028-2029.

The investment in the Andhra Pradesh complex will help BPCL reduce its dependence on external fuel purchases, which currently account for one-fifth of the 50 million metric tons of refined fuels sold through its retail stations.

#bpcl  #india  #refinery  #lng  #totalenergies  #grassrootrefinery  #steamcracker  #renewableenergy 

Mixed feed cracker with KBR SCORE technology has been created and its productions have been added.



#kbr  #score  #mfc  #steamcracker  #olefinplant  #yeosu  #korea  #gscaltex 

July 2, 2018 | KBR SCORE™ Technology Selected for GS Caltex Grassroots Olefins Plant in South Korea
KBR, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a contract to supply its proprietary SCORE™ Ethylene Technology to GS Caltex Corporation for a grassroots mixed feed cracker (MFC) for its project in Yeosu, South Korea.  Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide its innovative Selective Cracking Optimum Recovery (SCORE™) technology license and basic engineering design services for a 700 KTA ethylene mixed feed cracker to be built by GS Caltex, a company owned by GS Energy and U.S. based Chevron Corp. The new plant will use naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas and refinery off-gases as its main feedstocks. It will be constructed in the South Korean southern city of Yeosu where GS Caltex's 790,000 barrels-per-day refinery is located. The project will use KBR's highly selective SC-1 furnaces for the highest yield and flexibility. (Source)

29^th Aug 2018 | GS Caltex to Build Olefin Plant in Yeosu for 2.6 Tln Won
GS Caltex said on Aug. 7 (2018) that the company decided to build an olefin production facility capable of producing 700,000 tons of ethylene per year and 500,000 tons of polyethylene annually by investing about 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) in a 430,000-square-meter site near its second plant in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.

11^th Nov 2022 | GS Caltex completes construction of $2 billion petrochemicals manufacturing plant.
GS Caltex completed the construction of its 2.7-trillion-won ($2 billion) petrochemicals manufacturing plant in Yeosu, South Jeolla.
The newly-built production plant, a mixed feed cracker (MFC), will mainly produce olefins such as ethylene and polyethylene. Olefins are widely used as raw materials for plastics, rubbers and chemical products.
The MFC will annually produce 750,000 tons of ethylene, 500,000 tons of polyethylene, 410,000 tons of propylene, 240,000 tons of mixed C4 raffinate and 410,000 tons of pyrolysis gasoline, according to GS Caltex.
Unlike naphtha crackers, which uses only naphtha for petrochemicals production, MFCs can use not only naphtha but other feedstock such as liquid petroleum gas and refinery off-gas, which are crude refining byproducts. The facility can also produce hydrogen using naphtha and refinery off-gas, replacing the previously-used liquefied natural gas, and therefore cut carbon emissions by 76,000 tons a year, said GS Caltex.

4^th Jul 2024 | Korea’s GS Caltex to debottleneck Yeosu cracker in Sep
The cracker will undergo a turnaround and debottlenecking from 23 September to 25 November, according to sources at the company. GS Caltex's mixed-feed cracker currently has a nameplate capacity of 750,000 t/yr of ethylene and 410,000 t/yr of propylene. Its ethylene capacity will increase by 150,000 t/yr to 900,000 t/yr after the debottlenecking process, while propylene capacity will rise by 60,000 t/yr to 470,000 t/yr.
The debottlenecking process will also raise GS Caltex's crude C4s output from the existing 250,000 t/yr to 300,000 t/yr. The company now feeds its crude C4s to a 90,000 t/yr butadiene extraction unit, a joint venture (JV) plant between GS Caltex's parent company GS Energy and fellow producer Lotte Chemical.
GS Caltex also owns two polymers units at the same site — a 500,000 t/yr high density polyethylene (HDPE) and a 180,000 t/yr polypropylene (PP) plant. The PP unit takes in propylene from GS Caltex's existing refinery fluid catalytic crackers (FCC).
The debottlenecking will raise olefins output, resulting in a surplus of 400,000 t/yr of ethylene for domestic sales and exports after supplying its HDPE plant. The propylene surplus will be 800,000 t/yr after factoring in GS Caltex's 500,000 t/yr propylene output from existing FCCs and its PP consumption.
This will also mark the first turnaround of GS Caltex's cracker since it was commissioned in 2021. GS Caltex's mixed feed cracker can take in a combination of naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas and off-gas from its FCC.

