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Polyolefins (PE + PP)
Blocs de capacité (Golfe américain, Golfe persique, Chine), Chine, Moyen-Orient, États-Unis29.76°N 95.37°W
computed criticality17/100
reading
PE ~110 Mt + PP ~80-90 Mt ≈ 190-200 Mt/yr of polyolefins
2024Fault line
Polyethylene (≈110 Mt/yr) and polypropylene (≈79 Mt/yr) are the two most-produced plastics on Earth, ≈190 Mt/yr combined; total capacity exceeds 230 Mt. Production rests on three blocs: China, the largest national capacity, absorbs most of the growth; the Middle East and the US Gulf enjoy a cheap-ethane feedstock advantage (over 60% of US crackers run on ethane). Packaging, pipes, fibers, car parts: almost every everyday plastic object comes from these two polymers, backed by a handful of gas-dependent petrochemical hubs.
Actors
SABIC (Middle East)
Sinopec / PetroChina (China)
ExxonMobil, Dow (US Gulf)
LyondellBasell
Sources