Exxon starts new polypropylene unit at Baton Rouge, Louisiana complex

(Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp started production at a new polypropylene unit at its Baton Rouge, Louisiana refining and petrochemical complex, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The new unit, with a pricetag over half a billion dollars, adds 450,000 metric tons of polypropylene production, doubling the Baton Rouge Polyolefins plant's capacity, Exxon said.

The new unit employs 65 full-time staff, the company said. More than 650 people were employed during construction.

Polypropylene is used in making a wide variety of products from food and drink containers, plumbing, disposable diapers and in medicine.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba, Editing by Louise Heavens)