Located nearly 180km east of Houston, the petrochemical facility will feature an ethylene cracker unit with a capacity of 2.08mtpa and two high-density polyethylene units, which put together will have a production capacity of 2mtpa
Groundbreaking ceremony of the Golden Triangle polymers plant. (Credit: QatarEnergy)
QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) have started construction on the $8.5bn Golden Triangle polymers plant in Orange County, Texas, US.
Located nearly 180km east of Houston, the petrochemical facility will feature an ethylene cracker unit with a capacity of 2.08 million tons per annum (mtpa).
The Golden Triangle polymers plant will also house two high-density polyethylene units, which put together will have a production capacity of 2mtpa.
Aimed to begin operations in 2026, the petrochemicals project will be owned by Golden Triangle Polymers, a joint venture between QatarEnergy (49%) and CPChem (51%).
QatarEnergy surface development and sustainability executive vice president Ahmad Saeed Al-Amoodi said: “For over two decades, we have worked hand in hand with Chevron Phillips Chemical to satisfy the growing demand for innovative petrochemical products, which not only constitute a significant portion of our daily lives, but also play a role in shaping how we live.
“In this partnership, we are also working together to enable balanced growth and to facilitate human development in a responsible and sustainable manner.”
Saeed Al-Amoodi delivered the remarks on behalf of Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, who is Qatar Minister of State for Energy Affairs as well as QatarEnergy CEO.
The Golden Triangle polymers plant marks the second biggest investment for QatarEnergy in the US. This is after the more than $11bn investment in the Golden Pass LNG production and export facility, which is presently under construction in Sabine Pass, Texas.
The Golden Pass LNG is located nearly 56kms from the Golden Triangle project.
A final investment decision (FID) on the polymers plant in Orange County was taken by QatarEnergy and CPChem in November 2022. Located near CPChem’s existing Orange facility, the new project is expected to create around 4,500 construction jobs and over 500 full-time jobs.
In December 2022, a contract worth €250m was awarded to Technip Energies for delivering cracking furnaces for the ethane cracker at the Gulf Coast project.