Lyondellbasell Commences Construction Of Hyperzone PE Plant At La Porte Complex

LyondellBasell commences construction of Hyperzone PE plant at La Porte Complex

17-May-17

LyondellBasell has broken ground on the first commercial Hyperzone polyethylene (PE) plant at its La Porte, Texas, complex. The plant will be capable of producing 1.1 billion pounds (500,000 metric tons) of high density polyethylene (HDPE) annually and will employ LyondellBasell's new proprietary Hyperzone PE technology that provides enhanced material performance. Startup of the plant is planned for 2019. "Today represents the launch of our latest innovation in plastics technology," said Bob Patel, LyondellBasell CEO. "The new plant will produce a better plastic that advances solutions to modern challenges, like protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes and ensuring the freshness of bulk foods by providing tough, crack-resistant containers for storage. This is truly a global effort developed by an international team, built to serve worldwide markets."

Hyperzone PE technology enables customers to produce cost-effective, light weight plastics that are strong, durable and widely recyclable. The new Hyperzone PE technology also enables the production of a broad spectrum of HDPE products in one single plant whereas previous technologies require multiple plants. The company chose to build the new plant at its existing La Porte Complex because of its proximity to price-advantaged U.S. feedstocks and the transportation infrastructure needed to ship product to markets across the globe. The La Porte Complex is one of LyondellBasell's largest manufacturing facilities spanning approximately 550 acres. The complex has two docks on the Houston Ship Channel and truck and rail transportation capabilities. Once the plant is complete, the La Porte Complex will more than double its annual PE capacity to 2 bln lbs (900,000 metric tons). LyondellBasell currently produces a total of 7 bln lbs (3 mln metric tons) of HDPE annually, including its share of capacity through joint venture facilities. The company is a leading worldwide producer of all forms of PE with an annual capacity of 12 bln lbs (5 mln metric tons).