By John Westbrook
OGJ Correspondent
TAIPEI, May 10 -- Taiwan's cabinet-level Council of Mainland Affairs has given the go- ahead for Formosa Plastics Group to import 5,000 foreign workers that FPG says are necessary for the timely completion of the fourth-stage expansion project at its $3.76 billion Mailiao petrochemical complex. In all, 15,000 workers will be needed to complete the project. An FPG official said the start of the project has been delayed by 2 months while the group awaited approval. He added that the importation of foreign workers is expected to save FPG more than $302 million in construction costs.
Completion of the fourth-stage expansion project, which will entail setting up 27 new up-stream, mid-stream, and down-stream petrochemical plants, will propel FPG into the ranks of the world's five largest petrochemical producers, with annual revenues of more than $30 billion.
Ningbo pilot production
Separately, FPG is set to launch pilot production at its new Ningbo petrochemical complex this month. An FPG spokesman said that a plant operated by Formosa Chemicals & Fiber Corp. would begin production of ABS in May, while a second factory, operated by Formosa Plastics Corp., will launch production of PVC in August.
The output of both new plants will be targeted at China's domestic market.
