India’s largest polymer producer Reliance Industries (RIL, Mumbai; www.ril.com) has breathed new life into its plans, first announced in 2007 (see Plasteurope.com of 08.03.2007), to build a cracker and downstream facilities in Jamnagar, in the southwestern Indian province of Gujarat. Plans for the petrochemical complex, which is located in a special economic zone, were put on ice in the wake of the global financial downturn. The new complex will complement the site’s second refinery, commissioned in 2009.

Altogether, RIL is to invest some EUR 7.2 bn, roughly half of which (about EUR 2.9 bn) is earmarked for the cracker. Most of the investment costs will be carried by the company itself, RIL head Mukesh Ambani told India’s “Mint” newspaper.

The new cracker will be able to produce about 1.5m t/y of ethylene and propylene. Originally scheduled to start up by 2011 at the latest, the cracker could now be operational by 2014. The new complex also includes LDPE, PP, MEG and paraxylene lines (1.4m t/y).

RIL’s EBITDA currently stands at USD 7.4 bn, with sales of USD 44.6 bn. Petrochemical activities account for 28% of overall revenues, but make up almost 43% of Ebit. Reliance considers itself to be the world’s fourth largest PP manufacturer, with capacity of 2.5m t/y (2008: 1.9m t/y), after LyondellBasell, Sinopec and Total.