Huajin Aramco Petrochemical Company (HAPCO), a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and China’s NORINCO Group, reportedly plans to bring most of the units at its refining and petrochemical complex under construction in Panjin, Liaoning Province, into operation within this year. As of the end of last year, 23 of the complex’s 32 production units had reportedly completed mechanical completion, with overall progress exceeding 88%. According to the plan, the first products are expected to reach the market in early Q3, with most units reaching full operation by Q4.
The project is reportedly being advanced by joint venture HAPCO, owned 51% by NORINCO Group, 30% by Saudi Aramco, and 19% by Panjin Xincheng Industrial Group. It is centered on a 300,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) crude refining facility, a 1.65-million-ton-per-year ethylene production unit, and a 2-million-ton-per-year paraxylene (PX) production unit. The complex reportedly also includes butane complex units and polyether polyol units, totaling 32 units.
The project reportedly broke ground in Q2 2023, with Aramco supplying up to 210,000 barrels of crude oil per day as feedstock. Built as an integrated refining-petrochemical (炼化一体化) facility, it reportedly combines crude refining with ethylene and aromatics derivative production on a single site.
- Total investment: Chinese industry media reported approximately RMB 83.7 billion, while Aramco’s own materials cited approximately $10 billion
- Crude refining capacity: 300,000 barrels per day
- Ethylene production capacity: 1.65 million tons per year
- Paraxylene (PX) production capacity: 2 million tons per year
- Progress as of end of 2025: over 88% complete, with 23 of 32 units having completed mechanical completion
- Operation schedule (planned): overall commissioning to begin Q2 2026, first products to ship in early Q3, most units to reach full operation in Q4