INEOS is buying a 50% share in the Tianjin Nangang Ethylene Project from Sinopec under a joint venture agreement.

The project involves building a 1.2 million tonne ethane cracker, expected to come on-stream at the end of 2023, and downstream derivative plants in Tianjin.

A full suite of derivative units is being built at the complex, including the 300ktpa ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plant and the 500ktpa HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) plant announced by INEOS and SINOPEC in July.

The 300ktpa ABS plant will be based on INEOS’ Terluran® ABS technology. It is the second of three ABS plants that INEOS has agreed will be built and operated in China in partnership with SINOPEC, the first being the 600ktpa plant currently under construction by INEOS in Ningbo.

The 500ktpe HDPE plant, which is also expected to be onstream by the end of 2023, is the first of three planned units to produce INEOS pipe grade with SINOPEC under license in China.