Repsol to add 600,000 t/yr polymer capacity in Portugal

: Petrochemicals
21/07/09

Spanish integrated Repsol plans to build two plants at its petrochemicals complex in Sines, Portugal, which will increase the facility's polypropylene and linear polyethylene and capacity by 300,000 t/yr each when they come online in 2025.

Repsol plans to invest €657mn ($777mn) in the plants and related logistics facilities, including a rail link and carbon emission reduction measures. The plants will target high-value polymer products for the automotive, pharmaceutical, agri-food and other industries.

There are no plans to alter either the capacity of the cracker at Sines that produces ethylene and propylene feedstocks, or output of the existing 145,000 t/yr low density polyethylene (LDPE) and 150,000 t/yr high density polyethylene (HDPE) plants, according to Repsol.

Polypropylene has not been produced at Sines since the closure of a plant in 1992. Repsol said that the proposed expansion is made possible because of the way it operates its complexes in Spain and Portugal in an integrated way. The cracker at Sines has nameplate capacities of 410,000 t/yr ethylene and 220,000 t/yr propylene.

Regular ethylene and propylene exports from Sines will probably fall or halt when the new plants start up.

The two polymer plants have been declared projects of national interest by the Portuguese government, which has granted Repsol tax incentives of up to €63mn related to the work.

By Jonathan Gleave

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