#olefinsplan  #mixedfeedcracker  #steamcracker  #yeosun  #gscaltex  #southkorea 

19^th Sep 2024

On September 17, the first large tower hoisting ceremony of the Tarim 1.2 million tons/year Phase II Ethylene Project of Dushanzi Petrochemical Company was held at the Shangku Petrochemical Park in Korla, Xinjiang.

As the first large tower, the quench water tower is the equipment with the largest diameter in the ethylene unit. It took only more than 100 days to complete the manufacturing, setting a record for the manufacturing of large oversized equipment. The main line of this hoisting used a 4,000-ton crane, and it took only 9 days to transport and assemble.

This hoisting marked the entry of the ethylene unit into the equipment installation stage, which kicked off the on-site construction.

The installation of the quenching water tower is the first large tower crane installation of the project, which opens the prelude to the installation of 9 large tower cranes in the entire ethylene unit. It is planned to complete the installation of 9 large tower cranes on October 31, marking a new stage in the construction of the ethylene unit project.

The main function of the cracking gas quenching water tower is to reduce the temperature of the cracking gas and recover low-grade heat at the same time. The cracking gas quenching water tower achieves cooling and partial condensation of the cracking gas through direct countercurrent contact with the quenching water. This process not only helps to reduce the temperature of the cracking gas and separate part of the gasoline in the cracking gas, but also recovers part of the low-grade heat through the quenching water cycle, further improving energy utilization efficiency. This series of operations effectively reduces the temperature of the cracking gas, ensures the normal operation of the cracking gas compressor, greatly reduces the amount of sewage discharged, and improves the energy utilization efficiency of the ethylene unit and reduces energy consumption by recovering low-grade heat.

At present, the overall progress of the project has been completed by 13.6%. It is planned to complete the construction of the underground pipeline network of the entire site on September 20 and the construction of the entire road on October 30. This year's interim goal is to complete 70% of the soil-less construction before the arrival of winter, creating good conditions for installation next year.

The total investment of the Dushanzi Petrochemical Tarim 1.2 million tons/year Phase II ethylene project is 21.88 billion yuan. After completion, it can produce more than 2 million tons of high-end polyolefins and high-performance rubber materials annually, further improving the localization rate of the domestic high-end petrochemical product industry chain supply chain. The basic machinery of the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025, and fully completed and put into production in 2026.

Source

#ethylene #dushanzi #korla #xinjang #china #petrochina #cnpc #ethyleneplant #steamcracker

Lummus Catofin catalytic dehydrogenation and Technip Lliquid steam cracker plants have been added together with their main productions.


#dalian  #hengli  #china  #liaoning  #catofin  #pdh  #dehydrogenation  #propene  #ethylene  #isobutene  #steamcracker  #liquidfeed  #technip 

BASF successfully installed steam cracker module at its Zhanjiang integrated site

20^th Nov 2024 | Source: Zhanjiang Cloud Media | Author: Reporter Chen Yan

Recently, the steam cracker module of BASF’s Zhanjiang integrated base was successfully installed, marking a new milestone in the construction of the project and taking a solid step towards the goal of putting the integrated core into operation by the end of 2025.

Tian Yaqing, senior vice president of integrated project management at BASF's new integrated site in China, said that the modular construction concept adopted by the plant has significant advantages in terms of efficiency, safety and quality. "By using pre-assembled modules, we can simplify the construction process, shorten the project duration and minimize on-site disturbance. This approach not only improves safety through more controlled assembly in a factory environment, but also ensures the stability of the quality of each component."

Currently, BASF's Zhanjiang integrated base is making every effort to build its integrated core, including a steam cracking unit and multiple downstream units for the production of petrochemicals, intermediates, etc.

