David N. Nakamura
Refining/Petrochemical Editor
HOUSTON, Oct. 13, 2008 -- The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing a massive expansion during which it will increase its ethylene production capacity to more than 64 million tonnes/year (tpy) from 40 million tpy by 2015, according to a report from FACTS Global Energy, Honolulu.
The report, "Asia's Petrochemical Industry: Implications for Future Naphtha Demand," said a wave of additions will take place during 2009-11, with strong peaks in first-quarter and fourth-quarter 2009.
Most of the new capacity will be added in China. The second-largest global producer of ethylene, China will add 14 million tpy by 2015 to its existing 10 million tpy of production capacity. "Firm and likely additions" will occur mainly in 2009 (4.95 million tpy) and 2011 (3.8 million tpy), according to the report.
China will increase its naphtha consumption from to about 825,000 by 2010 and more than 1.1 million b/d in 2015 from 600,000 b/d in 2007.Because most of the new ethylene production capacity is based on naphtha feedstocks, its consumption also will increase greatly. China will become the largest naphtha consumer in Asia by 2011, according to the report.
Contact David N. Nakamura at [email protected].