Albemarle, SABIC form JV for Al-Jubail organometallic facility

27 October 2009 14:35  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--Albemarle will form a 50/50 joint venture with Ibn Hayyan Plastic Products Company (TAYF), a Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) affiliate, to build a world-scale organometallics production facility at Al-Jubail in Saudi Arabia,  the US plastics-additives producer said on Tuesday.

The joint venture, called the Saudi Organometallic Chemicals Company (SOCC), will be the first of its kind to produce organometallics in the region.

Construction of the plant, which will have the capacity to produce 6,000 metric tons of tri-ethyl aluminum equivalents annually, was expected to begin in the fourth quarter with start-up anticipated by early 2012.

“This new world-scale production unit will help us safely and efficiently serve our customers while also providing a foundation for Albemarle to capitalise on other opportunities emerging in the region," said Mark Rohr, chairman and chief executive officer of Albemarle.

"This joint venture represents another step in our vision to become the preferred world leader in chemicals. Moreover, this facility will provide strategically needed security for the supply of tri-ethyl aluminum catalyst, which is critically required for our multi-billion dollar polyolefins industry," said SABIC vice chairman and CEO Mohamed Al-Mady.

"The new joint venture facility will feature Albemarle's state-of-the-art technology, proprietary safety expertise and premier logistical stewardship that are trademarks of our reputation as a respected leader in the global organometallics market," said Amy Motto, division vice president of Albemarle's polyolefin catalyst group.

Tri-ethyl aluminum is used primarily as a co-catalyst in some olefin polymerisation systems.

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By: Franco Capaldo
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