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Released February 16, 2021 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--It has been decades since the Texas state power grid has seen the massive stress it is facing at the moment. As of Tuesday afternoon, about 4.4 million Texas customers lacked power, and an unknown number of Texans have been without power for at least 24 hours.
The National Weather Service predicts all of North and Central Texas will see extremely cold temperatures, ranging from minus 5 to 3 degrees, through at least Tuesday afternoon. Such temperatures are an unusual problem for Texas: As of early Tuesday, the number of customers without electricity across the Lone Star State were much higher than in several Midwestern states and in the Plains, including Illinois and Nebraska, despite those states facing much worse temperatures.
Late Monday, CenterPoint Energy Incorporated (NYSE:CNP) (Houston, Texas), which services the Houston area, put out a press release: "Because Texans' electricity consumption is far surpassing the state's current power generation, local controlled outages are expected to be longer than previously planned."
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner's office has been fielding angry calls from residents who have never seen such brutal weather and are wondering when the lights will be on again. "The City does not control the Texas Power Grid," Turner's office said on Twitter. "We do not oversee ERCOT, which manages and serves as the traffic cop for the electric grid. That is the Governor and the State of Texas. I know people are angry and frustrated. So am I."
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) on Tuesday called for legislative hearings into power outages across the state as demands grew for accountability, according to The Washington Post.
UPDATED 5 PM: Here's a list of power, chemical and refining plants across Texas to have been shut down or otherwise affected by weather conditions:
Shell's Norco Chemical East plant in Norco, Louisiana, does not foresee any operational interruptions due to the winter weather advisory. Current expectations are to remain operational. Plant profile: 1004867
Westlake Petrochemicals has been forced to take the 1.6 billion-pound-per-year Petro 2 unit offline at its petrochemicals facility in Sulfur, Louisiana, as a result of the weather. It is not known at this time when the unit can be restarted, although it could be as early as February 22, if no damage is discovered. Plant profile: 1509748
Dow has suspended operations at its 1.7 billion-pound-per-year ethylene unit at its plant in Sabine River, Texas, due to the harsh winter temperatures and an inability to produce enough steam to continue operations safely. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1018149
Unconfirmed: Flint Hills shut the East/West complex at its 300,000-BBL/d refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas. Plant profile: 1517161
Cedar Bayou Fractionators LP shut down three 100,000-BBL/d trains at its seven-train, 710,000-BBL/d NGL fractionation plant. Plant profile: 1012858
Unconfirmed: Dow Chemical has taken the 3.3 billion-pound-per-year Light Hydrocarbons 9 unit at its Freeport Oyster Creek Chemical Plant offline entirely due to the weather. Plant profile: 1003507
Dow Chemical's 2.3 billion-pound-per-year LHC 8 Unit at the Freeport Oyster Creek Chemical Plant is believed to have taken the unit offline entirely due to the weather. Plant profile: 1003507
Enterprise has shut down at least one fractionation train, the 85,000-BBL/d Train 5, at its Mont Belvieu NGL Fractionator due to weather conditions. The 100,000-BBL/d Train 9 already was taken offline and is expected to remain so, while the 1.65 million-pound-per-year Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH) unit previously been was taken offline for scheduled maintenance. Plant profile: 1517384
Unconfirmed: Total was forced to shut down its 190,000-BBL/d Port Arthur Refinery due to weather conditions. Plant profile: 1018176
BASF Total Petrochemicals has suspended operations at its 2.293 billion-pound-per-year ethylene unit at its plant in Port Arthur, Texas. The unit was taken offline due to the harsh winter temperatures and an inability to produce enough steam to continue operations safely. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1033963
Luminant Generation Company LLC's DeCordova Power Station is unable to operate due to gas supply issues caused by extreme temperatures. Plant profile: 1013510
ExxonMobil Chemical Company has suspended operations at the 800 million-pound-per-year USC I Ethylene Unit at its plant in Beaumont, Texas. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1013642
ExxonMobil Chemical Company has suspended operations at its 1 billion-pound-per-year USC II Ethylene Unit at its plant in Beaumont, Texas. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1013642
