According to the company’s website news release on February 28, 2023, at approximately 6:15am, a length of cooling water pipe failed at the Qenos Olefines plant in Botany. No one was injured.
As a result of the cooling water pipe failure, the Olefines plant has been shut down safely in line with our pre-planned procedures. The process to shut down the plant resulted in controlled elevated flaring at the site.
Fire & Rescue NSW, Police and NSW EPA have been on site along with SafeWork NSW.
The failure of the cooling water pipe caused external damage to the cooling water tower with debris located on the Qenos property boundary. We have been working with these authorities and regulators to ensure that all appropriate steps are being taken to minimise the impact on our local communities.
In conjunction with Fire & Rescue NSW a safe zone has been established around the cooling tower. The extent of the damage to the cooling tower will need to be assessed, and the cause of the incident will be the subject of a thorough investigation.
About Qenos
As Australia’s only manufacturer and leading supplier of polyethylene, Qenos adds value to Australia’s natural resources through conversion into petrochemicals and polymers that are used by hundreds of companies in the Australian plastics industry.
Qenos products are used in myriad applications including the key packaging, agriculture, automotive, water, mining and waste management industries, making Qenos a vital link in the Australian manufacturing chain. With manufacturing sites in Victoria and New South Wales, Qenos has approximately 850 employees and contractors with annual revenue of $700m.
Qenos is part of China National Bluestar Group with its ultimate shareholder Sinochem Holdings Corp Ltd headquartered in Beijing and formed through the restructuring of Sinochem Group Co Ltd and China National Chemical Corporation Ltd. Sinochem has more than 220,000 employees, including over 90,000 people in overseas markets, owns production bases and R&D facilities in more than 150 countries and regions around the world, and operates a global chemical marketing network.
As part of the Qenos vision to be a leading business in the manufacture, distribution and trading of polymers and advanced chemicals, Qenos has introduced a new market channel, eXsource, operating out of Australia and New Zealand. The Qenos and eXsource eCommerce platform gives customers access to a wide range of imported polymers manufactured by Qenos, LyondellBasell, Bluestar and others.
Media Enquiries: Rod Coughlin
Corporate Services Manager
Tel. +61 (0)437 102 195 rod.coughlin@qenos.com
