Paris, 27 Jan 2012 – Total is consolidating its
positions in petrochemicals in Asia with a new expansion and upgrading project
for the Daesan complex in South Korea, which the Group owns with Samsung as
part of the Samsung Total Petrochemicals 50/50 joint venture.
With costs approaching $1.8 billion, the project calls for
the construction of a second aromatics1 unit and an ethylene-vinyl acetate
(EVA) copolymer unit at the Daesan petrochemical complex.
The new aromatics unit will have a production capacity of
around 1 million metric tons of paraxylene and 420,000 metric tons of benzene
per year and will be completed by September 2014. Paraxylene is used to
manufacture polyester, while benzene is used to produce petrochemical products
such as styrene2.
With the completion of the aromatics unit in 2014 and the
upgrade of existing paraxylene capacity in 2012, total paraxylene production
capacity will be increased to 1.76 million metric tons.
The new EVA unit will produce 240,000 metric tons per year
of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers. This resin is used in products such as
electrical cables, adhesives and solar panels. Environmentally friendly and
versatile, EVA is expected to see continued growth in demand.
The Daesan petrochemical complex is a world-class facility
that manufactures four main products — polypropylene, polyethylene, styrene
monomer and paraxylene. Fifty percent of its output is exported, primarily to
China.
Total’s presence in South Korea extends beyond Samsung Total
Petrochemicals to lubricants, LNG, alternative energies, adhesives (through
Bostik), antivibration systems (through Hutchinson) and electroplating (through
Atotech).
Source: Total Press Release
Source: Total Press Release
