Canada's First PTA Plant to Startup in 2003

---

Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Interquisa Canada (Montreal, Quebec), a subsidiary of CEPSA (Madrid, Spain), in collaboration with Societee Generale de Financement de Quebec (SGF), is constructing Canada's first Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) plant in Montreal, Quebec. The estimated $500 million plant will produce over 500,000 metric tons per year of PTA when completed in late 2003.

SNC-Dragados Industrial, a joint venture of SNC Lavalin Incorporated (Montreal, Quebec) and Grupo Dragados SA (SIBE SPAIN: ES:012707011) (Madrid, Spain), is constructing this grassroot plant under an E+P+C/M contract and anticipates starting up portions of the new plant such as power and utilities next spring, with full commercial operation beginning around December of 2003.

PTA is used as a raw material in the production of polyesters and this plant represents a key ingredient in Quebec's appetite to attract other chemical and fiber producers as part of its future industrial growth. Industrialinfo.com first reported this project in January of 2000.