Hanwha Chemical Signs LOI with Iraq for Construction of Petrochemistry Plant
- By entering producing area of ethane gas directly, securing strong cost competitiveness
- Costs are reduced greatly due to the geographic proximity of the ethane gas production at local site
Hanwha Chemical (CEO, Han-Hong Bang) is the first Korean company to enter Iraq’s petrochemistry industry. On December 19th, Han-Hong Bang, CEO of Hanwha Chemical, met with Vice Minister of Industry of Iraq, Mohammed Zain, at the Hanwha headquarter office in Seoul and signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the construction of an ethylene production facility (cracking center) which will be used to produce ethane, natural gasoline and petrochemistry products in Iraq.
Hanwha Chemical expects that the entire scope of the investment would reach about USD 40 billion, and has plans to construct an ethane and natural gasoline decomposition facility with a capacity of 1 million tons, then carry forward with construction of a large-scale plant to produce petrochemistry products such as polyethylene. As of now, Hanwha Chemical operates Yeochun NCC decomposition facility, a joint venture with Daelim which has 1.9 million tons of annual capacity as well as 800 thousand tons of annual capacity of polyethylene production. Hanwha Chemical has planned to proceed with a detailed feasibility study with the Iraqi Government with the start of this LOI contract.
The purpose of this Iraq venture is to obtain raw materials at a lower cost. In recent years, the cost of naphtha-based (crude oil) products has become lowered due to the spread of ethane gas products coming from the Middle East and North America. In actuality, ethane gas products are 30~50% cheaper than naphtha-based product. To remain competitive, the petrochemistry industry has devoted all their energy to ensure cost competitiveness. Hanwha Chemical plans to have equivalent cost competitiveness with product of Middle East and North America by entering ethane and natural gasoline producing regions directly and constructing large-scale production facilities. Iraq is known to have an abundance of cheap raw materials but since the region does not have fully developed petrochemical industry,
Hanwha Chemical sees this as an opportunity to for potential growth.
This project was influenced by the close relationship with Iraq Government through Bismayah New City Project. The Iraqi Government was very impressed with Hanwha Group’s adeptness and dedication to the Bismayah Project, which raised awareness of Hanwha as a reliable partner.
Hanwha Chemical is the first Korean petrochemistry company to gain experience in the Middle East. Hanwha Chemical entered the Saudi Arabian market in 2009 by establishing IPC (International Polymers Co.) a joint venture with Shipchem, a Saudi Arabian petrochemistry company. Commercial production will begin in first quarter of next year and annual production capacity would be 200,000 tons.
Hanwha Group
Founded in 1952, Hanwha has grown quickly by anticipating and responding to changing business environments with a balanced business portfolio that includes energy & materials, aerospace, finance and retail & services. Our expertise and synergy in key areas have catapulted us into the seventh-largest business in South Korea and a Fortune Global 500 company. Hanwha continues to grow rapidly as we strive to pursue global leadership in all of our businesses. We are building a robust foundation for sustainable development and a brighter future for everyone.
For more information, visit: www.hanwha.com
Hanwha Chemical
Established in 1965, Hanwha Chemical is a total solutions chemical company with streamlined production systems for polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and chlor-alkali (CA). As South Korea’s leading petrochemical company, we dominate the nation’s chemical industry with high-quality PVC, CA, and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) that we offer at competitive prices.
For more information, visit: hcc.hanwha.co.kr/en
Get the latest news about Hanwha, right in your inbox.
Fields marked with * are mandatory.
- Non-employee
- Employee