Borealis, TotalEnergies Start Up Baystar PE Joint Venture

Borealis and TotalEnergies recently brought on stream their ambitious Baystar joint venture’s new 1.3-billion lb/yr (625,000 m.t.) in Pasadena, Texas, which brings to North America Borealis’ proprietary Borstar 3G technology and more than doubles the current production capacity at Baystar’s site.

Referred to as Bay 3, the unit completes the partners’ integrated petrochemicals venture, which includes the expanded Bayport PE facility, including two existing legacy PE units producing 881.8 million lb/yr, and the 2.2- billion lb/yr ethane cracker at the TotalEnergies Platform in Port Arthur, Texas, brought on stream in mid-2022.

Borstar technology has been shown to produce advanced value-added polymers with enhanced sustainability by enabling light-weighting and the incorporation of greater amounts of post-consumer recycled materials in a variety of end products, serving the energy, infrastructure and consumer products industries.

According to Baystar president, Diane Chamberlain, “Borstar technology enables our technical, production, and sales teams to collaborate in the creation of the highly customized products our customers require to remain competitive and meet consumer demands” She notes that these PFAS-free materials, enable more than 50% post-consumer recycled material in some end products. Also, due to their broad molecular weight distribution, Borstar PE offers superior physical properties with no need for process aids or additives.

Said Borealis CEO Thomas Gangl, “The arrival of Borealis’ proprietary Borstar technology in North America by way of Baystar marks, in line with our owners’ strategies, a crucial step for us in becoming a global leader in advanced and sustainable chemicals and material solutions,” Expanding and deepening our footprint through Baystar enables us to better serve customers and partners by offering improved access to Borstar based products produced right here in North America.”

“After the inauguration of the ethane cracker unit in Port Arthur last year, the start-up of the new PE unit is the second milestone of this joint venture aimed at establishing Baystar as a fully integrated U.S. petrochemical player. The fruition of this venture also advances TotalEnergies’ ambition to grow in the United States,” said Bernard Pinatel, president, Refining & Chemicals, TotalEnergies.