Bora LyondellBasell brought on line its 1.1mn t/yr ethylene cracker project on 5 August at Panjin in northeast China's Liaoning province, with its polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and butadiene (BD) units in the process of starting up.
Bora LyondellBasell is a 50:50 joint venture between global petrochemical firm LyondellBasell and Chinese refiner Bora Chemical. It is still holding trial runs at its downstream 450,000 t/yr linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and 350,000 t/yr high-density polyethylene (HDPE) units. Its LLDPE unit is testing to produce the 7,042 grade, while the HDPE unit is testing the 7,260 grade.
The complex also has 350,000 t/yr of styrene monomer (SM), 120,000 t/yr of BD and two production lines of 400,000 t/yr and 200,000 t/yr of PP as derivative capacity. Bora will be responsible for selling 450,000 t/yr of LLDPE, SM and BD products. LyondellBasell will be responsible for selling 350,000 t/yr of HDPE and 600,000 t/yr of PP products.
The new PE and PP capacity at Panjin will add to supplies in the north and east China markets. This new capacity could weigh on domestic polymers prices with the turnaround season about to end in China.
Other new Chinese petrochemical plants aiming to start up in south China include Sinochem Quanzhou's 400,000 t/yr HDPE and 580,000 t/yr of PP capacity at the end of August, with Sinopec Zhanjiang's 350,000 t/yr HDPE and 550,000 t/yr PP capacity targeting a September debut.
