ADNOC commissions PDH unit at Ruwais integrated complex

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) subsidiary ADNOC Refining (formerly Takreer) has reached full production of polymer-grade propylene from its newly commissioned propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit at its more than 800,000-b/d integrated Ruwais refining and petrochemical hub in the UAE.

The PDH unit processes propane from ADNOC’s gas processing installations as well as the 417,000-b/d West refining plant of the Ruwais complex to produce 500,000 tonnes/year of polymer-grade propylene, ADNOC said.

The standalone PDH unit is part of the recently commissioned carbon black and delayed coker project at Ruwais (OGJ Online, Sept. 4, 2018).

Alongside supporting the operator’s broader program to integrate its downstream processing units, the PDH unit also will enable the ADNOC-Borealis AG jointly held Abu Dhabi Polymers Co. Ltd.’s (Borouge) integrated polyolefins complex in Ruwais to meet the increasing global demand for specialist polymer products, particularly from the Asia-Pacific region, said Jasem Al Sayegh, chief executive officer of ADNOC Refining.

Startup of the PDH unit and recently commissioned carbon black and delayed coker project follow’s Borouge’s July award of a contract to Maire Tecnimont SPA subsidiary Tecnimont SPA for delivery of engineering, procurement, and construction services on a fifth polypropylene plant (PP5) at the Ruwais site that will have a maximum production capacity of 480,000 tpy to expand the operator’s overall polymer production capacity to about 5 million tpy by 2021 (OGJ Online, July 13, 2018).

The projects come as part of ADNOC’s May announcements that it would accelerate expansion initiatives at the Ruwais refining and petrochemical complex as part of the company’s $45-billion program to become a global downstream leader under a new combined model of strategic partnerships and investments (OGJ Online, May 23, 2018; May 14, 2018).

Designed to double crude oil refining capacity and triple petrochemicals production at Ruwais by 2025, the downstream program currently includes:

• The earlier announced plan to build a grassroots 600,000-b/d refinery, a $3.1-billion project to increase feedstock flexibility at the existing 817,000-b/d Ruwais refining complex.

• Construction of one of the world’s largest mixed-feed crackers that will boost production capacity to 14.4 million tonnes/year by 2025 from 4.5 million tonnes/year in 2016 at the ADNOC-Borealis AG jointly held Abu Dhabi Polymers Co. Ltd.’s (Borouge) integrated polyolefins complex in Ruwais.

• A separate project with Borealis to add a fifth polypropylene plant (PP5) with a production capacity of about 500,000 tpy at Borouge’s Ruwais complex.

• A jointly developed project with Cia. Espanola de Petroleos SAU (Cepsa) of Spain for a 150,000-tonne/year linear alkylbenzene (LAB) installation to be integrated with the Ruwais refining complex (OGJ Online, Mar. 26, 2018).

Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].