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(Zawya) -- By 2015, BMI forecasts
ethylene and propylene capacities will rise to 16.52mn tpa and 6.55mn tpa
respectively, with Saudi Kayan’s commercial operation in 2011 set to contribute
most to the increase, according to BMI’s latest Saudi Arabia Petrochemicals
Report. Compared with 2010, total PE capacity will rise 20% to 8.86mn tpa, PP
will rise 11% and PS, PET and
PVC capacities will remain unchanged. Ethylene
capacity in 2015 is forecasted to be more than double that of 2008 levels, with
Jubail and Yanbu the focus of petrochemicals developments.
Technical problems at Sahara Petrochemicals’ Al-Waha plant and at Petro
Rabigh have adversely
affected PP output. The temporary closures did not
affect supplies, which were maintained through
inventories, although BMI
expected a negative impact on profitability at the respective plants. On
the
upside, NatPet resumed operations at its Yanbu-based 400,000tpa PP
complex after completing a
scheduled maintenance 11 days before the 60-day
turnaround was due to be completed. The scheduled maintenance aimed to increase
the operational rate of the complex, which was started in August 2010 but
experienced two shutdowns in H111 due to technical problems and power outages,
causing losses of more than US$11mn.
mrcplast.com
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