Chevron Phillips Chemical to expand polyalphaolefins capacity at Cedar Bayou plant

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, based in The Woodlands, Texas, U.S.A., said it has reached the final investment decision to increase the low viscosity polyalphaolefins (PAO) capacity at its Cedar Bayou plant in Baytown, Texas, U.S.A. by 20% or 10,000 metric tonnes.

The expansion will allow the company to meet increasing demand for high-performance lubricants in automotive and industrial applications, as demand for higher energy efficiency and high-quality basestocks continues to grow.

The project also improves process safety and overall unit efficiencies, while reducing waste generation for the Cedar Bayou’s PAO unit.  Feedstocks for this project will be provided through Chevron Phillips Chemical’s recent 100,000 metric tonne-per-year expansion of normal alpha olefins (NAO) capacity in Cedar Bayou.

“This additional capacity enables us to expand with our customer base to meet the future requirements of the industry,” said Global PAO Business Manager Miles Oberton.

Construction will begin in April 2016, with completion and startup by mid-2017.