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UK firm to invest in PE plant in Pakistan
Pakistan will have its first PE plant as a result of a venture by UK-based private investment firm Trans Polymers that has the backing of investors from Saudi Arabia, Luxembourg and the UK. The 350,000 tonnes/year plant is expected to start up by 2013.

The EUR520 million project will be the first part of a EUR1.5 billion three-phase project for a major polymer complex in Pakistan comprising PE, PP and naphtha.

Currently, all the country's PE is imported. The current demand is 270,000 tonnes/year and it is expected to grow at 7-8% a year over the next few years. When the plant is started up, demand is projected to be 570,000 tonnes/year.

Currently, the consumption of PE and PP in Pakistan is 1 kg per capita compared to the 3 kg for India and 7 kg for China while the global average is 10 kg with the Western countries consuming around 30-40 kg.

The plant will use Ineos technology while Marubeni and Mitsui will supply the ethylene feedstock sourced from the Middle Eastern countries.

Trans Polymers is made up of investors from the UK, Pakistan, Middle East, Europe and Malaysia.