Contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
PKN ORLEN has today entered into an Agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries regarding a technical project and the delivery of raw materials, facilities and technical assistance for the construction of a PTA plant in Wloclawek (Poland). The Agreement was concluded on the basis of a MEC license.
The contract allows for the start of introductory work and construction of an aromatic complex in PKN ORLEN’s petrochemical division.
With this investment, PKN ORLEN will extend its value creation chain in the petrochemical segment and better utilize the processing capacities of the Plock refinery. The start of the PTA plant is scheduled for Q4 2010. Until then, the Company plans to increase paraxylene production capacities in Plock as a feedstock for the PTA plant and also energy generating facilities and sewage treatment plant in Anwil (Poland), an ORLEN Group company.
The construction cost of the production line is estimated at approximately EUR 600m. The new company is expected to employ more than 200 people, plus additional personnel providing maintenance and logistics services. The investment is located on PKN ORLEN’s premises adjacent to Anwil, and will require the construction not only of the basic production lines but also the entire peripheral infrastructure necessary for the company’s operations.
Global consumption of terephthalic acid has been growing steadily for some years at a level of 8-10% per annum. In 1970, PTA output was as low as 1.75 million tonnes, whereas in 2006 it exceeded 30 million tonnes. The 2003 – 2010 forecasts for Western Europe indicate 6% demand growth each year. Over the same period, the forecasts indicate that supplies will not match consumption.
Such a dynamic demand trend results from the use of terephthalic acid for the production of plastics. Terephthalic acid is a key raw material for the production of a wide range of polyesters, especially polyester fibres which account for 70% of the global production of synthetic fibres. Polyesters are also a fundamental component of plastic packaging and especially PET bottles. They are also used in the pharmaceutical sector.
