INEOS Plans $2B Expansion of Chemical Processing in Europe

Chemical product manufacturer INEOS announced plans Monday to revamp its chemical processing capacity in Europe through a $2 billion investment that will include the construction of a new plant and upgrades to existing facilities.

The Rolle, Switzerland-based company intends to built a new Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH) facility in Europe capable of producing 750,000 tn of propylene per year. A variety of sites are being considered, including locations currently owned by the INEOS in Antwerp, Belgium, a press release describing the plan said.

INEOS’ plan also includes the expansion of the ethylene capacities of its cracker facilities in Grangemouth, Scotland, and Rafnes, Norway to more than 1 million tn per site.

“These are exciting times for INEOS as we plan to further increase the capacity of our crackers in Europe and at the same time to build an entirely new PDF plant. These expansions and new builds will increase our self-sufficiency in all key olefin products and give further support to our derivative businesses and polymer plants in Europe,” said Gerd Franken, chief executive officer of INEOS Olefins & Polymers North, in a statement. “All our assets will benefit from our capability to import competitive raw materials from the US and the rest of the world.”

The company said that although INEOS facilities manufacture about 4.5 million tn of ethylene and propylene in Europe, it remains “the largest buyer” of the products in the continent.

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