US$5.2 bln petrochemical complex producing HDPE and LDPE starts up in Mexican Gulf coast state of Veracruz

23-Mar-16

A giant US$5.2 bln petrochemical complex has begun producing high- and low-density polyethylene in the Mexican Gulf coast state of Veracruz, output that will eventually allow the country to substitute 70% of its imports, as per www.efe.com. When fully operational, the complex will have total capacity of 1 mln tons. The complex will have the capacity to process 66,000 barrels per day of ethane for ethylene production, to be purchased from Mexican state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex). The Etileno XXI complex, to which EFE was granted exclusive access, looks from a distance like a city skyline and features two towers measuring 120 meters (393 feet) and 102 meters (334 feet) in height that dominate this municipality's jungle landscape. Occupying a 200-hectare (493-acre) parcel of land along one of the banks of the Coatzacoalcos River, the complex has already begun producing ethylene, a raw material that is transformed through a lengthy process into plastic pellets, whitish plastic balls measuring around 3 cms (1.2 inches) in diameter.