Borealis invests €4.5 million in Porvoo steam cracker

Borealis plans to invest €4.5 million in a cracking furnace for its olefins unit in Porvoo, Finland. Borealis said the project aims to ensure that the Porvoo steam cracker, part of a highly integrated petrochemical complex, can increase the proportion of renewable and recycled raw materials used in its production of basic chemicals, namely ethylene and propylene.

Porvoo's investment, expected to be completed in 2025, follows the completion of a major cracking furnace update at Borealis' site in Stenonsund, Sweden, last year.

Porvoo's steam cracker has a nameplate capacity of 430 tonnes/year of ethylene and 263 tonnes/year of propylene. With this investment, three of the 10 cracking furnaces in the olefins unit will be retrofitted to achieve a total annual production of 120 tons of basic chemicals based on renewable and recycled feedstocks.

"We are focused on reinventing the essentials for sustainable living and a €4.5 million investment in a steam cracker in Porvoo brings us closer to a future of circular economy transition. Through strategic furnace modifications and a commitment to renewable and chemically recycled base chemicals, we are preparing to increase production to 120 tons per year, creating a path to environmental stewardship and economic resiliency," said Wolfram Krenn, Borealis executive vice president Operations and Base Chemicals.