Repsol to reduce Puertollano ethylene, propylene capacity by 2015

LONDON (ICIS)–Spanish Chemicals producer Repsol is to reduce ethylene and propylene capacities at its Puertollano cracker by 62% and 57% respectively as part of a process of optimisation, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday.

In a press release, the company said that it had decided to bring its Puertollano petrochemical site up to date by improving the competititiveness of the cracker. This would be done by using state-of-the-art equipment and by adapting the cracker to use alternative feedstocks such as refinery gases which will replace naphtha.

As part of the optimisation process, which is due to take effect in 2015, the nameplate ethylene capacity will be 95,000 tonnes/year. Currently, it is 250,000 tonnes/year.

Nameplate propylene capacity, currently at 150,000 tonnes/year, will reduce to 65,000 tonnes/year.

Repsol said that the ethylene will go to feed high added value polyolefins such as EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) grades. It announced last week that it would close its high density polyethylene unit at Puertollano due to lack of profitability.

The propylene from the cracker, supplemented by output from Repsol’s refineries, will continue to feed the polypropylene (PP) unit at the site.

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