Egyptian Ethylene & Derivatives Co. (Ethydco) is nearing completion of its long-planned 460,000-tonne/year ethylene plant and derivatives complex in Alexandria, according to Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MPMR).
Part of Egypt’s national plan to develop its own refining and petrochemical production installations, the $1.9-billion complex will process a mixture of ethane propane from the Western Sahara gas complex in Alexandria to produce ethylene, high-density and low-density polyethylene, butadiene, and other derivatives to meet domestic market needs, MPMR said.
Ethydco and MPMR previously let a $600-million lump sum engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning turnkey contract to Toyo Engineering Corp., Tokyo, and ENPPI, an engineering company under MPMR to build the complex based on ethylene technology from Lummus Technology (OGJ, July, 2, 2012, p. 78).
In addition to the ethylene plant and 20,000-tpy butadiene unit, Ethydco confirmed the complex will house two 200,000-tpy polyethylene plants for production of both HDPE and LDPE, as well as a 36,000-tpy butadiene derivatives plant that will produce low-carbon-in-solution and solution styrene-butadiene rubber.
Originally scheduled to be completed in the year, the complex is now due to be commissioned by this year’s fourth quarter, Ethydco said.
Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].
