Industry sources believe that Kuwait's EQUATE Petrochemical Company is on verge on setting its second ethane-fed steam cracker at Shuaiba underway by the year end. Once operational, the new 850,000 tpa ethylene cracker, owned by The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC), will enable EQUATE to run both its ethylene glycol units-the older units having 400,000 tpa capacity and the new having 600,000 tpa production capacity.
Currently, EQUATE only has one 800,000 mtpa ethylene cracker whose output was fed initially to its older EG unit but was directed to its newer EG unit from H2 2008 onwards. The company also reduced runs at its PE plant due to ethylene shortfall which will be greatly aided by the new ethane-fed steam cracker. The second cracker and EG unit are owned by TKOC, and comprise a part of the Olefins II project. TKOC is a joint venture in which Dow Europe Holding, Petrochemical Industries Company is majority shareholders.
20-Oct-08 
