Chevron Phillips has secured air permits from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for ethane cracker and polyethylene facilities at its US Gulf Coast petrochemicals project.
The ethane cracker also secured a permit for greenhouse gas emissions from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier in 2013.
The 1.5 million metric tons a year ethane cracker will be built in Baytown, while the two 500,000 metric tons polyethylene facilities will come up in Old Ocean.
Chevron Phillips corporate planning and development vice president Ron Corn said, "We now have the requisite permits in hand to initiate construction of the cracker and polyethylene units and remain in the first mover position leading the way as the U.S. petrochemical industry announces significant expansions of capacity as a result of shale resource development."
The expansion, which is expected to be complete by 2017, would generate 400 long-term direct jobs and 10,000 engineering and construction jobs.