Indian petrochemical producer Haldia Petrochemicals (HPL) plans to develop a new oil-to-chemicals project at Cuddalore in south India's state of Tamil Nadu.
The project will be carried out in two phases. The first phase will involve developing an ethylene cracker with an expected nameplate capacity of 1.8mn t/yr. Downstream units include a 271,000 t/yr butadiene plant, a 650,000 t/yr high density polyethylene (HDPE) unit, a 650,000 t/yr linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) swing plant, a 1.2mn t/yr monoethylene glycol line and three polypropylene (PP) units with combined production of 1.7mn t/yr.
HPL will also build a series of propylene downstream units during the first phase, including a 300,000 t/yr phenol unit, a 185,000 t/yr acetone plant and a 150,000 t/yr isopropanol line.
Feedstock for the cracker will come from its upstream 6.2mn t/yr, or 46.5mn b/yr, crude processing unit at the same complex. HPL is also expected to import butane and propane to feed into its cracker, according to a statement submitted by the company to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India in early December.
HPL will develop an aromatics plant during its second phase. The producer aims to build a 1.6mn t/yr paraxylene plant along with a 1.25mn t/yr purified terephthalic acid unit. The complex will also produce other aromatics products such as benzene and toluene, with expected production capacities of 580,000 t/yr and 198,000 t/yr respectively.
The project is estimated to cost Rs 783bn ($10.48bn) and is slated to take eight years for completion once HPL receives all statutory consent and clearances from the relevant authorities and departments.
HPL currently owns a cracker at the east coast of India in Haldia, in the state of West Bengal. The cracker has a nameplate capacity of 700,000 t/yr of ethylene and 340,000 t/yr of propylene. Downstream units consist of a 330,000 t/yr HDPE unit, a 615,000 t/yr LLDPE swing plant and a 330,000 t/yr PP line.
