INEOS Oxide Antwerp investment in deep sea Ethylene Terminal

INEOS Oxide has today confirmed its plans to build and operate a new one million tonne per annum Ethylene Terminal, to be constructed at its Zwijndrecht facilities in Belgium. Operation of the new deep-sea terminal, which is expected to start in 2012, will significantly change the shape of the ethylene market in Europe.

Once completed, the new INEOS Terminal will be connected directly to INEOS’ ethylene consuming facilities in the Antwerp Rotterdam Area and into Europe via the ARG ethylene pipeline (formerly Aethylen-Rohrleitungs-Gesellschaft pipeline) linking Antwerp to Cologne and the Ruhr industrial areas.

“The INEOS Group is the largest consumer of ethylene in Europe and I am pleased to confirm this significant investment at our Antwerp facility,” said Hans Casier CEO INEOS Oxide. “The new terminal secures the competitiveness of our site and underlines the importance of our production facilities in Antwerp, located at the heart of the largest Petrochemical area of Europe.

“Additionally by connecting INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe and the INEOS Oligomers LAO/PAO facility in Belgium to the new terminal, INEOS will be able to efficiently balance its ethylene requirements over its facilities in Europe.

“It is also clear the new INEOS Ethylene Terminal will re-shape the ethylene market in Europe, opening up a new gateway to world markets”, he concluded.