The Channelview Complex east of Houston in Harris County, Texas covers approximately 4,000 acres and is one of the largest petrochemical facilities on the Gulf Coast. A separately owned Channelview Cogeneration facility, interconnected with CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric inside ERCOT, sells part of its output to Equistar Chemicals.

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Overview

The Channelview North facility manufactures ethylene, propylene, butadiene and benzene, and the South facility uses these products to produce propylene oxide, styrene monomer, other derivatives and gasoline-blending products. The PO/TBA assets have an annual capacity of 470 thousand metric tons of PO and one million metric tons of TBA and its derivatives.

Profile

Electricity and grid: The Channelview Cogeneration Facility is located exclusively within the ERCOT balancing area and identifies CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric as the interconnecting utility. A portion of its electrical output is sold indirectly via an affiliated Texas retail marketer to Equistar Chemicals, and the balance is stepped up to 345KV and transmitted into the CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric transmission system. It is a combined cycle cogeneration facility with four combustion turbine generators and a single steam turbine generator. A 2025 financing announcement describes the plant as approximately 856 MW.

Ownership and recent changes: The Channelview North Plant is owned and operated by Equistar Chemicals, LP, and the Channelview South Plant by Lyondell Chemical Company, according to a federal consent decree. LyondellBasell's 2025 annual report records pausing further development of the Flex-2 propylene expansion project at Channelview.

Facility

Activity: Ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, propylene oxide and styrene monomer
Industry: Industrial
Site type: Campus
Operating status: Operating