GPCA: Saudi Polymers set to begin Al-Jubail HDPE shipments

12 September 2012 10:57  [Source: ICB]

Saudi Polymers will start shipments to Asia of on-spec high density polyethylene (HDPE) film and blow molding grades from its new facilities in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia, this month. The company is 65%-owned by Saudi Arabia's National Petrochemical (Petrochem), with the remaining 35% held by Chevron Phillips Petrochemical (ACP) - a subsidiary of Chevron Phillips Chemical.

A first-quarter start-up was originally planned at Al-Jubail

"We will receive the first shipment of HDPE film from this September," a southeast Asia-based processor said, adding that it received off-spec material early this month. "Saudi Polymers will be producing mainly HDPE blow molding grades first," a buyer based in south Asia added. Saudi Polymers will first produce only medium molecular weight HDPE blow molding grade, the buyer said.

Saudi Polymers' new facility at the site in Al- Jubail can produce 1.17m tonnes/year of ethylene. Downstream units consist of two 550,000 tonne/year HDPE lines; a 400,000 tonne/year polypropylene (PP) plant; a 200,000 tonne/year polystyrene (PS) unit, and a 100,000 tonne/year 1-hexene plant.

Off-spec PS material from Saudi Polymers has been made available to Asia since July, sources said.

The Al-Jubail complex was initially planned to come on stream in the first quarter of this year but mechanical problems at the cracker prevented the downstream plants starting up on schedule.

By: John Baker
+44 20 8652 3214

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