Pan-Asia PET Resin (Guangzhou), a subsidiary of Full Apex (Holdings) (Singapore), plans to invest $3.8 billion in a polyester manufacturing complex at Jazan, Saudi Arabia, where Saudi Aramco is building a new refinery and a para-xylene (p-xylene) production facility.
The news follows the signing last year of an agreement between Guangzhou Industrial Development Corp. and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu to allow foreign direct investment by Chinese businesses in Jazan.
Pan-Asia PET Resin, plans to build plants producing 2.5 million metric tons/year (MMt/y) of purified terephthalic acid, 1 MMt/y of PET resin, and 200,000 metric tons/year each of polyester engineering plastics, thin film and polyester fiber. The company envisages the project’s completion in mid-2020. The commission in March allocated land for the project.
Lin Wencai, vice president of Full Apex (Holdings), says that the project will benefit from proximity to raw materials, with a large p-xylene facility under construction at Jazan and from proximity to markets in the Middle East and North Africa. Aramco has ambitions to become a major petrochemicals producer. It’s Jazan p-xylene facility will be designed for 800,000 metric tons/year.
By Natasha Alperowicz
Source: Chemical Week
ExxonMobil Corp. (Spring, Tex.) announced the startup of two new chemical production units at its Baytown, Texas, manufacturing facility. The $2 billion expansion is part of ExxonMobil’s long-term growth plans to deliver higher-value products from its U.S. Gulf Coast refining and chemical facilities.
Ineos Enterprises has announced the acquisition of Eramet Titanium & Iron (ETI) from Eramet for €230 million ($245 million). The deal was completed on Sept. 21 and takes immediate effect, following the satisfaction of regulatory approvals.
Arxada has appointed Sanjeev Rastogi as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. He succeeds Marc Doyle who led Arxada since its foundation and will join the company’s board of directors as a non-executive member.
