Blasco Plans PE Unit Retrofit

Recently, Bernardo Alvarez, deputy CEO of Braskem Idesa, a joint venture between Brazil's Brasco and Mexico's Idesa Group, said that the company is embarking on its 25,000-ton/year polyethylene (PE) debottlenecking transformation in Mexico. project, and the potential expansion of its ethane import terminal construction project.

Alvarez also said that Braskem Idesa is reviewing the debottlenecking plan of its ethylene XXI plant in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, to increase PE production capacity by about 25,000 tons per year. But no final investment decision has been made. Currently, Ethylene XXI has an ethylene production capacity of 1.05 million tons/year, with downstream capacity of 750,000 tons/year for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and 300,000 tons/year for low-density polyethylene (LDPE). In addition, the company has arranged ethane supplies with the Mexican government and, with the support of the Mexican government, will invest $400 million to build an ethane terminal in the port of Coatzacoalcos. Alvarez said Braskem Idesa plans to begin construction of its Mexican ethane import terminal in the second quarter of 2022, which will serve the ethylene XXI project, with operations scheduled for 2024. Previously, Braskem Idesa imported ethane from the US for production.