LyondellBasell to Slow Construction on PO/TBA Project in Channelview, TX

LyondellBasell, one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, has informed the engineering and construction contractors it will slow construction of its world-scale propylene oxide (PO) and tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) plant. The company is limiting non-essential activities at this time due to ongoing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including government orders designed to limit human contact.

"The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented and evolving. Because the PO/TBA site is currently under construction and not producing needed products yet, in the interest of health and safety we believe it is prudent to limit construction activities at this time," said Torkel Rhenman, executive vice president, Intermediates & Derivatives (I&D). "We remain committed to the completion of this strategic investment incorporating our low-cost, next generation PO/TBA technology. Over the next several weeks, we will be working with our contractors and suppliers to develop a revised project timeline."

LyondellBasell's PO/TBA project broke ground in August 2018. Currently, the project is more than 30 percent complete with ongoing installation of key equipment and towers. The PO/TBA project has a split-facility design to optimize synergies between two existing LyondellBasell sites. A 140-acre PO/TBA plant is being built at the company's Channelview, Texas facility, and an associated 34-acre ethers unit is being built at the company's Bayport Complex in Pasadena, Texas. When complete, the PO/TBA plant will produce approximately 1 billion pounds (470,000 metric tons) of PO and 2.2 billion pounds (1 million metric tons) of TBA annually, which will serve the growing need for better insulation material, home comfort, cleaner fuels and other consumer applications.

This announcement does not impact LyondellBasell's ongoing operations at Channelview or Bayport, which are designated as part of the United States' critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security.

About LyondellBasell

LyondellBasell is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road, and ensuring the safe and effective functionality in electronics and appliances. LyondellBasell sells products into more than 100 countries and is the world's largest producer of polymer compounds and the largest licensor of polyolefin technologies. In 2020, LyondellBasell was named for the third consecutive year to Fortune magazine's list of the "World's Most Admired Companies". More information about LyondellBasell can be found at www.LyondellBasell.com.