#steamcracker  #zhanjiang  #basf  #ethyleneplant  #china 

Photos:
▪️ Guangxi Petrochemical's 1.2 million tons/year ethylene cracking unit cracking furnace hoisting operation.
▪️ Builders carry out pipeline welding operations at the 50,000 tons/year hexene-1 unit.
▪️ Builders carried out modular pipeline gallery hoisting operations at the 270,000/600,000 ton/year propylene oxide co-production styrene unit.

Guangxi Petrochemical Refining and Chemical Integration Transformation and Upgrading Project Construction Progress Exceeds Halfway

China Petroleum News | 2024-11-27 16:04 | Beijing

On November 22, the 80-meter-high, 3,200-ton 1.2 million tons/year ethylene cracking unit cracking gas furnace module was in place.

On November 21, the last spherical tank in the chemical pressure tank area was successfully capped. On November 20, all towers of the 50,000 tons/year hexene-1 unit were hoisted.

On November 14, the installation of four modules of the cracked gasoline hydrogenation unit was completed...

Entering November, the Guangxi Petrochemical Refining and Chemical Integration Transformation and Upgrading Project has been successful, and many installation tasks have been completed according to the nodes. At present, the overall progress of the project has been completed by 62.81%, and the construction progress has exceeded half.

In order to improve the project construction progress and ensure the quality and inherent safety of the project, the Guangxi Petrochemical Refining and Chemical Integration Transformation and Upgrading Project strictly implemented the group company's "six-in-one" construction concept at the beginning of the design, and made the construction safer, more efficient and reliable through factory prefabrication and modular construction. In order to further promote factory prefabrication and modular construction, Guangxi Petrochemical has built "second construction sites" of varying sizes near the project construction site in accordance with local conditions - prefabrication yards, of which there are 8 pipeline prefabrication yards alone. The factory prefabrication rate of the steel structure of this project exceeds 95%, and with the concept of deepening factory prefabrication and modular construction, the operating efficiency has been greatly improved, the workload and safety risks on the construction site have been greatly reduced, and civilized construction on site has been further promoted.

#cnpc  #petrochina  #guangxi  #petrochemical  #ethylene  #steamcracker  #hexene  #gasoline  #hydrogenation  #china 

SIPC 1.2 million tonne ethylene project was completed and put into operation in Tianjin

On 13th November the new ethylene complex operated by SIPC, also known as the 'ethylene and downstream high-end new materials industry cluster project', was successfully put into operation and the whole process was completed, producing qualified products. Sinopec INEOS (Tianjin) Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (SIPC) is a joint venture between INEOS and SINOPEC. The project is built in the Nangang area of the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Zone.

The steam cracker plant with a 1.2 million tonne per year of ethylene is designed to provide 4 million tons annually of high-end chemical products and fine chemical feedstocks to the downstream every year. There are 13 downstream projects including high-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile, and polyolefin elastomers (POE).

The new ethylene complex, partly powered by solar and designed as an energy and water efficient project, is integrated with Sinopec Tianjin's 320,000 barrels per day refinery, Sinopec commented. The company uses a combination of Sinopec's own technology and imported technology to produce high-end, differentiated new materials that replace imports and fill domestic gaps.

The project took only 21.5 months from the start of civil construction to mechanical completion, breaking many records for similar projects, including the best overall coordinated control plan, the least number of workers, the deepest degree of factory prefabrication, the largest proportion of modular installation, the highest rate of localization of large equipment, and the widest application of digital intelligence.

#sinopec  #ineos  #sipc  #petrochemical  #ethylene  #ethyleneplant  #steamcracker  #polyethylene  #polypropylene 

8/2/2023 9:45:00 AM | Hydrocarbon Processing

INEOS has completed the formation of a 50/50 joint venture with SINOPEC for the Tianjin Nangang Ethylene Project, announced in December 2022, which is currently under construction by SINOPEC and expected to be on-stream by April 2024.

The petrochemical complex includes a 1.2 mtpa cracker, a new 500ktpa High-Density Polyethylene plant to produce INEOS pipe grade under license and 11 other derivative units.

The completion of the agreement today marks the continued progression of the significant petrochemical deals announced by the parties in July and December last year, and highlights the close relationship and growing collaboration between SINOPEC and INEOS.

