Sipchem eyes Jul-Aug start of new Al Jubail acetyls complex

20 April 2009 04:30  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--Saudi International Petrochemical Co (Sipchem) is targeting to start up its new acetyls complex – comprising acetic acid and vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) units – at Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, on schedule in the third quarter of the year, a company official said late on Sunday.

“The 345,000 tonne/year carbon monoxide unit is already under commissioning and production will commence in May 2009,” he said in an e-mail, adding that the acetic acid unit would start up in July and the VAM unit in the following month.

The fully integrated acetyls complex includes a 420,000 tonne/year acetic acid plant, a 330,000 tonne/year VAM plant and a 250,000 tonne/year ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)/low density polyethylene (LDPE) swing line. The EVA/LDPE plant is targeted to come on stream in 2012.

Major acetic acid producers in Asia include Celanese , BP, Daicel Chemical Industries, Showa Denko, Jiangsu Sopo , Shanghai Wujing , GNFC, and Fanavaran Petrochemical Co.

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By: Helen Lee
+65 6780 4359

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