Borealis, TotalEnergies start up Baystar JV polyethylene unit

Photo Credit: Borealis AG

Austrian chemical company Borealis AG and French energy and petroleum supplier TotalEnergies have started production at their Baystar joint venture’s new 625,000 metric ton-per-year Borstar polyethylene (PE) unit, which more than doubles the current production capacity at Baystar’s site in Pasadena, Texas.

The new US$1.4 billion unit completes the partners’ integrated petrochemicals venture, which includes the expanded Bayport PE facility, and the ethane cracker at the TotalEnergies Platform in Port Arthur, Texas.

The new PE unit, referred to as Bay 3, increases the Baystar site’s total production to over one million tons per year, which includes two legacy PE production units.

According to Borealis officials, Borstar technology has been shown to produce advanced value-added polymers with enhanced sustainability by enabling light-weighting and the incorporation of greater amounts of post-consumer recycled materials in a variety of end products, serving the energy, infrastructure and consumer products industries.

“The arrival of Borealis’ proprietary Borstar technology in North America by way of Baystar marks, in line with our owners’ strategies, a crucial step for us in becoming a global leader in advanced and sustainable chemicals and material solutions,” said Borealis CEO Thomas Gangl. “Expanding and deepening our footprint through Baystar enables us to better serve customers and partners by offering improved access to Borstar-based products produced right here in North America.”