The Dow Chemical Company has reported that it will build a new ethylene production facility at Dow Texas Operations located in Freeport, Texas. This plant will be constructed as a part of the company’s comprehensive plan, which was declared previously that will enable linking of its U.S. operations together with cost-advantaged feedstocks available due to increasing US shale gas supply.
The company will create up to 2,000 jobs at this new ethylene production plant being located at Dow Texas Operations. It has calculated that up to 4,800 employees will be appointed for this project along with all other proposed projects, during the peak construction, and will create more than 35,000 employments in the U.S. economy.
Dow Chemical’s CEO and Chairman, Andrew N. Liveris stated that the company is pleased to announce a detailed plan to gain advantage from the favorable market dynamics that additionally improve the company’s footprint in the Americas and the success of its worldwide businesses. This new ethylene plant construction at Dow Texas operations will continuously benefit the downstream businesses of the company, and the advantages will help Dow Chemical as well as the national and state economy, he added.
This decision denotes another important milestone in the plan of the company for expanding the competitive benefit for Advanced Materials, Performance Materials and Performance Plastics businesses of Dow Chemical, through the extension of access to low-cost feedstocks, based on natural gas.
Dow Texas Operations is the company’s global built-in manufacturing location and the single-company chemical facility situated in North America. Currently, Dow Texas Operations develops 44% of Dow products that are marketed in the U.S. and over 20% of Dow products, worldwide.
As per the schedule, the company’s investment plan for projects in the U.S. Gulf Coast is being carried out. This new ethylene plant may commence production during 2017, and the company continues to expand the arrangements for feedstock supply to this new asset.