On July 15, US-headquartered petrochemical giant ExxonMobil announced the successful start-up of its Huizhou Chemical Complex Project in Guangdong, South China, with multiple product lines meeting specification requirements to help satisfy demand for polymers and household products in China.
(Photo: Liang Weichun)
Jean-Marc Taton, Chairman of ExxonMobil China, stated that it represented another milestone in the company's global commitment to manufacturing and technological leadership. "The project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, with record safety performance, thanks to teamwork between ExxonMobil, our partners, and the people in Dayawan, Huizhou, Guangdong."
The complex includes a feed-flexible steam cracker with a capacity of 1.6 million metric tons per year, two linear low-density polyethylene lines with a total capacity of 1.2 million metric tons per year, a single low-density polyethylene line with a capacity of 500,000 metric tons per year, and two differentiated polypropylene lines with a total capacity of 950,000 metric tons per year.
Li Xingjun, Chairman of ExxonMobil (Huizhou) Chemical Co., Ltd., told South that the project's outputs, including both commodities and specialty chemicals such as ethylene, polyethylene, and polypropylene, are widely used in consumer goods packaging, agricultural greenhouse film, industrial packaging, hygiene products, automotive and home appliances, rigid packaging, and durable consumer goods.
Li emphasized that the Daya Bay Petrochemical Industrial Park, where the project is located, is a key hub within China's petrochemical industry and one of the country's seven designated national petrochemical industry bases. The region also boasts robust automotive and consumer goods industries, among others. Strong regional demand creates significant local industrial synergy and supply chain integration opportunities.
When reflecting on the complex's construction, Li noted that it has benefited from GBA's exceptionally open policy environment, a dense concentration of research institutions, and highly active capital markets.
"During our project's construction and operation in Huizhou, we actively engaged with local research institutions, universities, and relevant tech companies, pursuing technical talent recruitment and collaborative R&D," Li added.
The multi-billion-dollar chemical complex began construction on April 22, 2020, and is an iconic project in China that is wholly owned by a foreign investor. In 2023, ExxonMobil announced the groundbreaking of its first-class R&D center named Dayawan Technology Center (DTC) near the complex, the company's first comprehensive R&D center equipped with a pilot plant outside its North American headquarters.
Reporter: Hu Nan
Video: Qin Shaolong
Poster: Lai Meiya
Editor: James, Shen He
