Daesan complex to develop its polymer capacity

11 May, 2021

The Daesan facility manufactures petroleum products such as kerosene, diesel and gasoline as well as polypropylene, polyethylene, styrene, paraxylene and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer. Image of the Daesan facility credit: Total.

The Hanwha Total Petrochemical (HTC) joint venture [1] is commissioning a new polypropylene line at the Daesan integrated refining and petrochemical complex in South Korea, adding a further 60 per cent to its production capacity, which now totals 1.1 million tonnes a year. At the same time, the start-up of a fourth propane furnace will increase ethylene production capacity by 10 per cent to 1.5 million tonnes a year.

According to Total, the projects were carried out safely and successfully, and were completed on time and on budget. They mark the culmination of investments totalling $1.3 billion, announced in 2017 and 2018, to expand production capacity at the Daesan complex. They also take advantage of abundant, cost-advantaged propane feedstock from the United States.

The new polypropylene line, with a capacity of 400,000 tonnes per year, will enable Daesan to supply both the Korean market and export markets, particularly China.

It will enable the manufacturing of high-value-added, durable goods for specialty applications such as underfloor heating pipes and automotive parts, helping reduce the weight of vehicles.

HTC has also launched a new polypropylene compound line [2] at its Dongguan site in southern China, which will enable the joint venture to develop specific grades containing recycled polymers, in partnership with its customers, as HTC’s contribution to Total’s ambition of producing 30 per cent recycled polymers by 2030.

President of Refining and Chemicals at Total, Bernard Pinatel, said: “The successful completion of these projects in South Korea is an excellent illustration of our strategy of meeting growing global demand for polymers, especially for durable applications, by focusing investments on our world-class complexes. In the case of Daesan, we also leverage competitively priced feedstock and monomer-polymer integration.”

[1] A 50-50 joint venture between Total and Hanwha.
[2] Polypropylene compounds are used in the automotive industry (interiors, bumpers and technical parts), in the electrical and electronics industry and in household appliances.