US petrochemical producer Oxea has begun construction on a new plant at Bay City, Texas, for 100,000 t/y of propanol and 40,000 t/year of propionaldehyde. Purnendu Rai, executive vice president, global sales and oxo-intermediates at the Dallas, Texas-based company, said the project reflects a long-term selective growth strategy and helps to reinforce Oxea’s strong position as the largest producer of propanol worldwide.

CEO Salim Al Huthaili,said the capacity addition is another example of Oxea’s commitment as a reliable supplier. He said the company is significantly investing in its production platforms and continuously seeking opportunities for differentiation. “We aim for further expansion of our portfolio and growth in volumes over the coming period,” he added.

The construction management contract for the Propanol 2 project has been awarded to US-based Jacobs Engineering Group, which will deliver pre-construction planning and construction management services.