JBF Petrochemicals ink agreement for licensing BP’s PTA technology

02-Aug-12

UK based BP and JBF Petrochemicals, have signed an agreement for licensing BP’s latest generation purified terephthalic acid (PTA) technology to be used in the 1.25 mln tpa unit at the special economic zone in Mangalore. The plant would produce PTA, the primary feedstock for polyesters. JBF expects the Mangalore plant to go on stream at the end of 2014. The PTA technology had significantly lowered capital and operating costs compared with conventional PTA plants, and was more energy-efficient as it used less water and produced less solid waste than its competitors. B. C. Arya, Chairman, JBF Industries, termed the investment as highly strategic for fulfilling the captive requirements for PTA at the lowest possible cost. “This will make our integrated operations in India and the UAE highly competitive for the long-term and underpin our position as one of the world’s leading polyester producers,” he said.