By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Mar. 1 -- Kuwait Petroleum Corp.'s Petrochemical Industries Co. (PIC) and Dow Chemical Co. subsidiary Union Carbide Corp. began work Mar. 1 on the Olefins II ethylene and derivatives complex in Shuaiba, Kuwait.
The complex, planned for start-up in early 2008, will have an 850,000-tonne/year ethane cracker and a 600,000 tonne/year ethylene oxide-ethylene glycol plant using "Meteor" ethylene oxide technology. The existing 600,000-tonne/year polyethylene capacity will be expanded to use the additional ethylene.
In addition to Olefins II, PIC and Dow will add a 450,000-tonne/year ethylbenzene-styrene unit that will receive ethylene from Olefins II and benzene from the Aromatics Project, to be built simultaneously on the site adjacent to the Equate Petrochemical Co. facility.
Equate, a joint venture of PIC and Union Carbide, will manage, operate, and maintain the Olefins II facilities.
