Braskem selects lead mechanical subcontractor for new US PP line in La Porte

HOUSTON (ICIS)–US-based Bilfinger Westcon will be the lead mechanical subcontractor for Braskem’s new 450,000 tonne/year polypropylene (PP) line in La Porte, Texas, the Brazil-headquartered producer announced on Thursday.

The new PP line named Delta will bring additional capacity of homopolymers, random copolymers, impact copolymers and reactor thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO) to Braskem’s current PP plant in La Porte, which has a capacity of 354,000 tonnes/year.

The final phase of main construction remains on track and targeted for Q1 2020, Braskem said.

Bilfinger Westcon will be responsible for the installation of structural steel, piping and industrial process equipment through the completion of the facility construction.

“With the recent milestone delivery of the reactors to the Delta site, Braskem and The Linde Group, as our lead [engineering, procurement and construction] EPC contractor have appointed Bilfinger Westcon, a leading construction service provider to the chemical and specialty chemicals industries, as our lead mechanical subcontractor,” said Mark Nikolich, CEO of Braskem North America.

“This appointment keeps us on track for our original Delta project timeline and further supports our leadership position as the largest producer of polypropylene in the Americas,” he added.

Braskem also has a UTEC ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) plant, which started up in early 2017 at the La Porte site.

Picture source: (PRNewsfoto/Braskem)

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