Published: March 27, 2018 |

[Click image to enlarge]

ExxonMobil is planning to build a new polypropylene manufacturing plant in the US Gulf Coast to address the increasing demand for high-performance, lightweight durable plastics.

The company expects to invest several hundred million dollars on the new plant, which is expected to expand its polypropylene production capacity by up to 450,000 tons a year.

Aimed to begin operations by as early as 2021, the new facility will have the capabilities to manufacture advanced polypropylene products, said ExxonMobil. These products can be utilized in high performance automotive, appliance, and packaging applications.

ExxonMobil said that its potential US Gulf Coast project will bring in more than 600 new jobs during the peak phase of construction. Once the facility is up, more than 60 permanent roles are expected to be created by the company.

ExxonMobil Chemical President John Verity said: “ExxonMobil is well positioned to take advantage of the growing global demand for higher-value products, in both North America and the high-growth Asia Pacific region.

“Abundant supplies of domestically produced oil and natural gas have reduced energy costs and created new sources of feedstock for U.S. chemical manufacturing. Most of our planned investment in the Gulf Coast region is focused on supplying emerging markets like Asia with high-demand products, which ultimately will spur new economic growth locally.”

ExxonMobil expects to make a final investment decision on the new facility later this year. The company is making investments across 12 other new facilities to expand its chemical manufacturing capacity by nearly 40 percent in North America and Asia Pacific.

Its investments include two steam crackers in the US, which are expected to help the company cope up with the growing demand in Asia and other developing markets.

Last month, the company said that a new ethane cracker at its chemical complex in Baytown, Texas is going through the commissioning process. The new facility will have a capacity of 1.5 million ton-per-year.

ExxonMobil has also recently partnered with SABIC to construct a jointly-owned petrochemical complex in San Patricio County, Texas which will include a 1.8 million ton-per-year ethane cracker.

Source: Energy Business Review

To stop by ExxonMobil’s website, CLICK HERE

Be in-the-know when you’re on-the-go!