Middle East will be the third-highest region in terms of ethylene capacity addition in the global ethylene industry, growing at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 5.3 per cent from 36.04 mtpa in 2018 to 46.94 mtpa in 2023, according to GlobalData, a data and analytics company
Most ethylene capacity additions will be from Iran with a capacity of around 9.23 mtpa by 2023.
Global ethylene capacity is poised to register a considerable growth of 40 per cent from 189.13mn tonnes per annum in 2018 in 264.13 mtpa in 2023, led by Asia and North America.
The company’s report, ‘Global Ethylene Industry Outlook to 2023 - Capacity and Capital Expenditure Forecasts with Details of All Active and Planned Plants’ reveals that around 126 planned and announced plants are scheduled to come online, predominately in Asia and North America, over the next five years.
Ethylene capacity in Asia is expected to increase at an AAGR of 8.7 per cent from 66.82 mtpa in 2018 to 103.33 mtpa in 2023. Among the countries in the region, China will add a capacity of around 20.92 mtpa by 2023. Major capacity addition will be from Exxon Mobil Corporation Zhoushan Ethylene Plant, with a capacity of 1.80 mtpa by 2023.
Dayanand Kharade, oil and gas analyst at GlobalData, said, “Asia will dominate the global ethylene market, mainly due to China having both the biggest number of new projects and the largest absolute capacity expansion driven by the country’s economic growth. The country is set to build around 34 ethylene projects in the next five years.”
GlobalData identifies North America as the second-highest region in terms of capacity additions in the global ethylene industry, increasing from 48.01 mtpa in 2018 to 63.22 mtpa in 2023, at an AAGR of 5.5 per cent. Most ethylene capacity additions will be from the US, with a capacity of around 14.55 mtpa by 2023.
With the Former Soviet Union (FSU), ethylene capacity is expected to increase at an AAGR of 16.7 per cent from 5.29 mtpa in 20218 to 12.18 mtpa in 2023. Russia will add around 5.76 mtpa by 2023.
Ethylene capacity in Africa is expected to increase at an AAGR of 18.6 per cent from 1.83 mtpa in 2018 to 4.63 mtpa in 2023. Egypt is forecast to be the top country in the region with capacity additions of 1.70 mtpa by 2023.
Exxon Mobil Corp, Saudi Arabian Oil Co and The National Petrochemical Co will be the top three companies globally in terms of planned and announced capacity additions over the outlook period.
