MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indorama Ventures’ majority-owned Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.A. gas cracker that will produce ethylene from shale gas has received an air permit from U.S. authorites, signifying an important step forward in maintaining the plant’s startup schedule, said the producer on its press release.
The air permit, which is the main environmental permit required by the company in order to proceed with refurbishment of the cracker, allows the project to commence the repair and construction activities at the site a month ahead of the original target date. Ethylene from the cracker will feed the production of MEG (monoethylene glycol), which is used to make PET (polyethylene terephthalate). When complete, Indorama Ventures will become the most vertically integrated PET producer in North America.
The project received a water permit in June that allows the facility to discharge liquid effluent through its waste-water treatment plant. The project has also completed de-bottlenecking-related engineering and has ordered all its major long-lead-time equipment. Mechanical completion is expected in the third quarter of 2017 on schedule, followed by commissioning and startup in the fourth quarter of 2017.
As MRC informed earlier, Indorama Ventures (Bangkok) pulled out of a world-scale aromatics joint venture in Abu Dhabi to be replaced by state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (Adnoc).
Indorama Ventures is a leading producer in the polyester value chain in Thailand with strong global network and manufacturing across Asia, Europe and North America. Its products serve major players in diversified end use markets, including food, beverages, personal and home care, health care, automotives, textile, and industrial. The company’s main products are PTA, PET and polyester fibre, which are distributed across the world.
MRC