#ineos  #sinopec  #tianjin  #sipc  #binhai  #nangang  #hdpe  #ethylene  #steamcracker  #ethyleneplant 

Photo: circulating water plant put online on 30^th Aug 2024

7^th Sep 2024 | Source: DT New Materials, via Sohu.com

The project is related to Sinopec Maoming Petrochemical Co., Ltd., mainly including the construction of a 3 million tons/year catalytic cracking complex, a 1 million tons/year ethylene complex, and supporting public works and auxiliary facilities. The project started in June 2023 and is scheduled to be delivered in mid-2026. The project is mainly funded by its own funds and bank loans. As of June 30, 2024, a total investment of RMB 2.2 billion has been completed.

30^th Aug 2024 | Source: Golden Sheep Network, via Baidu.com

The first unit of the Maoming Petrochemical Refining Transformation and Upgrading and Ethylene Quality Improvement Project was successfully put into use. On the afternoon of August 30, 4 pumps and 10 cooling towers were started at the newly built first chemical water circulation plant of Maoming Petrochemical, and 5 pumps were stopped in the old first circulation.


#sinopec  #maoming  #steamcracker  #ethyleneplant  #ethylene  #fcc #catalyticcracking #china 

Details about Dagang area refinery added.


#massbalance  #tianjin  #binhai  #dagang  #sinopec  #steamcracker  #ethyleneplant  #tianjin 

Steam cracker technology has been identified as supplied by Linde.


#ethyleneplant  #steamcracker  #linde  #dushanzi  #petrochina  #petrochemical 

With a total investment of 27.8 billion yuan, a new million-ton ethylene project was launched.

2024-10-22, Source

The total investment of Luoyang Petrochemical's million-ton ethylene project is 27.8 billion yuan, mainly to build 13 sets of process production units such as 1 million tons/year ethylene, and implement oil refining adaptability transformation at the same time.

On December 22, 2023, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation and Henan Shenma Guoxing Industrial Investment Co., Ltd. signed an investment cooperation intention agreement. The two parties will jointly invest to establish a joint venture to jointly build the Luoyang Petrochemical million-ton ethylene project and create a first-class green petrochemical advanced materials industry base in China.

On September 12, 2024, Sinopec Group approved the basic design of Luoyang Petrochemical's million-ton ethylene project, marking that the Luoyang Petrochemical's million-ton ethylene project will enter the full construction stage.

The construction content of Luoyang Petrochemical Million Tons of Ethylene Project includes the construction of:
°a new 1 million tons/year ethylene unit,
°a 600,000 tons/year cracking gasoline hydrogenation unit,
°a 400,000 tons/year aromatics extraction unit,
°a 300,000 tons/year m-LLDPE unit,
°a 350,000 tons/year HDPE unit, and
°a 350,000 tons/year #3  polypropylene unit.

The project is scheduled to be completed and put into operation in December 2025.

After the project is put into production, it can sell about 3 million tons of various chemical products each year, increase the output value by 20 billion yuan, drive more than 160 billion yuan of downstream industrial chain investment, and form an industrial cluster of "hundreds of billions of investment and 10,000 jobs.

#luoyang  #petrochemical  #cpcc  #sinopec  #ethylene  #steamcracker  #hdpe  #lldpe  #polypropylene  #polyethylene  #gasoline  #pygas  #hydrogenation  #china  #henan

24 Sep 2024: The construction preparation of the project is progressing in an orderly manner, and the general layout of the construction, construction infrastructure planning, and standardized construction site construction have been completed. The site leveling of Changling North New District has been completed by about 75% , and it is planned to meet the conditions for handover by the end of October 2024. The site clearing and earthwork transportation of the refinery supporting renovation project site are currently being organized. The site leveling of Hunan Petrochemical District 2 has been started, and it is planned to meet the conditions for handover by the end of this year; the construction of three supporting first-class highways related to the project has started. Credit

Sinopec Hunan Petrochemical (Yueyang) ethylene refining and chemical integration project

12 Jul 2024, Sinopec Yueyang ethylene refining and chemical integration project starts trial operation

Recently, with the rise and fall of the 67-ton tamping hammer, Sinopec Yueyang Region (Hunan Petrochemical) 1 million tons/year ethylene refining and chemical integration project started the trial tamping in the Changling North main plant area.

