Repsol sets petrochemical expansion in Portugal underway

19-Sep-08

Repsol, an international integrated oil and gas company, have set underway the expansion project of its Sines Petrochemical Complex in Portugal which is slated to be complete by 2011. The project involves building new linear polyethylene and polypropylene units which will triple the current petrochemical capacity, and will increase the current cracker capacity by 40%. With this expansion, the total production of ethylene will reach 570,000 tpa while polyethylene and polypropylene will touch 300,000 tpa each. Production at the new complex will be mainly destined for export and will exceed more than EUR 1.2 bln pa. The EUR 1 bln plus expansion project comprises of one of Repsol's worldwide growth projects in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the biggest in Portugal. Further, the Sines Petrochemical Complex will increase its efficiency by erecting cogeneration plant of 45 MW and become one of Europe's most advanced technological centres. With the new PE and PP units, the Sines complex will no longer be a mere exporter of raw materials; it will significantly use the entire ethylene and polypropylene production of the cracker in the new polyolefin factories.