BASF, Shell start project

BASF, Shell start project

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): BASF South East Asia Pte. Ltd., a unit of German chemical giant BASF and Shell Eastern Petroleum Pte. Ltd., a unit of Royal/Dutch Shell Group, Tuesday broke ground for a US$500 million petrochemical manufacturing plant on Jurong Island in Singapore.

The styrene monomer and propylene oxide plant is the product of a 50:50 manufacturing joint venture between the two companies under the name Basell Eastern Pte. Ltd.

Officials said the plant will be the largest of its kind in Asia and will have an annual production capacity of 250,000 metric tons of propylene oxide and 550,000 tons of styrene. The plant is scheduled to begin operations in the second half of 2002.