Hunan Petrochemical's 1 million tons/year ethylene refining and chemical integration project is located in Yueyang Green Chemical High-tech Industrial Development Zone and started construction on January 3 this year.

19 Sep 2024, Total investment of 35.68 billion yuan! This million-ton ethylene refining and chemical integration project has made new progress

Hunan Petrochemical's 1 million tons/year ethylene refining project is being accelerated, with a total investment of 35.68 billion yuan and an estimated output value of over 100 billion yuan, which will drive downstream investment of over 150 billion yuan. The project is located in Yueyang Green Chemical High-tech Zone and has completed a number of construction preparations and safety management planning.

◾️ Project name: Sinopec Yueyang 1 million tons/year ethylene refining and chemical integration project

◾️ Project type: Greenfield Construction Project

◾️ Project location: Hunan Yueyang Green Chemical High-tech Industrial Development Zone. This project is distributed in the Changling and Baling areas of the park.
▪️ The Changling section is located in the northeast of the Changling area of the park, referred to as the Xinchang New District, with a land area of 201.05 hectares, all of which are newly acquired land.
▪️ The Baling section is located on the south side of the Baling's refining department, with a total land area of approximately 46.4 hectares, of which 27.26 hectares are newly acquired land; the expansion of the cogeneration unit is located in the thermal power department, with a land area of approximately 19.14 hectares, and does not involve additional land acquisition.

In addition, the off-site project covers an area of 90.57 hectares, involving the acquisition of 25.4 hectares of new land and the use of 65.17 hectares of existing land.

Construction content: This project will build:

◾️ a new 1 million tons/year ethylene unit

◾️ a total of 14 downstream units, including:
▪️ an ethylene unit,
▪️ an EVA unit,
▪️ an HDPE unit,
▪️ an LLDPE unit,
▪️ an aromatics-to-benzene unit,
▪️ a butadiene extraction unit,
▪️ an MTBE/butene-1 unit,
▪️ a pyrolysis gasoline hydrogenation unit,
▪️ an aromatics extraction unit,
▪️ a styrene extraction unit,
▪️ a C5 separation unit,
▪️ a CHPPO unit,
▪️ a phenol/acetone unit,
▪️ a bisphenol A unit.

At the same time, necessary storage and transportation projects, public works, auxiliary facilities and off-site projects will be constructed.

#sinopec  #hunanpetrochemical  #hunan  #yueyang  #ethylene  #refining  #chemicalintegration  #china  #steamcracker

Datails about SINOPEC Hainan Refining and Chemical Co., Ltd. and Danzhou complex have been updated.

#sinopec #danzhou  #refining  #chemicals  #steamcracker  #ethylene  #china  

19 Sep 2024, Heavy Lifting News

deugro Delivers with Arrival of Second Shipment for INEOS Project One.

The second shipment with the last 5 massive storage bullets for the INEOS Project One has just arrived on board the MV Fairmaster for discharging in  Antwerp.

Both the first shipment with the MV Fairplayer and this voyage from Zhangjiagang,  China, were organized by deugro within a tight schedule from order to loading!

The details of the shipment are:

50,572.4m³ Total Volume
6,547.8 metric tons Total weight


24 Sept 2024, INEOS + AG&P INDUSTRIAL

AG&P Industrial (Atlantic, Gulf, & Pacific Company of Manila, Inc.) has completed the fabrication and shipment of the first batch of Outside Battery Limit (OSBL) modules with a total weight of 1,432.47MT for its first-ever  European contract with London-based INEOS, the fourth largest chemical company in the world. Fabricated in AG&P Industrial’s state-of-the art fabrication yard in Batangas,  Philippines, the modules were shipped to Port of Antwerp, Belgium, the second largest chemical site in the world.

AG&P Industrial, selected from among top 15 yards globally, to ship a total of 77 pre-assembled pipe rack modules and 58 pre-assembled support structures, weighing 10,443 MT for modules and 274 MT for support structures for INEOS Project ONE. AG&P Industrial’s last shipment is expected sail by February 2025.


