China’s Dongming Hengchang Petrochemical has selected LyondellBasell’s Spheripol PP technology for a new plant to be built in Heze City, Shandong province. The facility will have a capacity of 200,000 t/y. A timescale for the project was not disclosed.

This is LyondellBasell’s first PP technology contract this year. Prior to this, contracts were won in July 2017 from China’s Shaanxi Coal Yulin Energy and Chemical, and Liaoning Bora Petrochemical.

Shaanxi is using Spherizone and Lupotech T processes for new PP and LDPE plants respectively, which will be constructed in the Jingbian Chemical Industrial Park in Yulin City, Shaanxi province. Liaoning Bora Petrochemical chose Spherizone and Spheripol processes for two plants producing a total of 600,000 t/y PP, which are being built as part of a new petrochemical complex in Panjing, Liaoning province.

In separate news, the multinational chemicals and plastics group has launched a new grade of PP. LyondellBasell said its Moplen HE745T high-flow, nucleated homopolymer grade has been developed to provide enhanced impact resistance for houseware and packaging applications.

The polymer is being produced at LyondellBasell’s plant in Geelong, Australia, which provides homopolymer PP grades to customers in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and India.