NRG Energy Incorporated's Cedar Bayou Power Station was forced to shut down due to frozen instruments and processing issues. Plant profile: 1013290
Unconfirmed: Valero was forced to shut down its 343,000-BBL/d Port Arthur Refinery due to weather-related issues. Plant profile: 1013116
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company's Baytown Cedar Bayou Olefins & Resins plant has performed emergency shut down procedures due to extreme winter weather. Current expectations are to assess damages and evaluate a restart plan. Plant profile: 1002192
Unconfirmed: Dow Chemical has reduced operating rates as a result of extremely cold temperatures, in an effort to minimize steam needs. Plant profile: 1017655
Westlake Petrochemicals Corporation's Sulphur Petrochemicals Plant in Sulphur, Louisiana, does not foresee any operational interruptions due to the winter weather advisory. Current expectations are to remain operational. Plant profile: 1509748
Unconfirmed: Marathon shut major units at its 437,000-BBL/d Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, in addition to units that had been shut down for the planned turnaround on Sunday, February 14. Plant profile: 1001047
ExxonMobil has suspended operations of the 3.3 billion-pound-per-year BOP-2X ethylene unit; the 2.3 billion-pound-per-year BOP-X ethylene unit; and the 2.6 billion-pound-per-year BOP ethylene unit at its plant in Baytown, Texas. The unit has been taken offline due to the harsh winter temperatures and an inability to produce enough steam to continue operations safely. The unit could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1001585
Shell Chemical Company has suspended operations at its 300 million-pound-per-year OP2 ethylene unit at its plant in Baytown, Texas. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1000160
South Texas Project Nuclear Generating Station's reactor has been taken offline due to a lack of power at two feed pumps. Plant profile: 1000057
Shell Chemical Company has suspended operations of the 2.3 million-pound-per-year OP3 ethylene unit at its plant in Deer Park, Texas. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1000160
Unconfirmed: Chevron shut down its 100,000-BBL/d refinery in Pasadena, Texas. Plant profile: 1001002
River Bend Nuclear Power Station's outage was rescheduled; work includes refueling, turbine generator inspections, reactor internal & containment inspections, shell, nozzle & vessel inspections, equipment calibrations & rotating equipment & balance of plant maintenance. Plant profile: 1004408
Indorama's Lake Charles Olefins remains shut down at its 945 million-pound-per-year Olefins unit in Sulphur, Lousiana, since August after a lightning strike hit the plant. Plant is currently without power due to extreme winter weather. Currently Indorama expects to attempt restart in June 2021. Plant profile: 1013310
Unconfirmed: Valero shut the remaining units that are not in its current turnaround (East Side) at its 220,000-BBL/d Bill Greehey Refining Complex in Corpus Christi, Texas. The units on the Bill Greehey Refining Complex West Side also are shut due to weather conditions. Plant profile: 1001813
Tenaska Frontier Partners Limited's Tenaska Frontier Generating Station was forced offline due to frozen pipes. Plant profile: 1034428
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com.
The National Weather Service predicts all of North and Central Texas will see extremely cold temperatures, ranging from minus 5 to 3 degrees, through at least Tuesday afternoon. Such temperatures are an unusual problem for Texas: As of early Tuesday, the number of customers without electricity across the Lone Star State were much higher than in several Midwestern states and in the Plains, including Illinois and Nebraska, despite those states facing much worse temperatures.
Late Monday, CenterPoint Energy Incorporated (NYSE:CNP) (Houston, Texas), which services the Houston area, put out a press release: "Because Texans' electricity consumption is far surpassing the state's current power generation, local controlled outages are expected to be longer than previously planned."
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner's office has been fielding angry calls from residents who have never seen such brutal weather and are wondering when the lights will be on again. "The City does not control the Texas Power Grid," Turner's office said on Twitter. "We do not oversee ERCOT, which manages and serves as the traffic cop for the electric grid. That is the Governor and the State of Texas. I know people are angry and frustrated. So am I."
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) on Tuesday called for legislative hearings into power outages across the state as demands grew for accountability, according to The Washington Post.
