Sinopec Shanghai aims to expand steam cracker production

Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical (SSPC) is hoping to start relocation and expansion work on its steam cracker before 2010, after the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) approved the project’s development, a company official said in mid-July. The plan is to increase ethylene capacity from 150,000 tons per year (tpy) to 600,000 tpy, and build downstream units such as 300,000 tpy polypropylene and 380,000 tpy monoethylene glycol. Based at Jinshanwei, Jinshan District of Shanghai, SSPC operates 69 refining, chemical, plastic and chemical fiber plants, processes 14 million tpy of crude oil and has a total ethylene capacity of 850,000 tpy. (July 18/26, 2008)