BP CONFIRMS SCOTTISH ETHYLENE PROJECT

BP Chemicals Ltd. has confirmed plans for a 20 million ($30 million) capacity expansion of its Grangemouth, Scotland, ethylene plant. The Kinneil Grangemouth cracker, commissioned in 1993, will have its capacity increased by 100,000 metric tons/year in mid-1996 to 450,000 metric tons/year. Plans for the expansion first surfaced last February. BP said the project will boost total ethylene production capacity at the site to 700,000 metric tons/year and increase the ability to run North Sea gas

May 8, 1995

BP Chemicals Ltd. has confirmed plans for a 20 million ($30 million) capacity expansion of its Grangemouth, Scotland, ethylene plant.

The Kinneil Grangemouth cracker, commissioned in 1993, will have its capacity increased by 100,000 metric tons/year in mid-1996 to 450,000 metric tons/year. Plans for the expansion first surfaced last February.

BP said the project will boost total ethylene production capacity at the site to 700,000 metric tons/year and increase the ability to run North Sea gas feedstock from its oil and gas separation plant at Kinneil.

BP said there is room for a further increase in capacity of the Kinneil Grangemouth ethylene cracker, through debottlenecking, on top of the current project. Petrochemical demand growth during the next 2 years may lead to further debottlenecking of ethylene derivatives manufacturing plants at Grangemouth.