Westlake Chemical plans plant expansion

WESTLAKE — Westlake Chemical Corp., of Houston, will expand an ethylene unit at its Lake Charles facility, creating more than 800 construction jobs and six permanent positions.

Company spokesman David Hansen said in a news release that the expansion will increase ethane-based ethylene capacity by about 230-240 million pounds annually.

“The unit is expected to be down approximately 50 days for the work to be completed,” Hansen said.

The project, which will begin with maintenance in the first quarter of 2013, will lead to no layoffs and will involve “many of the employees that normally work in that unit,” Hansen said.

He said the announcement shows how much confidence the company has in the future of Lake Charles, which “is a port strategic site for us. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars there.”

The company now has about 600 regular employees and 150 contract workers at the Lake Charles complex, Hansen said.

Westlake Chemical produces ethylene, polyethylene, propylene and PVC building products.