Bayport Polymers to double polyethylene capacity at Texas site

Bayport Polymers LLC, a 50/50 joint venture owned by Total S.A. and Novealis Holdings – which is itself a joint venture between Nova Chemicals Corp. and Borealis AG – is investing to build a 625,000-ton-per-year polyethylene unit at its production site in Bayport, Texas.

The new unit will use Borstar technology and more than double the site’s polyethylene capacity to 1.1 million tonnes per year, with a start-up scheduled in 2021.

Formed in May 2018, Bayport Polymers is currently building a one-million-tonne per year steam cracker in Port Arthur, Texas. This cracker will process ethane, which is abundantly available and competitively priced in the U.S. and will supply Bayport polyethylene units.

“The power of this partnership between Total, Borealis and Nova Chemicals will enable us to become one of the largest players in the North American polyethylene market,” Bayport Polymers president Diane Chamberlain said in a statement. “The Borstar technology, which will be used for the first time in North America, will allow us to better serve our customers with an increased range of high-value-added products.”