US CP Chem seeks incentives for proposed cracker, downstream unit

HOUSTON (ICIS)--US-based Chevron Phillips Chemical (CP Chem) is seeking tax incentives for a possible cracker and at least one downstream unit in Orange County, Texas, according to government documents. The company did not specify the capacity of the units, but it said that the cracker would be worldscale. Likewise, it did not specify the downstream units. However, CP Chem said that the ethylene produced at the new cracker would be used by other units to make polyethylene (PE) used to make plastic pipe, plastic bags and rigid packaging such as milk jugs, pails and bottles. If the company decides to pursue the project, construction could start in the second quarter of 2020 and commercial operations could start in the third quarter of 2024, the documents said.