UPDATED 5 PM: Here's a list of power, chemical and refining plants across Texas to have been shut down or otherwise affected by weather conditions:
Shell's Norco Chemical East plant in Norco, Louisiana, does not foresee any operational interruptions due to the winter weather advisory. Current expectations are to remain operational. Plant profile: 1004867
Westlake Petrochemicals has been forced to take the 1.6 billion-pound-per-year Petro 2 unit offline at its petrochemicals facility in Sulfur, Louisiana, as a result of the weather. It is not known at this time when the unit can be restarted, although it could be as early as February 22, if no damage is discovered. Plant profile: 1509748
Dow has suspended operations at its 1.7 billion-pound-per-year ethylene unit at its plant in Sabine River, Texas, due to the harsh winter temperatures and an inability to produce enough steam to continue operations safely. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1018149
Unconfirmed: Flint Hills shut the East/West complex at its 300,000-BBL/d refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas. Plant profile: 1517161
Cedar Bayou Fractionators LP shut down three 100,000-BBL/d trains at its seven-train, 710,000-BBL/d NGL fractionation plant. Plant profile: 1012858
Unconfirmed: Dow Chemical has taken the 3.3 billion-pound-per-year Light Hydrocarbons 9 unit at its Freeport Oyster Creek Chemical Plant offline entirely due to the weather. Plant profile: 1003507
Dow Chemical's 2.3 billion-pound-per-year LHC 8 Unit at the Freeport Oyster Creek Chemical Plant is believed to have taken the unit offline entirely due to the weather. Plant profile: 1003507
Enterprise has shut down at least one fractionation train, the 85,000-BBL/d Train 5, at its Mont Belvieu NGL Fractionator due to weather conditions. The 100,000-BBL/d Train 9 already was taken offline and is expected to remain so, while the 1.65 million-pound-per-year Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH) unit previously been was taken offline for scheduled maintenance. Plant profile: 1517384
Unconfirmed: Total was forced to shut down its 190,000-BBL/d Port Arthur Refinery due to weather conditions. Plant profile: 1018176
BASF Total Petrochemicals has suspended operations at its 2.293 billion-pound-per-year ethylene unit at its plant in Port Arthur, Texas. The unit was taken offline due to the harsh winter temperatures and an inability to produce enough steam to continue operations safely. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1033963
Luminant Generation Company LLC's DeCordova Power Station is unable to operate due to gas supply issues caused by extreme temperatures. Plant profile: 1013510
ExxonMobil Chemical Company has suspended operations at the 800 million-pound-per-year USC I Ethylene Unit at its plant in Beaumont, Texas. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1013642
ExxonMobil Chemical Company has suspended operations at its 1 billion-pound-per-year USC II Ethylene Unit at its plant in Beaumont, Texas. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1013642
NRG Energy Incorporated's Cedar Bayou Power Station was forced to shut down due to frozen instruments and processing issues. Plant profile: 1013290
Unconfirmed: Valero was forced to shut down its 343,000-BBL/d Port Arthur Refinery due to weather-related issues. Plant profile: 1013116
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company's Baytown Cedar Bayou Olefins & Resins plant has performed emergency shut down procedures due to extreme winter weather. Current expectations are to assess damages and evaluate a restart plan. Plant profile: 1002192
Unconfirmed: Dow Chemical has reduced operating rates as a result of extremely cold temperatures, in an effort to minimize steam needs. Plant profile: 1017655
Westlake Petrochemicals Corporation's Sulphur Petrochemicals Plant in Sulphur, Louisiana, does not foresee any operational interruptions due to the winter weather advisory. Current expectations are to remain operational. Plant profile: 1509748
Unconfirmed: Marathon shut major units at its 437,000-BBL/d Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, in addition to units that had been shut down for the planned turnaround on Sunday, February 14. Plant profile: 1001047
ExxonMobil has suspended operations of the 3.3 billion-pound-per-year BOP-2X ethylene unit; the 2.3 billion-pound-per-year BOP-X ethylene unit; and the 2.6 billion-pound-per-year BOP ethylene unit at its plant in Baytown, Texas. The unit has been taken offline due to the harsh winter temperatures and an inability to produce enough steam to continue operations safely. The unit could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1001585
Shell Chemical Company has suspended operations at its 300 million-pound-per-year OP2 ethylene unit at its plant in Baytown, Texas. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1000160
South Texas Project Nuclear Generating Station's reactor has been taken offline due to a lack of power at two feed pumps. Plant profile: 1000057
Shell Chemical Company has suspended operations of the 2.3 million-pound-per-year OP3 ethylene unit at its plant in Deer Park, Texas. It could return to normal operations later in the week as temperatures rise. Plant profile: 1000160
Unconfirmed: Chevron shut down its 100,000-BBL/d refinery in Pasadena, Texas. Plant profile: 1001002
River Bend Nuclear Power Station's outage was rescheduled; work includes refueling, turbine generator inspections, reactor internal & containment inspections, shell, nozzle & vessel inspections, equipment calibrations & rotating equipment & balance of plant maintenance. Plant profile: 1004408
Indorama's Lake Charles Olefins remains shut down at its 945 million-pound-per-year Olefins unit in Sulphur, Lousiana, since August after a lightning strike hit the plant. Plant is currently without power due to extreme winter weather. Currently Indorama expects to attempt restart in June 2021. Plant profile: 1013310
Unconfirmed: Valero shut the remaining units that are not in its current turnaround (East Side) at its 220,000-BBL/d Bill Greehey Refining Complex in Corpus Christi, Texas. The units on the Bill Greehey Refining Complex West Side also are shut due to weather conditions. Plant profile: 1001813
Tenaska Frontier Partners Limited's Tenaska Frontier Generating Station was forced offline due to frozen pipes. Plant profile: 1034428
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com.
