Basell achieves 20 million tons milestone in Spheripol PP process with new license in Qatar

Qatar Petroleum, a global leader in the energy sector, has selected Basell’s Spheripol technology for a new 700 KT per year polypropylene plant that will be built in Mesaieed, Qatar, as part of the Qatar Petrochemical Complex project. The unit will be operated by a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and Honam Petrochemical of Korea. Start-up is expected in 2011.

“With this new license we have passed the milestone of 20 million tonnes of licensed capacity for our Spheripol process, which is the most widely used polypropylene technology in the world,” Just Jansz, president of Basell’s Technology Business, said at a signing ceremony in Qatar’s capital city of Doha. “The new project further affirms the superior product range and cost-effectiveness of the Spheripol process in the highly competitive polypropylene market.”

He added: “There are Spheripol plants in 35 countries. Through the refinement of bulk liquid and gas-phase polymerization reactors this technology includes features that reduce both resource consumption and emissions from the process.”

This is the second license sold by Basell in Qatar this year. A Lupotech T low density polyethylene license was recently granted to QAPCO for a new plant in Mesaieed.

“The Middle East requires world-scale plants to take full advantage of the abundant availability of feedstock for petrochemicals,” Jansz said. “Scale is one of the advantages offered by Basell’s technologies in combination with demonstrated product capability, thus offering excellent manufacturing economics and a broad range of high quality products.”

In addition to the Spheripol and Lupotech T processes, Basell’s portfolio of licensed technologies and associated technical services is comprised of: