US ExxonMobil to build Baton Rouge PP unit

HOUSTON (ICIS)–ExxonMobil plans to build a US polypropylene (PP) plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, it said on Friday.

Construction will begin this year, and the capacity will be 450,000 tonnes/year, ExxonMobil said.  The plant should start up in 2021.

The company awarded Turner Industries and Jacobs Engineering the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, ExxonMobil said.

“Growth in feedstock supply along with the increase in global demand for chemical products continues to drive our strategic investments and expansion along the Gulf Coast,” said John Verity, president of ExxonMobil Chemical.

ExxonMobil did not disclose the value of the project. The company did say that it is in addition to its earlier announcement to invest $20bn to build and expand plants in the US Gulf Coast as part of its Growing the Gulf programme.

The image above shows pellets made of polypropylene. Image by Shutterstock