Braskem’s new Texas polypropylene plant starts commercial production

Authors are Emmanuel Gallegos & Flavia Alemi

New York — Brazilian petrochemical producer Braskem’s 450,000 mt/year polypropylene plant in LaPorte, Texas, along the Houston Ship Channel completed its initial commercial production, the company said Sept. 10.

“The launch of commercial production at our new world-class polypropylene production line in La Porte clearly affirms Braskem’s position as the North American polypropylene market leader,” Braskem America CEO Mark Nikolich said in a statement.

With a $750 million investment, the new PP plant’s construction started in October 2017 and was completed last June.

Braskem had expected the plant to start-up in July but widened that target to encompass the entire third quarter.

The unit is able to produce homopolymer, impact copolymer, and random copolymers.

On June 1, Braskem announced it would establish an export hub in Charleston, South Carolina, with packaging and warehouse provider Frontier Logistics, that is set to open in the third quarter of this year as well.

The Global Export Hub is expected to export shipments of up to 204,000 mt/year of polypropylene and specialty polymers.

Braskem operates five other US PP plants in Texas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, with a cumulative capacity of 1.57 million mt/year that the company acquired. The new plant in La Porte, Texas, is Braskem America’s first PP new build.

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/petrochemicals/091020-braskems-new-texas-polypropylene-plant-starts-commercial-production