5 Nov 2024, Project Cargo Journal

International transport and logistics company AsstrA recently completed the first phase of the OSBL module transportation for the Ineos Project One.
The company’s Industrial Project Logistics team moved a total of eight modules from the Philippines to Belgium via the Cape of Good Hope. Some of the modules measured 39 x 12 x 11 metres.

According to AsstrA, the delivery marks a milestone for Asstra Industrial Project Logistics as it is projected to transport almost 100 modules under this contract. It equates to more than 230,000 cubic metres of cargo.

The first batch of modules was transported by one of United Heavy Lift’s F900 heavy-lift multipurpose vessel, the UHL Flair.


Project One represents the largest investment in European chemistry in the past 25 years. The cracker, which will be the most sustainable of its kind, will be commissioned in 2026, according to Ineos. The facility will have a nameplate capacity of 1450kt of ethylene per year.

#ineos  #projectone  #cracker  #antwerp  #belgium  #steamcracker

On Oct 1st, 2024, Technip Energies announced that the Long Son Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. (LSP) olefins plant in Long Son Island, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province,  Vietnam, passed its final performance acceptance test.

Technip Energies provided licensing, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, start-up and initial operation for the 1,350,000 tonnes/year cracker. As Vietnam’s first olefins plant, the flexible feed cracker, can utilize both naphtha and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) feeds to produce ethylene, propylene, and butadiene.

The plant successfully started up end 2023 to reach its full capacity shortly after the start-up and pass its first performance test in February 2024. The plant, which broke ground end 2018, includes Technip Energies’ licensed ethylene technology, including Ultra Selective Conversion (USC®) furnaces preferred for high selectivity and low cost, and the Heat-Integrated Rectifier System®, preferred for energy efficient ethylene recovery.

However, Listed Siam Cement Group (SCG), Thailand's largest cement maker and industrial conglomerate, has suspended operations at its Long Son Petrochemicals (LSP) complex in order to cope with high production costs and the impact of a downturn in the global petrochemical market.

The suspension, slated to last for at least six months, began in mid-October, only roughly two weeks after LSP commenced commercial operations on Sept 30, with a production capacity of 74,000 tonnes.

A resumption of operations will mainly depend on the spread, according to SCG.

The petrochemical complex uses naphtha, which is a product of fossil fuels, as a key raw material to produce high density polyethylene (HDPE), but the prices of naphtha are expensive.

"The spread between naphtha and HDPE prices is US$300 per tonne because of a slowdown in the global petrochemical market," said Sakchai Patiparnpreechavud, chief executive and president of SCG Chemicals. "If the spread increases to $400 per tonne, we will consider resuming operations at LSP."

The suspension does not mean SCG Chemicals will stop investing in this petrochemical complex, he said.

SCG Chemicals plans to upgrade LSP, enabling it to use ethane, a colourless, odourless, gaseous hydrocarbon, as a raw material because it is cheaper than naphtha.

Mr Sakchai said the company will spend $700 million on the new investment, especially to build an ethane storage facility.

#technip  #scg  #siamcementgroup  #longson  #naphtha  #lpg  #steamcracker  #ethylene  #propylene  #butadiene  #olefins  #hdpe  #ethane  #storagefacility 

Both phase I and Phase II Ethane-to-Ethylene projects have been geographically located. Phase I mass balance has been initialized. 

#petrochina  #dushanzi  #korla  #china  #ethyleneplant  #steamcracker  #ethylene  #polyethylene   

Ethane and propane imports added, more production capacities added as well.

#steamcracker  #pdh  #ethane  #propane  #pdh  #ethylene  #propylene 

Some productions have been added to the site and a few technologies have been identified.

#steamcracker  #kbr  #ethyleneplant  #unipolpp  #wrgrace 

Some productions and consumptions have been added to site.

Corresponding technologies need to be identified.

#sinopec  #zhanjiang  #refinery  #petrochemicals  #zhongke  #steamcracker  #eva  #polyethylene  #polypropylene  #ethyleneglycol  #meg 

HPPO plant, propylene oxide production and imports of naphtha and hydrogen peroxide have been added.


