FG LA LLC, an affiliate of Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group, has postponed “major construction” of its $9.4-billion petrochemical complex along the Mississippi River in St. James Parish, Louisiana until the coronavirus pandemic has subsided and/or an effective vaccine is widely available, a company spokeswoman said earlier this week. According to the spokeswoman, the pandemic prompts international travel restrictions and creates challenges in evaluating construction costs.
The project, called “Sunshine Project,” will be built in two phases. The first phase would include a 1.2 million tons/year ethane cracker, an 800,000 tons/year EG unit, a 600,000 tons/year PDH plant, a 600,000 tons/year PP unit, a 400,000 tons/year HDPE plant, and a 400,000 tons/year LLDPE plant. Meanwhile, the second phase of the project would cover another 1.2 million tons/year ethane cracker, an 800,000 tons/year EG unit, a 400,000 tons/year HDPE unit, and a 400,000 tons/year LLDPE plant.
Despite the construction delays, planned activities, including highway expansion, utility relocations, soil testing, and pipeline removal, will continue during the second half of 2020, the spokeswoman said. Formosa has secured all environmental permits needed to start the construction of the complex. However, it faces stiff opposition from local communities and environmental groups.
