SEPC to start up Al Jubail cracker, HDPE in Nov

04 November 2008 16:18  [Source: ICIS news]

DUBAI (ICIS news)--Saudi Ethylene and Polyethylene Co (SEPC) expects to begin commercial production at its new 1m tonne/year cracker and 400,000 tonne/year high density polyethyene (HDPE) plant in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia, in mid-November, a source close to the project said on Tuesday.

A 400,000 tonne/year low density PE (LDPE) plant at the same complex would start up in early December, the source added.

"Product from the HDPE plant will be shipped out by end-November while output from the LDPE unit would be exported in end-December," the source said.

Besides the local Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market, the company planned to export the PE output from the new facility to the rest of the Middle East, Africa and south Asia, the source said.

The complex would have spare ethylene capacity of 200,000 tonnes/year for export even after both PE plants go on stream. 

"Some of this will go into the ethylene pipeline at Al Jubail to temporarily feed new polyethylene units which will be starting trial production," the source said.

SEPC is a joint venture of Sahara Olefins Co with 24.4% equity, National Industrialisation Co (Tasnee) with 50.6% and LyondellBasell holding the remaining 25%.

For more on ethylene and PE visit ICIS chemical intelligence
To discuss issues facing the chemical industry go to ICIS connect

By: Prema Viswanathan
+65 6780 4359

< previous article(ICIS Podcast: Chemical News Central 2 November 2009)

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly