December, 14, 2007 - Basell, the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago, Ltd. (NGC), and the National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago, Ltd. (NEC) announced today that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) confirming their intention to construct and operate a fully integrated polypropylene complex in Trinidad and Tobago.
The MOU includes the construction of a methanol plant, which will exclusively supply a methanol-to-propylene unit at the complex. The propylene produced at the complex will be the feedstock for a world-scale 450 KT per year polypropylene plant based on Basell’s Spherizone technology. Start up is tentatively scheduled for 2012. The whole project will be undertaken in conjunction with Lurgi AG, the industry leader in methanol and methanol-to-propylene (MTP) technology. The polypropylene complex is one of the cornerstones of the country’s strategy to promote downstream diversification and to build the foundation for a value adding local plastics industry.
“By using Basell’s latest-generation Spherizone polypropylene technology, the project will benefit from a highly innovative product portfolio,” said Just Jansz, president of Basell’s Technology business. “These resins enhance performance in existing applications while creating opportunities for polypropylene to expand into new end uses.”
The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC) was founded in 1975 and plays a key role in the development of the natural gas-based energy sector through its core responsibility, that is, the purchase, transmission, sale and distribution of natural gas in Trinidad and Tobago. The National Energy Corporation (NEC) is a fully autonomous entity within the NGC Group with the mandate to promote new gas-based and associated downstream energy industries and the development and management of industrial estates, port and marine facilities for the gas-based energy sector.
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Basell is the global leader in polyolefins technology, production and marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene and catalysts, and the industry leader in licensing polypropylene and polyethylene processes, including providing technical services for its proprietary technologies. Basell, together with its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities in 19 countries and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.
For more information contact:
Basell: Waldemar Oldenburger, Basell Corporate Communications, at +49 69 305 8 54 59, waldemar.oldenburger@basell.com
NGC/NEC: Jeannette Elias, NGC Corporate Communications, at +868 636-4680 ext. 2090, jeannette@ngc.co.tt
