China issues five-year plan to help olefin sector

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a five-year plan for the olefin sector to help the industry achieve growth from 2011-2015. The plan covers ethylene and propylene, and addresses concerns about raw materials including naphtha, condensate oil, light hydrocarbons and coal. There are now six ethylene producers in China and each one has an annual capacity exceeding 1 million tons. (April 6, 2012)