Baystar breaks ground on US Borstar PE unit in Texas

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Bayport Polymers (Baystar) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for its new 625,000 tonne/year Borstar polyethylene (PE) unit in Pasadena, Texas, expected to start up in 2021.

Baystar is a 50:50 joint venture between Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA and Novealis Holdings. Novealis is a joint venture between Borealis and NOVA Chemicals

“This new Borstar unit will more than double the site’s capacity and allow Baystar to provide our North American customers with a greater range of high-value-added and resource-efficient products,” said Diane Chamberlain, president of Baystar.

Baystar is also building a 1m tonne/year ethane cracker in Port Arthur, Texas, to supply feedstock for its existing 400,000 tonne/year PE units and the new Borstar PE unit.

“With the ethane cracker project in Port Arthur now well underway, it is exciting to be here today with our partners Borealis and NOVA Chemicals to start the construction of the polyethylene unit here at Baystar,” said Christophe Gerondeau, president and CEO at Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA.

“These two projects are a perfect example of Total’s strategy to expand in petrochemicals, where we can leverage cost-advantaged feedstock and capitalise on our integrated platforms such as Port Arthur.”

The new Baystar plant will be the first in North America to use the Borstar technology.

“Baystar will profit from this superior technology, but also from our success in developing and sustaining ambitious joint ventures on a global scale,” said Alfred Stern, CEO at Borealis. “We are also glad to have found partners who share our commitment to safety at all levels of operations.”

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