SASA Polyester Sanayi AŞ has taken action for a 25 billion dollars investment in the area declared as a “special industrial zone” in the Yumurtalık district of Adana. Within this scope, it was announced that negotiations with relevant state institutions and international companies are ongoing for the establishment of a 1.2 million-ton polypropylene production plant, a refinery with an annual capacity of 13 million tons, and integrated port projects, while construction in the region is expected to begin in the first or second quarter of 2026.
With the decision signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and published in the Official Gazette on August 16, a 5.5 million square meter area in Yumurtalık was declared the “SASA Polyester Sanayi AŞ Yumurtalık Special Industrial Zone.” In the first phase of the projects, which will be implemented in three stages, a 1.2 million-ton polypropylene (a durable plastic raw material used in packaging, textiles, and automotive), a refinery with an annual capacity of 13 million tons, and an integrated port will be established.
“Our goal is to produce high value-added products”
Mehmet Şeker, Member of the Board of Directors of SASA Polyester Sanayi AŞ, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the facilities will produce aromatic chemical products that Türkiye currently imports. Underlining the importance of raw material production, which was once again understood during the COVID-19 period, he said their main goal is to produce both raw materials and high value-added products.
“Türkiye imports more than 20 billion dollars worth of aromatic chemicals, and it also has an annual demand of around 2.5 million tons of polypropylene,” said Şeker, adding that gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and paraxylene—the raw material of polyester—will be produced there. “We will produce these products from naphtha and condensate petroleum, preventing chemical imports. At SASA, our purified terephthalic acid (PTA) production has started at 4,800 tons per day, approximately 1.75 million tons per year. We used to import it, but we no longer do. After the Yumurtalık investment, we will also stop importing paraxylene, which is the raw material for PTA,” he said.
Şeker added: “When the facility becomes operational in four years, it will prevent 6–7 billion dollars worth of imports. Some companies in Türkiye will use the raw materials we produce to manufacture new products. This place, Yumurtalık, will become a massive chemical industrial zone in 10–15 years, making a significant contribution to both Adana and the Mediterranean region.”
Stating that SASA currently employs about 5,000 people, he noted: “With the new project, we plan to employ 8,000 to 10,000 people during the construction phase of the facilities, and ultimately 2,500 to 3,000 people once they are fully operational.”