#basf  #antwerp  #belgium  #propyleneoxide  #hydrogenperoxide  #propylene  #ethylene  #hppo  #steamcracker  #naphtha 

Several technologies and production capacities have been added to HMEL's Guru Gobind Singh Refinery.

#lummus  #lyondellbasell  #chevronphillipschemical  #cpchem  #p örner #bituros  #asphaltblowing  #steamcracker  #dualfeed  #martech  #novolen  #unipol  #spheripol  #univation  #asphaltblowing 

Site created.
Most production capacities have been added.
Crackers feedstock details as well as individual cracker capacity are missing.
PAO plant not yet added as the corresponding technology has not yet been added to the database.

#lao  #pao  #polypropylene  #innovene  #kbr  #steamcracker  #olefinplant  #ethylene  #propylene  #alvin  #texas  #ineos

The Mass Balance of Joffre chemical site has been completed, which also includes onsite INEOS LAO plant, the onsite DOW-Nova Ethane Cracker E3 JV and ethylene shipment to nearby DOW Prentiss site from the E3 plant.

#dow  #nova  #canada  #steamcracker  #ethylene  #polyethylene  #unipol  #sclairtech  #technip 

The Ethylene 3 JV between DOW Chemicals Canada ULC and NOVA Chemicals Corporation has been added ,as well as the corresponding production site in Joffre, Canada. 

#canada  #dow  #nova  #joffre  #e3  #ethylene3  #steamcracker  #ethyleneplant 

Credit: @ExxonMobil, Port-Jérôme (Gravenchon) refinery

ExxonMobil Chemical 🇫🇷 France (EMCF) announced on April 11 the definitive shutdown of the steam cracker and the polyethylene, polypropylene, adhesives and associated logistics facilities units at the Gravenchon site in Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine (Seine-Maritime) in 2024. This will result in the loss of 677 jobs out of a workforce of 2,400 employees in France during 2025, the company said in a press release. In detail, 647 positions will disappear on site and 30 at the company's management in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine). The Port-Jérôme refinery activities are not affected. The site will continue to produce and supply fuels, lubricants, base oils and bitumens. Similarly, the activity of Infineum, the joint venture between ExxonMobil and Shell for the production of additives, is not part of the announcement. In 2020, 35 million euros were invested in these operations also located in Gravenchon.

#fuels  #lubricants  #bitumen  #polyethylene  #polypropylene  #steamcracking  #steamcracker  #refining  #refinery  #france  #exxonmobil 

Mass Balances of Borouge 1, Borouge 2 and Borouge 3 have been completed. Borouge 4 site's model has been initialized but will be finalized when the project comes on-stream. With each further stage, the sites are becoming more complex, as shown in the mass balance table of Borouge 3. The Mass Balances are presented as simplified block flow diagrams (Borouge 1 visual, Borouge 2 visual, Borouge 3 visual). Technologies have been identified for all assets of all three projects as shown for the Borouge 3 technology table. By clicking on the blue 'T' icons in the diagrams or on the technology name in the technology table, the corresponding technology is shown (e.g. Linde Steam Cracker) and by clicking on the green 'F' icons, the flow details for the corresponding asset are displayed.

#polyethylene  #polypropylene  #steamcracking  #ethyleneplant  #steamcracker 

On April 1^st, INEOS has completed the acquisition of TotalEnergies’ 50% share of Naphtachimie (720 ktpa steam cracker), Appryl (300 ktpa polypropylene business), Gexaro (270 ktpa aromatics business) and 3TC (naphtha storage, a 50/50 JV between Petroineos and TotalEnergies) announced on July 5^th. These businesses have until today been joint ventures between the two companies. A number of other infrastructure assets have also been acquired including part of TotalEnergies ethylene pipeline network in France.

INEOS will now fully integrate the Naphthachimie, Gexaro and Appryl petrochemical businesses, assets and infrastructure into INEOS Olefins & Polymers South at Lavera in Southern France. Gexaro, which is located on the Lavera refinery site will continue to be operated by Petroineos.

Source: INEOS Press Release, Apr 1^st, 2024

#steamcracker  #aromatics  #polypropylene  #naphtha  #naphtha  #pipeline  #ethylene  #olefins  #refinery