Saturday, Feb 16, 2008
(This item was originally published Friday.)
TOKYO (Nikkei)--Nippon Oil Corp. (5001.TO) plans to embark on a joint venture in the United Arab Emirates this year to make an alternate concrete material from sulfur, which is a petroleum byproduct, The Nikkei reported in its Saturday morning edition.
The oil company sees the project dovetailing with two of the UAE's most pressing demands: making better use of its petroleum byproducts and building more social and commercial infrastructure.
Capitalized at 2 billion yen, the joint venture will be set up by June. Nippon Oil will hold a 49% interest, while local urban developer Al Qudra Holding will own a 51% stake.
The joint venture will build a plant near oil refineries in Abu Dhabi. It is expected to churn out some 50,000 tons of sulfur concrete each year.
The concrete alternative is made by adding desert sand, seashells from the Persian Gulf and other materials to the sulfur. It can be used to build sewage systems, water drains, port facilities and other infrastructure. Some of the concrete will be exported to neighboring Middle East countries.
Sulfur is abundant in the Middle East because many oil producing countries there run large-scale refineries. Therefore, Nippon Oil is considering launching similar operations in Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich nations.
The technology to create sulfur concrete was developed domestically by Nippon Oil, which has been making the material for commercial use at its Muroran refinery in Hokkaido since 2006. But sulfur-based concrete is vulnerable to hot temperatures, precluding its use in buildings and other structures. However, it is suitable for such infrastructure as sewage systems and hot spring facilities due to its strong acid resistance.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
16-02-08 0705GMT
