Borouge International raises 2030 annual target on rising UAE ethane production

Chemical producer Borouge International has raised its annual production capacity target to 13.8 million tonnes by 2030. The UAE-based company, part of a global polyolefins firm, previously targeted 13.6 million tonnes per year. The expansion comes as Borouge International, backed by Adnoc's XRG and Austria's OMV, has partnered with Germany's Linde Engineering to increase its ethane production in the UAE.

This partnership will add 230,000 tonnes to the company's annual production. Borouge currently operates three ethane crackers in Abu Dhabi, with Linde also awarded a contract to upgrade its third cracker. In addition to the UAE, the company is expanding its operations in Europe. Its propane dehydrogenation plant in Belgium has reached mechanical completion, with operations set to begin in the first half of 2027.

In Germany, Borouge International is enhancing its Borstar Nextension polypropylene project, while Austria saw the opening of its Schwechat speciality polypropylene compounding plant following a €100 million expansion. Polyolefins, including polyethylene and polypropylene, are widely used plastics, making up nearly half of Europe's plastic consumption.

Borouge International's CEO, Hasan Karam, stated that the company is enhancing its global polyolefins platform through these growth and expansion projects, creating long-term value for shareholders. Borouge and AD Ports Group recently signed an agreement to explore an alternative export hub at Fujairah, aiming to strengthen the company's export resilience and bypass the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping route frequently disrupted due to geopolitical tensions.