Formosa Plastics Wins EPA Permits For Texas Olefins Expansion

Formosa is expanding its petrochemical complex, located near Victoria, and taking three actions with its turbines unit, olefins unit and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plant.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued three final GHG Prevention of Significant Deterioration construction permits for the Formosa Plastics facility in Point Comfort, Texas.

Formosa is expanding its chemical complex, located near Victoria, and taking three actions with its turbines unit, olefins unit and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit.

According to the olefins GHG permit, a new ethane cracker and propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit will have a combined capacity of 1.75 million tpy of "high-purity ethylene product". 

Meanwhile, the LDPE unit will have a a capacity of 625,500 tpy and be able to produce resin at different grades.

The expansion alone will bring over $2B in capital investments, create 1800 construction jobs and 225 long-term operations jobs in the local area, according to the EPA.

Formosa will add two new gas-fired combined-cycle gas turbines to the existing chemical utility unit. Each turbine will have a capacity to generate 80 megawatts of electrical power.

The existing utility plant will consist of the six existing General Electric 7EA gas-fired turbines plus the two new GE 7EA gas-fired turbines with duct burners.