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Photo: General view of the 800,000-t/y CBL cracking technology unit of Sinopec Zhongke Refining & Chemical Co., Ltd. in Guangdong | Credit: Sohu (Dec 30, 2022)

With a total investment of RMB 29.407 billion (approximately USD 4 billion at the time) and registered capital of RMB 9.796 billion, SSTPC commenced commercial operations on May 11, 2010. The complex occupies 1.72 square kilometers in the strategically important Binhai New Area, near Beiweidi Road and adjacent to the Dagang port area, providing excellent logistics access for both imported feedstocks and product distribution throughout China and international markets.

The facility employs over 1,000 personnel and is equipped with nine world-scale production plants utilizing state-of-the-art process technologies. All products are supplied to the domestic and international markets through the extensive sales networks of both parent companies, leveraging SINOPEC's dominant position in China and SABIC's global reach.

Ethylene Production and Cracker Technology

The centerpiece of the SSTPC complex is its ethylene production facility, which has evolved significantly since the initial startup. The original plant, commissioned in May 2010, featured a 1.0 million ton per year ethylene cracker equipped with eleven cracking furnaces. While the specific technology licensor for these original furnaces is not explicitly documented in available sources, the plant achieved a notable 78% equipment localization rate—the highest among similar units under construction at that time—with major equipment including China's first domestically manufactured "ethylene three-machines" (cracking gas compressor) supplied by Shenyang Blower Works Group.​

Between October 2019 and March 2021, SSTPC completed a major capacity expansion and retrofitting project that increased the ethylene production capacity to 1.3 million tons per year. This expansion included the installation of China's largest single cracking furnace at the time—a 200,000 ton per year unit designated as the facility's 12th furnace—which utilizes SINOPEC's proprietary CBL-IX liquid feedstock cracking technology. The CBL-IX furnace represents China's first 200,000-ton-class domestically developed liquid cracker and marked an important milestone in Sinopec's technology indigenization program.​

The expansion project also included significant upgrades to supporting infrastructure, including a new cold box system, China's largest cracking gas compressor (GB201), propylene and refrigeration compressor modifications, replacement of ethylene and propylene distillation tower internals, three new 2,000 m³ ethylene spherical storage tanks, one 1,500 m³ cryogenic ethylene storage tank, a low-temperature ethylene loading system, and enhanced utility systems. The new cracker successfully completed its first fire-up on January 18, 2021, and reached full commercial operation in March 2021, bringing Tianjin's total ethylene capacity at that time to a historic high.​

Polyolefins and Downstream Chemical Products

SSTPC operates large-scale polyolefins production facilities that convert ethylene and propylene into high-performance polymer products. The polypropylene plant has a capacity of 450,000 tons per year, while the combined polyethylene facilities produce 600,000 tons per year, split between 300,000 tons per year of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and 300,000 tons per year of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). These facilities produce 25 different grades of polymer products across three main categories, serving diverse applications in film, pipe, injection molding, fiber, and other end uses.​

The complex also includes ethylene oxide (EO) and ethylene glycol (EG) production units utilizing Dow's METEOR EG technology, licensed from Dow Incorporated. These facilities produce essential chemical intermediates used in antifreeze, polyester fiber, and various industrial applications. Together, the complex produces 21 chemical products and 5 functional chemicals, all meeting international quality standards.​

Polycarbonate Production - Strategic Expansion

In May 2021, SSTPC and its parent companies signed an agreement for a major strategic expansion: the construction of a 260,000 ton per year polycarbonate (PC) plant with a total investment of approximately USD 1.7 billion. This facility, which commenced commercial operation in September 2023, represents SABIC's first polycarbonate production facility in Asia and utilizes SABIC's advanced PC manufacturing technology.​

The polycarbonate plant produces high-performance LEXAN™ brand resins targeting the Greater China region, including mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. These engineering plastics serve critical applications in electronics and electrical equipment, automotive components, consumer appliances, healthcare and medical products, and building and construction materials. The successful startup of this facility further solidified SSTPC's position as a leading supplier of high-value specialty materials for China's rapidly growing advanced manufacturing sectors.

References

1. SABIC (Sep 9, 2023). News Release: SABIC and SINOPEC announce commercial operation of PC plant at joint venture SSTPC 
2. LinkedIn (Accessed Oct 30, 2025). SINOPEC SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical Co. Ltd. Company Profile
3. Packaging Insights (Sep 5, 2023). SABIC and Sinopec launch mass polycarbonate production plant for Greater China region
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5. Arab News (Feb 01, 2008). SABIC, Sinopec in Deal to Build Ethylene Plant 
6. China Daily (May 12, 2010). Operations begin at Sinopec petrochem plant in Tianjin
7. Sina News (Oct 8, 2019). 天津石化百万吨乙烯扩能改造项目开工 产能可达130万吨/年 [The Tianjin Petrochemical 1 million-ton ethylene capacity expansion and renovation project will have a total capacity of 1.3 million tons per year]
8. Echemi. (Mar 30, 2020). Megaton ethylene project in Zhongsha Tianjin will expand its production capacity to 1.3 million tons/year
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10. Sina News. (2020, December 27). 我国单台产量最大裂解炉安装成功 [China's largest single-unit cracking furnace successfully installed]
11. Oil Industry News (Feb 24, 2021). 中国石化乙烯裂解炉大型化取得新突破 [Sinopec's ethylene cracking furnace scaling-up achieves new breakthrough]
12. SINOPEC Engineering Group (Jan 5, 2021). 中沙（天津）石化乙烯改造工程新增裂解炉一次点火成功 [New cracking furnace of SSTPC ethylene retrofitting project successfully ignited on first attempt]
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15. 2b1st Consulting (Apr 26, 2012). Sinopec & Sabic sign for $1.7 billion Tianjin Polycarbonate
16. ChemAnalyst (Sep 7, 2023). Sabic and Sinopec's Joint Venture Initiates Production at Polycarbonate Plant in China
17. Plastics and Rubber Asia (Sep 2023). Sinopec/Sabic start up jv PC plant for Chinese demand 
18. SABIC (2022). Sustainability Report: Technical Supplement 2022
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20. Polymerupdate (Sep 16, 2024). SSTPC Tianjin brings PP unit on stream
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24. SINOPEC (Accesed: Oct 30, 2025). Refineries & Petrochemicals: SINOPEC Tianjin Company