Brazilian petrochemical company Braskem is set to invest around $675m to construct new polypropylene (PP) production line in La Porte, Texas, US.
The company’s board of directors has approved the final investment decision to design and build the new Delta facility, which will be located next to Braskem's existing production facilities in La Porte.
The project, which is under design phase, will have a manufacturing capacity of 450 kilotons (kt) or the equivalent of around one billion pounds per year.
Developing on around 200 acres of land at the firm’s current La Porte facility, the new line will be used for additional production of homopolymers, random copolymers, impact copolymers, and reactor TPOs.
The company recently opened its new UTEC ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) production plant located at the same La Porte site.
With construction expected to start in mid-summer, the final phase of main construction is slated to be completed in the first quarter of 2020.
The new project is expected to employ around 1,000 development and construction workers, in addition to providing up to 50 ermanent full-time jobs upon operational.
Braskem CEO Fernando Musa said: "Our approval to proceed with the capital investment in Delta is the latest major milestone in Braskem's global growth strategy.
“This new world-class petrochemical facility will bring important new North American production capacity to help us meet the growing demand from our clients, reaffirming our position as the leading producer of polypropylene in the Americas and the third largest in the world."
“Leveraging the success of shale gas energy production, North America has among the most attractive feedstock profiles worldwide in terms of access to low cost sources of feedstock and the depth of suppliers.
Image: Braskem to build new polypropylene (PP) production line in La Porte, Texas. Photo: courtesy of Braskem.