Jurong Aromatics complex to start up ahead of schedule

JURONG Aromatics Corporation's (JAC) US$2.4 billion, integrated refinery/aromatics complex is set to start up in May/June, a couple of months ahead of schedule, BT understands.

"Prices are still holding," a market observer noted. "But demand (for its petrochemicals and oil products) has to come from Asia, especially China. And the question is whether this will pick up or just maintain."

The JAC project will be the latest major plant to come up on Jurong Island, adding to the integrated mega refinery/petrochemi-cal complexes of ExxonMobil and Shell, the Singapore Refining Company refinery and Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore's complex.