BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. Petkim Petrokimya Holding, under the control of SOCAR, is Türkiye's sole producer of polyolefins, meeting approximately 12–13 percent of the country's demand for these products, Trend reports via the Argus analytical company.
"Turkey's polyolefin consumption peaked at 4.7 million tons in 2023. Petkim Holding is Türkiye's sole polyolefin producer. The facility's output capacity is 590,000 tons per year. Middle Eastern, Russian (11 percent), and European imports provide the remaining demand," Argus states.
According to the company's experts' forecasts, Türkiye's demand for polyolefins is projected to increase to 6.3 million tons per year by 2033.
"Unless new production facilities are established, Türkiye's reliance on imports will escalate due to the growing shortfall of polyolefins," the analysis reads.
Polyolefins encompass low- and high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene, and their copolymers.
These products find applications in the electric power industry, chemical production, and packaging sectors.
According to Argus, there are plans to establish a polypropylene production facility in Ceyhan with a capacity of 450,000 tons, although this project is currently in the discussion stage.
SOCAR Türkiye Enerji (STEAS) a subsidiary of SOCAR, has invested $1.7 billion in Petkim Petrokimya Holding over 15 years. SOCAR acquired the Turkish government's stake in Petkim for $2.04 billion in 2008.
Overall, Petkim Petrokimya Holding comprises 15 enterprises with a combined projected capacity of 3.6 million tons per year.
The holding manufactures approximately 60 types of petrochemical products, including ethylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and other petrochemicals used in the production of plastics, textiles, and various consumer and industrial goods.
Petkim's shares are listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange.
In the spring of this year, STEAS announced plans to develop petrochemical production facilities in Türkiye, yet no details were given.
