Fluor starts mechanical construction for ethylene derivative facility

17-May-17

Fluor Corp. has started mechanical construction for The Dow Chemical Company’s new ethylene derivative facility in Freeport, Texas, US. The mechanical construction scope includes setting precast and steel structures, piping, equipment, painting and insulation for the unit, with mechanical completion planned for 2018.

The unit is designed for the production of High Melt Index polymers such as AFFINITY™ GA polyolefin elastomers for hot melt adhesives, along with broad capability to produce conventional ENGAGE™ polyolefin elastomers and AFFINITY™ polyolefin plastomers for applications in packaging, transportation, infrastructure and consumer markets. Dow’s Freeport, Texas complex is the largest integrated chemical manufacturing complex in the Western hemisphere.

Jack Penley, Senior Vice President of Construction and Fabrication for Fluor, said: “Having recently finished construction of Dow’s ethylene production facility in Freeport safely and on schedule, this project is a natural transition for Fluor and our craft workforce […] We are proud of our craft workforce’s attention to safety, productivity and experience on the Freeport site over the past five years. We will leverage these best practices and expertise to deliver this project with capital efficiency and schedule certainty for Dow.