ExxonMobil has commenced production on a new high-performance line at its Beaumont polyethylene plant in Texas, US.
The new polyethylene line increases the production capacity of the Beaumont polyethylene plant by 65% or 650,000 tonnes-per-year.
Bringing the site capacity to nearly 1.7 million tonnes per year, the expansion project created more than 2,000 jobs during the peak construction phase, and currently supports approximately 40 permanent jobs.
Startup of new line forms part of ExxonMobil’s 2017 Growing the Gulf initiative
ExxonMobil’s Beaumont’s polyethylene plant expansion is part of the firm’s 2017 Growing the Gulf initiative, which involves construction and expansion of manufacturing facilities along the US Gulf Coast.
The initiative is expected to create more than 45,000 jobs across the region.
The move builds on ExxonMobil commissioning two new 650,000 tonnes-per-year high-performance polyethylene lines at its plastics plant in Mont Belvieu, Texas, in 2017.
Commenting on the commissioning of new polyethylene line at Mont Belvieu plant, ExxonMobil Chemical Company president Neil Chapman said: “The expansion of our Mont Belvieu facility further enhances our ability to meet growing global demand for high-performance polyethylene products around the world.”
The expansion projects would help meet the growing demand for polyethylene, particularly products used for liquid and food packaging, agricultural films, and construction liners.
ExxonMobil Chemical Company president Karen McKee said: “The availability of new supplies of domestically produced natural gas liquids provides us with a significant advantage when expanding polyethylene production to meet worldwide demand growth.
“Our unique polyethylene products offer enhanced performance benefits to our customers, including strength and ease of processing, compared with commodity products.”
Located on 300 acres west of Beaumont, the Beaumont polyethylene plant is equipped to produce granular and pelletized polyethylene used for the manufacturing of plastic products.
Employing more than 2,000 people, the ExxonMobil’s Beaumont petrochemical manufacturing complex includes a refinery, chemical plant, polyethylene plant and lubricant blending and packaging plant.
