State-run Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) is developing the country's first polypropylene plant with annual capacity of 150,000 tons of the product in central Quang Ngai province, the Vietnam Economic Times reported Thursday.

Construction of the 15-hectare plant with investment of 232 million U.S. dollars started on Wednesday and is expected to finish in the next 28 months. Its product will be used in local industries including plastic, automobile, construction and electricity.

Polypropylene is any of various thermoplastic resins that are polymers of propylene. They are hard and tough, and are often used to make molded articles and fibers.

Propylene, a key raw material for polypropylene production, will come from Dung Quat oil refinery, Vietnam's first oil refinery under construction in the province.

The PetroVietnam-funded refinery with an annual processing capacity of 6.5 million tons of crude oil is expected to start operation in the second quarter of 2009.