Chevron Phillips Chemical is celebrating a busy year in 2023 with growth projects, new collaborations for renewable products, and global recognition for its diversity, safety and sustainability activities.
“I couldn’t be prouder of CPChem’s employees and their contributions in 2023 toward meeting and exceeding some of the company’s most challenging and impactful goals,” President and CEO Bruce Chinn said. “They prove on a daily basis the value of an engaged and diverse workforce.”
Growth Projects
QatarEnergy and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC announced in January they are constructing a $6 billion integrated polymers complex in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, which will include the largest ethane cracker in the Middle East and one of the largest in the world.
The 435-acre project site will include an ethane cracker with a capacity of 2080 KTA of ethylene. It will also include two high-density polyethylene derivative units with a total capacity of 1680 KTA. Startup is expected in late 2026.
The polyethylene units will use CPChem’s MarTech™ loop slurry process to produce high-density polyethylene, which will primarily be exported from the state of Qatar.
In March, CPChem and QatarEnergy broke ground on the $8.5 billion Golden Triangle Polymers facility in Orange, Texas.
The facility, which will produce Marlex® polyethylene, will include a 2,080 KTA ethane cracker and two 1,000 KTA high-density polyethylene units.
The project is expected to generate an estimated $50 billion for the community in residual economic impacts. The site will support approximately 4,500 construction jobs and more than 500 permanent full-time jobs once operational. Also in March, Golden Triangle Polymers launched Local First, a community program that aims to place the Orange County and Golden Triangle region first when sourcing suppliers, vendors, and workforce for our project.
In August, CPChem cut the ribbon on the world’s largest on-purpose 1-hexene unit in Old Ocean, Texas, and operations began later that month.
The plant is the latest iteration of CPChem’s proprietary technology to produce exceptional-purity 1-hexene, a component in the production of polyethylene.
Like the Golden Triangle Polymers facility in Orange, Old Ocean’s 1-hexene unit is contributing economically to the region, joining CPChem’s other assets in creating jobs and adding to the local economy. In addition to increased production capacity, this project created more than 600 construction jobs and 50 full-time positions.
CPChem leveraged the latest advances in process design to reduce emissions while maximizing production at the new unit. Resource efficiency and reduced emissions are both central to the company’s sustainability strategy.
Innovation and Collaboration
In June, CPChem signed a memorandum of understanding with Technip Energies and LyondellBasell to collaborate on the design, construction and operation of a demonstration unit for Technip Energies’ electric steam cracking furnace technology, designed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the olefins production process.
The demonstration unit, which will be constructed at LyondellBasell’s site in Channelview, Texas, is expected to advance the global energy transition by taking steps toward decarbonizing the olefins production process.
An electric cracking furnace can potentially reduce furnace GHG emissions by up to 90% compared to a conventional furnace.
Certifications
The company’s Chevron Phillips Singapore Chemical polyethylene assets earned International Sustainability and Carbon Certification PLUS (ISCC PLUS) in March 2023. Sweeny’s Old Ocean polyethylene assets earned the certification in May.
ISSC PLUS verifies that CPChem meets the high standards required to hold the certificate, providing customers of Marlex® Anew™ Circular Polyethylene with added confidence in the certified circular product. This certification reflects the company’s growing efforts to create sustainable streams for waste plastics.
CPChem’s Beringen plant in Belgium received the coveted International Automotive Task Force (IATF) certification in March for Synfluid®, its automotive PAO (polyalphaolefin) product.
IATF certification is an international standard that recognizes the development of a quality management system for continuous improvement of PAO production.
Industry Safety Awards
In 2023, CPChem’s commitment to safety earned the company prestigious awards from:
- Texas Chemical Council (TCC) Awards 2023
- 2022 Chemical Transportation Safety Pinnacle Award from Union Pacific
- American Chemistry Council (ACC) Responsible Care Awards 2022
- American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) Awards 2022
National Employer Recognition
In 2023, CPChem’s efforts to create a diverse and inclusive workplace earned it awards and high rankings from Forbes and Newsweek magazines:
- Forbes-World’s Best Employers, 2023
- Forbes-America’s Best Employers for Women, 2023
- Forbes-Best Employers for Diversity, 2023
- Newsweek-America’s Greatest Workplaces, 2023
- Newsweek-America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity, 2023
- Newsweek-America’s Greatest Workplaces for Parents and Families, 2023
CPChem Cares Campaign
In addition to contributing to a safe workplace and a culture of excellence in performance, CPChem employees in 2023 also opened their hearts to help others through volunteerism and charitable giving.
The annual campaign is one way CPChem underscores its corporate vision to be an employer and neighbor of choice.
During the 2023 CPChem Cares Campaign, U.S.-based employees donated more than $526,000. With the company match, CPChem is putting more than $1 million back into the communities where employees live and work.
“A strong commitment to our company values and our culture propelled CPChem to success in growth, sustainability, circularity, safety, diversity and customer satisfaction,” Chinn said. “We will continue to strive for excellence in these areas in 2024, and I’m excited to see what we will accomplish together.”