LyondellBasell (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) announced the successful startup of Ulsan PP Co., Ltd.’s polypropylene production facility. The facility, located in the southeastern port city of Ulsan, South Korea, is one of the largest of its kind in Asia, designed to produce 400,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of polypropylene. Ulsan PP Co., Ltd., is a joint venture between PolyMirae Company Ltd., (a 50:50 partnership of LyondellBasell and DL Chemical) and SK Advanced, a joint venture between Korea’s SK Gas, Saudi Arabia’s APC and Kuwait’s PIC, a subsidiary of Kuwait’s state-run oil company, Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC).
“Through the pandemic, Asian demand for polypropylene remained strong. Now, with the global economy recovering as well, this joint venture is extremely well positioned to meet even greater demand in the region,” said Ken Lane, LyondellBasell Executive Vice President, Olefins and Polyolefins.
The facility uses LyondellBasell’s fifth generation Spheripol PP process technology. Under the joint venture agreement, PolyMirae will offtake and sell all polypropylene produced by the facility to customers throughout Asia. The companies broke ground on the facility in 2019.