Bayport Polymers LLC — a 50/50 joint venture owned by Total S.A. and Novealis Holdings LLC, itself a joint venture of Borealis AG and NOVA Chemicals Inc. — has made the final investment decision to build a 625,000-tons-per-year polyethylene unit at its production site in Bayport, Texas.
The new unit will use Borstar® technology and more than double the site’s polyethylene capacity to 1.1 million tons per year, with start-up scheduled for 2021. The contract for the engineering, procurement and construction of the new unit is expected to employ 1,750 staff members during peak activity.
“The Borstar technology, which will be used for the first time in North America, will allow us to better serve our customers with an increased range of high-value-added products,” said Diane Chamberlain, president of Bayport Polymers.
Formed in May 2018, Bayport Polymers is currently building a 1-million- tons-per-year steam cracker in Port Arthur, Texas. This cracker will process ethane, which is abundantly available and competitively priced in the U.S. and will supply Bayport polyethylene units.
“The project is in line with our strategy to develop petrochemicals at our major integrated complexes and leverage competitively priced feedstocks,” said Bernard Pinatel, president of refining and chemicals at Total. “It’s another step to strengthen our position in the U.S., where we have more than 5,000 employees and where we operate one of our six largest integrated platforms in Port Arthur, Texas.”
“Partnering with Total and Borealis and bringing Borstar technology to North America will allow us to better serve our customers throughout the Americas by delivering a broader slate of products that help make everyday life healthier, easier and safer,” stated NOVA Chemicals CEO Todd Karran.
For more information, visit www.total.com or call +33 (0)1 47 44 45 46.
