Europe faces up to NSP restart and two new crackers

Journal Article · Wed Mar 31 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Chemical Week; (United States)

OSTI ID:6560836

Roberts, M

European cracker operators are hurting-most have not been covering cash costs for the past six months-and they are determined to ease the pain by boosting prices. But since olefins demand remains weak, price gains will have to come via lower production. That appears to be difficult, given the startup of two new world-scale crackers-BP Chemicals (London) 350,000-m.t./year expansion at Grangemouth, UK and EniChem's (Milan) 360,000-m.t./year plant at Brindisi, Italy - and the restart of North Sea Petrochemical's (NSP; Antwerp) 250,000-m.t./year propane dehydrogenation unit. Although the two new crackers have the potential to boost Europe's net olefins output by 4% in 1993, to 18.5 million m.t./year, according to Trichem Consultants (London), the increase will be smaller because EniChem and BP will reduce capacity at other plants as the new units come onstream. EniChem says that the startup of Brindisi will not have an effect on the market. We will not allow the startup to further depress prices.

• OSTI ID: 6560836
• Journal Information: Chemical Week; (United States), Journal Name: Chemical Week; (United States) Vol. 152:12; ISSN CHWKA9; ISSN 0009-272X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020700* -- Petroleum-- Economics
Industrial
& Business Aspects
ALKANES
ALKENES
CAPACITY
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
CHEMICAL PLANTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CRACKING
DECOMPOSITION
DEHYDROGENATION
EUROPE
HYDROCARBONS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INDUSTRY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS
PRICES
PRODUCTION
PROPANE
PYROLYSIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES