Polymers Plant to be World’s Largest

Corpus Christi Polymers’ (CCP) new petroleum derivatives processing and manufacturing plant in Texas will become the largest in the United States and even in the world once it’s fully operational, producing 1.1 million tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and another 1.3 million tons of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) materials. This new plant will represent an important step forward for the region’s economy, which will see the creation of more than 2,500 direct jobs during the 18-month construction period, in addition to another 250 once the plant is fully operational in 2025.

Sarens, a leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport, and crane rental, will have a crucial role as a supplier of the cranes required for this work. Sarens will move various units, including a Liebherr LR1350 unit with a maximum capacity of 350 tons and a Demag CC2800 with a maximum capacity of 660 tons, to the new CCP facility. During this work, which began in January 2023 and will last approximately 18 months, Sarens will also offer various transport services on site.

Once it reaches its full production capacity, this vertically integrated PTA-PET production plant will be able to optimize the production process of both petroleum products, which will contribute to making the manufacture of materials such as polyester more competitive in the country. It will also contribute directly to reducing PET imports from abroad, which according to the US International Trade Commission amounted to 2.25 million tons during the first five months of the year.

This is not the first project Sarens has undertaken at Corpus Christi in recent years. In 2016, it was responsible for lifting and positioning the two hydrocracker reactors at the plant, as well as 58 modules using different crane models such as the Demag CC8800. Internationally, it has also participated in different projects, such as those carried out in Algeria, in North Sea (Norway) or in Ulsa (South Korea). In the latter case, this project had a significant impact on the country’s economy, creating more than 20,000 direct jobs and increasing its export capacity by 2.5 trillion won per year.

This behemoth is a Demag CC2800 with a maximum capacity of 660 tons.