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A LOOK AT BP’S SOUTH CAROLINA STRATEGY
By John Harvey, Plant Manager, BP Cooper River Chemicals
Tucked away as we are in a 6,000-acre, heavily wooded site just
outside of Charleston, BP’s Cooper River Chemicals has been a
quiet but important contributor to South Carolina’s economy
since 1978. However, something big has been happening on
our campus over the last several months and it’s time for us to
make a little noise about it.
We are nearing the completion of a nearly $200 million
investment that will reduce our energy consumption by nearly
40 percent and make our plant one of the most energy-efficient
and cost-competitive in the world. It’s an investment that will
help us stay competitive in a challenging global economy, while
dramatically shrinking our carbon footprint. This project will
reduce greenhouse gas emissions at our plant by the equivalent
of the energy use of 2,000 U.S. households.
I’m proud to say that our Cooper River plant already is America’s
largest producer of purified terephthalic acid (PTA), a chemical
used to make literally thousands of everyday items ranging from
T-shirts and plastic bottles to X-ray film and food packaging.
Today, our Cooper River site has the capacity to generate more
than 1.4 million tons worth each year.
This investment is especially important when we consider what
a vital component of the region’s economy this plant is, directly
employing nearly 250 workers and supporting more than 2,100
South Carolina jobs.
Launched in 2012 and scheduled for completion in early 2017,
our project has allowed us to apply BP’s latest technology and
process know-how. It has entailed—among other things—
replacing four aging oxidation reactors with a single, currentgeneration
reactor, while also installing a steam turbine
generator system that will capture steam created in our
processes and turn it into power.
Taken together, these improvements will improve safety,
reliability and efficiency while reducing the plant’s power and
acetic acid consumption. They also will reduce the amount of
down time needed for maintenance and inspection.
BP is making all these investments and improvements while
continuing our long history of responsible stewardship of the
rich habitats and diverse wildlife that surround the Cooper
River plant. Our site is located on more than 6,000 acres, but
its industrial footprint takes up only 450 acres. The rest of the
land is home to wood ducks, longleaf pines, and a host of other
animal and tree species indigenous to the Lowcountry. On any
given day, walking across our site will allow you to see some
combination of deer, turkeys, beavers, snakes, coyotes, foxes,
bobcats, hawks, and eagles.
We feel an obligation to these species, and to all others around
our facilities. Indeed, our conservation efforts have been
recognized by groups such as the Wildlife Habitat Council
and the National Land Conservation Conference. In 2013 we
were designated a “Corporate Leader” by the National Land
Conservation Conference
In so many ways, Cooper River is a symbol of BP’s and South
Carolina’s shared values—a commitment to support both
economic prosperity and environmental sustainability. We
understand that smart investments in good technology can
be beneficial to our business but also to our environment,
our community and our world. BP is a proud part of the larger
Charleston community and, we are thrilled to be investing in
the future economic prosperity of the city.
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