By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 19 -- Union Carbide Corp.'s olefins plant in Seadrift, Tex., is the preferred location for a new 900,000-ton ethylene cracker, said Union Carbide's parent, Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., upon completing a site study for constructing a worldscale ethylene plant.
Dow launched the site study last fall when it was announced that Union Carbide plans to close its Seadrift and Texas City, Tex., olefins plants by 2005.
The cracker, expected to be operational in 2007, will use ethane and propane as feedstocks.
Any ethylene shortfall between the shutdowns and the start-up of the replacement capacity will be bridged through purchase agreements and internal efficiencies, Dow Chemical said.
