Egypt’s EIPET expecting to have commercial PET by May 2013

LONDON (ICIS)–Egypt’s EIPET is expecting to have commercial polyethylene terephthalate (PET) out of its 420,000 tonne/year unit in Ain Sokhna, Egypt, by May 2013, a company source said on Thursday.

“Commissioning should be in March, maybe April. All the equipment should be in place. If all is fine then [start up] will not be more than a month after,” the source said.

The unit has two lines of 210,000 tonnes/year apiece, and is well placed to serve customers in North Africa, North America and Europe, according to the source.

How much will go to each region “depends on the situation at that particular moment in those particular regions”, the source said.

No more than 150,000-200,000 tonnes/year is expected to be destined for the European market, primarily south Europe.

EIPET is a joint venture of India’s Dhunseri Petrochem and Tea and two Egyptian state-owned companies, Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding and Engineering for the Petroleum and Process Industries.

($1 = €0.75)