Brazil's Alpek Signs Technical Agreement for Steam-Saving Revamp of PTA Plant

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 8, Alpek Polyester Pernambuco, the Brazilian subsidiary of Mexican chemical company Alpek, signed a technology licensing agreement with Koch Technology Solutions (KTS) to carry out a steam-saving revamp of the purified terephthalic acid (PTA) production plant in Suape, Pernambuco, Brazil. The feasibility study for the project has been completed, and the next phase will involve preparation of the process design package (PDP), with the goal of reducing steam consumption in the production process.

Under this agreement, KTS will provide technology licensing related to the PTA production process, and the revamp will target Alpek's existing production facility in Suape. KTS has completed the project feasibility study and will subsequently carry out process design work. The two parties have not yet disclosed the revamp investment amount, the expected steam savings rate, the specific equipment list, or the construction schedule.

The Suape PTA plant was originally built using production technology licensed by KTS, and the two parties have a technical cooperation history of nearly 20 years. In November 2025, Alpek also awarded KTS a technical service contract for a catalyst recovery upgrade project at the site, involving process optimization of the existing PTA production system.

Alpek completed the acquisition of related assets of Brazil's Petroquímica Suape and Citepe in April 2018, obtaining PTA and polyester production facilities in Ipojuca, Pernambuco. At the time of acquisition, the site had an annual PTA production capacity of 640,000 tons and an annual polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production capacity of 450,000 tons.