Dutch chemical giant LyondellBasell has officially announced plans to build the world's largest propylene oxide (PO) and tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) plant in the greater Houston area. Pending final decisions on the construction launch dates, the project would be completed sometime in 2020, said Scott Buchman, spokesperson for LyondellBasell. The final square footage or acreage has yet to be determined. The complex will have two units split between the Channelview and Pasadena areas. The former will be the site for the PO/TBA unit while the Bayport Choate site near Pasadena will house the ethers unit that will produce oxy-fuels for high-octane gasoline. The idea is that that the two sites will operate synergistically. The PO/TBA project's annual production capacities are expected to reach one billion pounds of propylene oxide and two billion pounds of tertiary butyl alcohol.
We are moving forward in a deliberate fashion to develop what could become the single-largest capital investment in LyondellBasell's history," said CEO Bob Patel in a statement.
Patel had hinted that he was eyeing Texas for such a project, going so far as to say the company planned to spend up to US$4 billion in capital through 2020 along the Gulf Coast, mostly in Texas, the Houston Chronicle reported.
In its initial phase, LyondellBasell will launch front-end engineering design work, filing environmental permit applications and ordering long lead-time equipment. A final expense assessment will come after the initial phase is completed, the statement said.
The progress in the company's construction of the new plant comes after Thomas Aebischer, was named as the new executive vice president and CFO of the company effective Jan. 1.
20-Nov-15 
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