Petchem sector builds on strengths: leading players announce big investments.(chemical facilities and operations in Antwerp increased)

Antwerp's petrochemical industry has expanded rapidly to become Europe's biggest, and the world's second biggest after Houston, according to the Port of Antwerp Authority. Production sites line the right and left banks of the Scheldt River and a large area of land is available on the left bank for further industry development, the port authority says.

Antwerp is home to four ethylene plants accounting for about 10% of Europe's ethylene and 13% of its propylene capacity, and a wide range of petrochemical intermediate plants. Fina Antwerp Olefins, a 65-35 joint venture between Total Petrochemicals (Brussels) and ExxonMobil Chemical, operates three of the crackers on the right bank of the Scheldt with a combined capacity of 1.25 million m.t./year. BASF operates the other Antwerp cracker with a capacity of …