Equate MEGlobal starts up new ethylene glycol unit

Equate Petrochemical, a joint venture between Dow and Kuwait's Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), began operations at its new 750,000 t/yr ethylene gycol unit in Oyster Creek, Texas, near Freeport today.

The plant is already producing on-specification monoethylene glycol (MEG) and diethylene glycol.

MEG Global Americas, a subsidiary of Equate, will operate the plant, which will be fed by Dow. The facility is the first investment by a Kuwaiti-based company on the US Gulf coast. The Equate group is the world's second largest producer of ethylene glycol, which is used in polyester fibers, polethylene terephthalate (PETE) bottles and packaging and in coolants, paints, and other resins.