MOSCOW (MRC) -- GS Caltex, a major South Korean petrochemical producer, is planning to start up its new mixed-feed cracker in Yeosu in June 2021, reported S&P Global.
This schedule is earlier than the initial plan of 2022.
The new cracker can produce 790,000 tons/year of ethylene and 430,000 tons/year of propylene.
As MRC informed before, this June, the company also plans to start up its new high density polyethylene (HDPE) in Yeosu with an annual capacity of 500,000 tons/year that would concentrate on producing the film (TR-144, TRB-115), blow molding (5520BN or BM593), and injection (6060 or 6060UV) grades.
The company also operates 180,000 tons/year polypropylene (PP) plant at the same complex.
The project is a 50-50 joint venture between GS Energy Corp. and Chevron Corp., costing 2 trillion won (USD1.84 billion) that started construction work in 2019.
Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 576,270 tonnes in the first three month of 2021, up by 4% year on year. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market totalled 410,890 tonnes in January-March 2021, up by 56% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.
MRC