Ethylene glycol company announces plans for first US facility

MEGlobal has confirmed plans to build a monoethylene glycol plant on Dow Chemical’s Oyster Creek site in Freeport, Texas, in what would be the firm’s first manufacturing plant in the US. The plant is expected to cost over $1 billion (£700 million) and will employ around 50 new workers once operational in 2019.

Monoethylene glycol is used to make antifreeze, polyester fibres and plastics, including poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET – commonly used to make plastic drinks bottles. Dow’s new ethylene cracker on the site will supply feedstock for the MEGlobal plant.

MEGlobal president, Ramesh Ramachandran, said in a statement: ‘The Oyster Creek site provides MEGlobal with greater flexibility to satisfy our customers’ needs for consistent and reliable delivery of ethylene glycol products, especially in the growing US and Asian markets.’