LyondellBasell's La Porte Complex Hosts Economic Alliance Houston Port Region
October 25, 2017
Visit Provided Update on Company’s New Hyperzone PE Technology Advancing the Plastics Industry
LA PORTE, Texas – Oct. 25, 2017 – LyondellBasell’s La Porte Complex hosted a visit today by the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region. Approximately 30 public and private sector Economic Alliance members were briefed on the construction of the company’s new Hyperzone polyethylene (PE) plant, which will address modern solutions in plastics technology and is part of the company’s multi-billion dollar series of investments along the U.S. Gulf Coast to continue expanding and enhancing service globally.
“It was great to learn more about LyondellBasell’s La Porte Complex and work the company’s employees perform every day to create even better products, technologies and solutions,” said Chad Burke, president and CEO of the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region. “LyondellBasell’s La Porte operations continue to grow and are a dependable and strong economic partner with a proven record in reliable production and safety.”
“I’m pleased to have members of the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region spend time at our facility and hear a progress update on our construction of what will be the first commercial Hyperzone polyethylene plant,” said Chris Cain, Site Manager of LyondellBasell’s La Porte Complex. “We appreciate their partnership and interest in our employees and operations.”
The Hyperzone plant will produce 1.1 billion pounds-per-year of high density polyethylene and will be completed in 2019. Hyperzone PE technology enables customers to produce cost-effective, light weight plastics that are strong, durable and widely recyclable. The Hyperzone PE project will create up to 1,000 jobs at the peak of construction and 75 permanent positions. As modeled by Impact Data Source, the approximately $700 million project is expected to generate more than $67 million in tax benefits for the state, county, school district, community college and other local taxing districts over a 10-year period following construction.
In addition to the Hyperzone PE plant, the company’s U.S. Gulf Coast investments include recently completed work on ethylene expansion projects at its La Porte, Channelview and Corpus Christi sites in Texas. Additionally, LyondellBasell is building the world’s largest propylene oxide (PO) and tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) plant at is Channelview Complex. The PO/TBA project is estimated to cost approximately $2.4 billion, representing the single-largest capital investment in the company’s history. At the peak of construction, the project is expected to create up to 2,500 jobs and approximately 160 permanent positions when operational. Once in operation, the plant will produce an anticipated 1 billion pounds (470,000 metric tons) of PO and 2.2 billion pounds (1 million metric tons) of TBA annually.
PO is used in the manufacture of bedding, furniture, carpeting, coatings, building materials and adhesives, while the TBA will be converted to two ether-based oxyfuels, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE). Both MTBE and ETBE are high-octane gasoline components that help gasoline burn cleaner and reduce emissions from automobiles.
The LyondellBasell La Porte Complex employs more than 580 employees and contractors. The plant manufactures materials used in toys, adhesives, food packaging and paints and coatings. The complex is the world’s third largest producer of glacial acetic acid, a safe flavor enhancer and food preservative. For more information, visit www.lyb.com/laporte.
Media Contact: Chevalier Gray (O) 713-309-4561 (M) 346-217-2346 chevalier.gray@lyb.com