MHIENG receives order for US polyethylene plant

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (MHIENG) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America (MHIA), group companies of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), have received an order for construction of a large-scale polyethylene plant with annual production capacity of 1.3 million t. The order derives from a joint project with the major US construction firm, Zachry Group, and was received from Gulf Coast Growth Ventures (GCGV), a joint venture of ExxonMobil and Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC). The polyethylene plant will be part of a large ethylene complex GCGV plans to build near Corpus Christi, Texas. MHIENG will handle the design details, supply and procurement of equipment, and building of the modules.

Polyethylene polymers are used in a number of everyday applications such as food packaging, agriculture films, and construction materials.

ExxonMobil and MHIENG have a positive relationship, and have built similar polyethylene plants in Singapore in 2011, and Texas in 2017. An additional large-scale polyethylene plant is currently under construction in Beaumont, Texas, making this latest order the fourth consecutive project.

For this project, MHIENG proposed using an innovative, modular construction strategy to improve capital efficiency and to optimise the client's schedule. The order was received through a FEED competition that commenced in October 2017.

The US chemical plant market is expanding rapidly with increased production of shale gas. MHIENG, in cooperation with MHIA, which is headquartered in Houston, Texas (where major chemical plant customers are concentrated), will continue its relationship with ExxonMobil as well as other major clients, and actively pursue partnerships in the vibrant US chemical plant market.