Sharq starts commercial operation at expanded Al Jubail complex

TOKYO (ICIS news)--Eastern Petrochemical Co (Sharq) started commercial operation at its expanded petrochemical complex at Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia on 1 April, Saudi Petrochemical Development Corp (SPDC) said in Japanese on Monday.

Cracking capacity at the complex was more than doubled to 2.46m tonnes/year, with the new 1.3 m tonne/year cracker in operation.

Ethylene glycol capacity at the complex, meanwhile, was expanded by 700,000 tonnes/year to 1.38m tonnes/year, while polyethylene capacity was raised by 800,000 tonnes/year to 1.55m tonnes/year, it added.

Sharq is a joint venture between Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) and SPDC, a consortium of Japanese companies led by the Mitsubishi Corp.