Celanese Corporation has received key government approvals necessary to proceed with its previously announced plans to modify and enhance its existing integrated acetyl facility at the Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park to produce ethanol for industrial uses. The unit, based on Celanese TCX ethanol process technology, is expected to startup in mid-2013. The new ethanol production is expected to increase the overall profitability of the facility by enhancing the mix of products manufactured with the current capacity of certain critical raw materials available at the site. Total investment for the project is expected to be a fraction of the required capital for a greenfield facility. Based upon continued advancements to its TCX ethanol process technology, the company now expects to have approximately 30 to 40 percent additional ethanol production capacity than the originally announced 200,000 tons with no increase in the capital investment for the modification and enhancement. This additional capacity will enable the company to meet the growing demand for industrial ethanol in China.
