Borealis invests 4.5 million euro in the cracker furnaces of its olefins unit in Porvoo Finland. This investment ensures that the Porvoo steam cracker can increase the share of renewable and recycled raw materials used in its (ethylene and propylene) production. The investment program is expected to be completed in 2025.
The Porvoo steam cracker, which has a nameplate capacity of 430 kilotons ethylene and 263 kilotons propylene per year, is a facility that thermally “cracks” feedstock – such as naphtha, propane, butane, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) – into smaller molecules. Furnaces are the heart of every cracker.
Thanks to the investment, three of the ten cracker furnaces in the olefins unit will be modified to enable a total annual production of 120 kilotons of base chemicals based on renewable and recycled feedstocks.
“With a focus on reinventing essentials for sustainable living, our EUR 4.5 million investment in our steam cracker in Porvoo moves us closer towards a future of circular economy transformation. Through strategic furnace modifications and a commitment to renewable and chemically recycled base chemicals, we are poised to elevate annual production to 120 kilotons,” says Wolfram Krenn, Borealis Executive Vice President Operations and Base Chemicals.
