LyondellBasell has announced its plan to move ahead with the construction of a high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant on the US Gulf Coast.
Scheduled to be commissioned in 2019, the plant is expected to have an annual production capacity of 500,000mt.
HDPE is used in several applications such as pipe, bottles, containers, toys, film, healthcare articles, plastic fuel tanks and industrial packaging.
The plant is said to be the first commercial facility to use Hyperzone PE technology, which was developed by Lyondell Basell’s European research and development centers located in Frankfurt, Germany, and Ferrara, Italy.
The Hyperzone PE technology is a cascade gas phase process based on the firm's Multizone circulating reactor technology.
LyondellBasell CEO Bob Patel said: “This new proprietary technology will have the capability to produce a wide range of HDPE products with enhanced properties, many of which have the potential to exceed industry benchmarks.”
The project is estimated to create up to 1,000 jobs at the peak of construction and around 75 permanent positions.
LyondellBasell's Hyperzone PE enhanced properties provide improved stress crack-resistance and enhance balance between stiffness and impact strength.
Patel added: "We are continuing to invest in growth-oriented projects like Hyperzone PE, where we see long term feedstock advantage.
"We believe that the combination of our latest polyolefins technology and new ethylene capacity from low-cost debottlenecks will provide a good return on investment. Additionally, this project enhances our ethylene integration strategy, allowing us to capture value across the ethylene value chain."
LyondellBasell currently produces 3.5 million metric tons of HDPE per annum.
