Brazilian petrochemical company Braskem (NYSE: BAK) and Venezuelan state petrochemical firm Pequiven have decided to postpone for another year the Polimérica JV project, which is now scheduled to come online in 2015.

Polimérica was initially expected to begin operations in 2013, but last year Braskem pushed startup back to 2014. Polimérica is an integrated project for the production of 1.3Mt/y of ethylene and 1.1Mt/y of polyethylene (PE).

The project location is also under review. “We are evaluating the most competitive alternative, which could be either the Jose industrial complex [in Anzoátegui state] or Paraguaná [in Falcón state],” Braskem’s head of institutional communications Nelson Letaif told BNamericas.

Potential changes to the Propilsur polypropylene (PP) project, also being carried out in partnership with Pequiven, as well as to future ethane and raw material supply from Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA’s Paraguaná complex, led to the change in Polimérica’s schedule, Braskem said in a statement.

Polimérica envisages the construction of a cracker and three plants for production of 400,000t/y HDPE, 300,000t/y LDPE and 430,000t/y LLDPE.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s presidential press office announced the construction of four PP units at the Paraguaná, Morón, José Antonio Anzoátegui and Güiria industrial hubs, with estimated investments of some US$2bn, in partnership with the Brazilian firm.

However, Letaif confirmed that Braskem is currently only involved in three PE and one PP project.

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