BP starts construction of China's largest PTA unit in Zhuhai, China

BP reportedly held a ceremony at Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China on June 23 to celebrate the start of construction of China's largest PTA (Purified Terephthalic Acid) unit.

The new unit will be an expansion of BP Zhuhai, an existing joint venture between BP and Fu Hua Group. When commissioned at the end of 2007, it will be the world's largest single train PTA unit with a capacity of 900,000 tonnes per year, and will bring the combined capacity from Zhuhai site to 1.4 million tonnes per annum.

PTA is a raw material used to manufacture polyethylene terephthalate, a widely used polyester polymer material for the production of textiles, bottles, packaging and film products.

Dave Miller, Global PTA Business Unit Leader said, "As the world's largest PTA producer we are committed to growing in China, the world's largest PTA market and this new unit at Zhuhai is an important part of that growth strategy. The new technology we are deploying with Zhuhai#2 will result in the most efficient PTA plant in the world. Compared to conventional PTA technology, Zhuhai#2 will require much less energy to operate, reduce green-house gas emissions by 65%, liquid waste discharges by 75% and solid process waste by 40%, meaning this investment will meet China's needs for economic growth that efficiently utilizes resources and respects the environment".

The Zhuhai project has already received approvals from the National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Chinese Environment Protection Agency.