Andrew Liveris, CEO, Dow.
HOUSTON, US: Dow Chemical has chosen Freeport, Texas, as the site of its world-scale, on-purpose propylene plant, Andrew Liveris, CEO, Dow said on Thursday.
Liveris discussed the plant during an earnings conference call.
An on-purpose propylene plant would use propane as a feedstock to produce solely propylene. Most of the propylene in the US is produced as a byproduct - either by naphtha crackers or by fluid catalytic crackers at refineries. Dow’s propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant is planned for for start-up in 2015.
Dow is also considering a second propylene plant with a possible start-up in 2018.
The announcement by the company comes at a time when US propylene prices have reached record levels. Propylene is a feedstock for acrylates as well as for polyether polyols, which, in turn, are used to make polyurethane.
“Integration to the propylene chain is equally important, which is why we also announced construction of a new world-scale on purpose propylene facility at our Freeport, Texas, site,” said Liveris.
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