LyondellBasell has announced that they will build the world’s largest propylene oxide (PO) and tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) plant in Houston, TX, USA. Production of 1 billion pounds (470,000 metric tons) of PO and 2.2 billion pounds (1 million metric tons) of TBA annually is planned. Costing approximately $2.4 billion, the project is the single-largest capital investment in the company’s history.

Construction is expected to begin during the second half of 2018. The company expects the project to be completed by the middle of 2021 and to create approximately 160 permanent positions when operational.

PO is used in the manufacture of bedding, furniture, carpeting, coatings, building materials, and adhesives. TBA will be converted to methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE). Both are high-octane gasoline components that help gasoline burn cleaner and reduce emissions from automobiles.

• LyondellBasell, Rotterdam, The Netherlands