Ethylene production capacity of Asia-Pacific to reach new highs
24 Oct '08
1 min read
Honolulu-based FACTS Global Energy Inc recently reported that ethylene production capacity in Asia-Pacific region is undergoing massive expansion and is expected to exceed 64 million tons per year by 2015 from the current level of 40 million tons per year. This marks a whopping increase of 60 percent.
The report says that the expansion will be carried out in 2009-2011 period, with the peak taking place in the first quarter and the fourth quarter of 2009.
Most of the new ethylene production facilities will emerge in China. As the world's second-largest ethylene producer, China's new capacity will reach 14 million tons per year by 2015, up from current capacity of 10 million tons per year.
As the new ethylene production capacity will be based on naphtha, naphtha demand will increase substantially and China will become Asia's largest naphtha consumer by 2011.
China's naphtha consumption was 600,000 barrels per day in 2007, and it is expected to reach up to 1,100,000 barrels per day or more by 2015.