LyondellBasell Propylene Oxide and Tertiary Butyl Alcohol Plant

Client: LyondellBasell

Location: Houston, TX, U.S.

Map showing the location of LyondellBasell Propylene Oxide and Tertiary Butyl Alcohol Plant

Executive Summary

LyondellBasell, one of the world’s largest plastics, chemical and refining companies, selected Fluor to perform front-end engineering and design (FEED) work for its proposed propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol plant. After FEED completion, Fluor was awarded the engineering and procurement contract.

Client's Challenge

The new plant would be the world’s largest of its type. The project represented the single-largest capital investment in LyondellBasell’s history and will be located at the company’s existing Channelview and Bayport complexes outside of Houston.

The scope included a 1-billion-pound-per-year propylene oxide and a 2-billion-pound-per-year tertiary butyl alcohol plant at the Channelview site, ethers plant at the Bayport site, as well as associated infrastructure. The products would be used in the production of polyols, high-octane gasoline components and other isobutylene derivatives.

Fluor's Solution

Fluor leveraged our extensive U.S. Gulf Coast chemicals experience and innovative global procurement and design approaches to support this world-scale project.

Using our Zero Base Execution℠ approach, the LyondellBasell and Fluor team developed a fit-for-purpose solution that reconfigured the plot and optimized the design, leveraged global procurement opportunities and implemented a cost-effective modularization approach.

Conclusion

Fluor had participated in the project since FEED commencement in 2015. After adjusting the project schedule during COVID-19, the client was able to announce successfully starting up the world's largest propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol unit in 2023.

The project was awarded Fluor's 2017 Hugh K. Coble Award in the Home Office Services category.