Harris County Still Reigns as Project King in Texas

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Despite the beating it has taken in the past few years as a result of the downturn in the energy industry, Harris County still stands head and shoulders above the other 253 counties in Texas when it comes to project development. Industrial Info is tracking nearly 100 projects valued at more than $11 billion that are expected to start construction this year in Harris County. The Terminals, Chemical Processing and Industrial Manufacturing industries dominate the robust project slate for the U.S. energy and petrochemicals hub.

According to the Greater Houston Partnership, now that the worst of the energy downturn is over, the Houston metro area will create 29,700 net new jobs this year, with growth in non-energy and consumer-driven sectors to offset energy-related losses.

Click on the image at right for a graph showing 2017 project construction kickoffs in Harris County by industry.

Terminals
There are only eight terminal projects that are expected to start construction this year in Harris County, but their combined investment value accounts for nearly $4.5 billion. Now in the design phase, Odfjell Terminals Houston LP's $3 billion Ethylene Export Terminal Addition in Seabrook takes the lion's share of that amount, with construction currently expected to start in November, and completion in second-quarter 2019. The project includes a tank to export ethylene and natural gas liquids (NGL) to meet market demand. JGC America Incorporated is serving as the front end engineering design (FEED) provider. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Odfjell Terminals, which is 51% owned by Odfjell SE (Bergen, Norway), said in a press statement the project would export ethylene produced by the wave of new U.S. ethane crackers that will come online in the next few years.

"To date, there are no efficient export facilities for ethylene in the U.S," Odfjell said. "The ethylene terminal will allow producers, consumers and traders to export ethylene to other parts of the world. The terminal in Seabrook is ideally located near all major ethylene pipeline corridors, and has land available for expansion with marine infrastructure."

Chemical Processing
With more than $3 billion in project construction starts, the Chemical Processing Industry takes second place. At the top of the list is LyondellBasell Industries NV's (NYSE:LYB) (Houston) Propylene Oxide (Po)/Tertiary Butyl Alcohol (TBA) Unit Addition, located in Channelview. Construction is expected to begin in August, with completion in third-quarter 2019. The addition will produce 900 million pounds per year of propylene oxide and 2 billion pounds per year of TBA. Fluor is the design engineering and procurement provider for the project. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report, and February 6, 2017, article - LyondellBasell Looks to Gulf Coast Ethylene Buildout after Rough 2016 Ends on High Note.

Manufacturing
Manufacturing-project kickoffs amount to more than $1.6 billion, but with an estimated price tag of $1.5 billion, the Mickey Leland International Terminal D Replacement at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport dominates the rest. Still in the justification phase, the replacement would comprise a 780,000-square-foot terminal, including 15 gates and a parking lot. If it moves forward, construction is currently expected to start in July, with completion in fourth-quarter 2021. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 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/.