C3 Petrochemicals plans to build PDH plant in Texas

22-Feb-13

C3 Petrochemicals plans to build a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant near Alvin, Texas, to produce polymer-grade propylene (PGP) and chemical-grade propylene (CGP), according to an air quality permit application that the company filed this month with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as reported by ICIS. Should the permit be approved, construction of the PDH plant will begin in January 2014, with start-up scheduled for Q4 2015, according to the permit application. The PDH unit will use propane as its feedstock, the permit said. The produced PGP and CGP will be distributed to customers via pipeline.The unit will dehydrogenate the propane feedstock in two parallel reaction trains, the permit said. As part of the PDH process, ethane, ethylene and methane also will be produced. No information on production capacity of the petrochemicals was listed in the permit. The plant will be built on the grounds of Ascend Performance Materials’ Chocolate Bayou Chemical Manufacturing Complex.