Advanced Petrochemical’s South Korea-based propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant is set to start production by the end of this year, Khalifa Bin Abdullatif Al-Mulhim, the company’s chairman told CNBC Arabia.
The launch is slightly ahead of schedule as trials were originally set to begin in early 2016, according to a report published by Argaam last year. The facility has an annual production capacity of 600,000 metric tons.
The Saudi firm’s subsidiary Advanced Global Investment Co. (AGIC) holds a 35 percent stake in the $1 billion PHD joint venture, also known as SK Advanced Co.
Al-Mulhim said the company is considering expansion projects at this point, but warned that such plans could be affected if subsidized feedstock is no longer an option. He added that the company's profitability could also be impacted if subsidies are lifted.
Commenting on the petrochemical sector as a whole, he said that product demand is currently seeing a growth rate between four to five percent, and could reach seven percent depending on economic conditions.
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