Braskem Camacari Petrochemical Complex

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Braskem Camacari Petrochemical Complex is a petrochemical complex operating in Camaçari, Bahia, Brazil. It is part of Camaçari Industrial Complex, the largest integrated industrial complex in Latin America and the Caribbean. The complex produces a wide array of basic, intermediate, and final chemical and petrochemical products.

Location

The map below shows the exact location of the chemical plant in Camaçari, Bahia, Brazil.

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Coordinates (WGS 84): -12.658033, -38.319658 (exact)

Chemical Plant Details

Table 1: Ownership Details

Owner name	Owner company GEM ID
Braskem SA [100%]	E100000000060 [100%]

Table 2: Products and Feedstocks

Note: GEM classifies "Primary products" as one of the eight global building block chemicals we track. Many plants also produce downstream products (e.g., polyethylene, fertilizers), which appear under "Secondary products", and are not comprehensive. This classification reflects our research scope, not the relative economic importance of products.

Primary products	Secondary products	Feedstock	Feedstock accuracy
ethylene; propylene; butadiene; benzene; xylene	–	ethane; naphtha	exact

Background

Established on June 29, 1978, as the Northeast Petrochemical Complex (Copene), the site was Brazil's first planned petrochemical complex, created to decentralize the country's industry from the South and Southeast. Following the 1972 creation of Copene, the complex was organized under a "tripartite model" led by the state-owned Petrobras/Petroquisa, which united state, national, and foreign capital.[1]

Between 1980 and 2002, the complex underwent significant corporate restructuring and privatization. In the 1980s Nordeste Química SA (Norquisa) was established to consolidate the shares of 17 companies operating in the complex and Copene alsongside the state-owned Petroquisa.

In 1995, the government of Brazil facilitated the privatization of Copene by auctioning Petroquisa's shares. Norquisa assumed full control of Copene.

In July 2001, in partnership with Mariani Group, Novonor (formerly Oderbrecht SA) acquired a controlling interest in Copene. Braskem SA was created in August 2002, from the merger of Copene with other five companies (OPP, Trikem, Nitrocarbono, Proppet, and Polialden) with assets in the Camaçari Petrochemical Complex, all controlled by the Odebrecht Group and the Mariani Group.

During the 2002–2024 years, the Braskem Camaçari Complex had a lack of sufficient investment, leading to technological obsolescence, loss of scale, and the closure of several industrial units.[2]

Amidst discussions regarding the sale of Braskem's controlling stake, the company's president announced a new green plan to modernize the Camaçari units. The plan aims to increase the use of natural gas as feedstock; incorporate plant-based raw materials, such as ethanol from corn and agave; and leverage existing infrastructure alongside newer arrivals like Shell, Unicamp and Senai Cimatec.

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of Chemical plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Chemicals Inventory on the Global Energy Monitor website.