The plant will use low-cost ethane from shale gas producers in the Marcellus and Utica basins to produce 1.6 million tonnes of polyethylene each year. Polyethylene is used in many everyday products, from food packaging and containers to automotive components.
The facility will be built on the banks of the Ohio River in Potter Township, Beaver County, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north-west of Pittsburgh.