Ineos and Sasol begin construction of HDPE plant in Texas

Sasol and Ineos Olefins & Polymers USA have begun construction work for their much anticipated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) manufacturing joint venture at the Ineos Battleground Manufacturing Complex in La Porte (Texas) on December 5, 2014.
 
Dennis Seith, CEO of Ineos Olefins & Polymers USA, said, “This important step, among many, is a celebration of the efforts of Ineos and Sasol, and their respective teams, to realise the vision of a world-scale asset, facilitated by leading bimodal technology, for integration into both partners’ upstream and downstream business platforms. This project represents not only a commitment to the bimodal HDPE market, but also a significant investment in the community in which the facility will operate.”
 
Fleetwood Grobler, executive vice president of Sasol’s global chemicals business, said, “We are delighted to be moving ahead on this important project which supports our North American growth strategy. This state-of-the-art facility will be ideally located close to our existing and future ethane cracker and derivatives complex in Southwest Louisiana.”
 
The facility, which is expected to go on stream in 2016, will produce 470 kilotonnes per annum of bimodal HDPE using Innovene S process technology licensed from Ineos Technologies. The intention is to produce a limited number of grades allowing high grade efficiencies. Ineos will operate the 50:50 joint venture.
 
Ineos Olefins & Polymers USA is the third largest manufacturer of high-density polyethylene and polypropylene, and the second largest merchant marketer of ethylene, in North America, producing 7.5 billion pounds of olefins and polymers per year from five manufacturing sites.
 
South Africa-based Sasol is an international integrated energy and chemicals company that develops and commercialises technologies, and builds and operates world-scale facilities, to produce a range of product streams, including liquid fuels, chemicals and electricity.