Copene awards work for Brazil ethylene expansion

March 22, 2001
Copene Petroquimica do Nordeste SA awarded a contract to Technip SA of Paris for the front-end engineering design of a major expansion of its Ethylene II plant in the large Cama�i petrochemical complex about 40 km from Salvador in northeastern Brazil.


By the OGJ Online Staff


HOUSTON, Mar. 22
�Copene Petroquimica do Nordeste SA awarded a contract to Technip SA of Paris for the front-end engineering design of a major expansion of its Ethylene II plant in the large Cama�i petrochemical complex about 40 km from Salvador in northeastern Brazil.

Brazilian officials plan to increase capacity of that unit to 800,000 tons/year from 670,000 tons/year at present. The unit already uses Technip technology.

The expansion, valued at around $100 million, will retrofit major equipment items in both the hot and cold sections. Significant savings will be made by reusing a maximum amount of existing equipment and by optimizing process conditions, officials said.

The Technip contract represents the first phase of the project. That work will be handled by the French firm�s ethylene centers in the US and France, with support from its Krebs Engenharia engineering center in Rio de Janeiro.

Copene�s scheduling calls for the future award of a second phase, covering detailed engineering and procurement services, with construction expected to start in March 2003.

In operation since 1978, Copene produces basic petrochemicals and utilities used by downstream companies at the Cama�i complex. It is South America�s largest producer of basic petrochemicals, supplying half of Brazil�s total market for basic petrochemicals, with a facility that is ranked among the 10 largest plants of its kind at a single site.

Technip holds a significant share of the global ethylene market for steam cracker furnaces, accounting for 15% of installed capacity worldwide. It is a major supplier both of ethylene technology and of related engineering and construction services.