Beirut (APD) - The Kuwait-based Petroleum Coke Industries Company (PCIC) signed on Thursday a $26 million deal with the Indian firm FFE Minerals India. Under the contract FFE Minerals will design and establish a coke calcination plant for PCIC in Kuwait, the Kuwait-based Al-Qabas daily reported Friday.
The Indian firm will also assist PCIC in the preparation of engineering plans and in the construction project management of the plant with a production capacity of 350,000 tons per year.
PCIC is preparing for local tenders in Kuwait for civil and electrical works on the project. The tenders will be launched soon, the daily said.
The plant will be constructed on an area of 264,000 square meters in the Shuaiba industrial zone in Kuwait. Construction is expected to be completed in 18 months.
The calcination plant will be strategically located close to the refineries of Kuwait which will supply it with raw petroleum coke.
It will be also situated in the vicinity of major aluminum factories in the country which will be consumers of its output of calcined petroleum coke.
Calcined petroleum coke is one of the raw materials used along with alumina in the manufacture of aluminum.
PCIC has signed long term agreements with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and Kuwait National Petroleum Company for the supply of raw petroleum coke for a period of 20 years with favorable logistical conditions.
The company has also inked a seven-year operation and maintenance agreement with India's Rain Calcining Limited (RCL).
PCIC has also agreed with the US firm Oxbow Carbon for the sale and promotion of its production.
PCIC is a closed joint stock company established by the two Kuwait-based firms Abdullah Al Hamad Al Saqr Group and Al Mal Investment Company in partnership with RCL and Oxbow Carbon. [TS]
By Shikrallah Nakhoul, APD Staff Writer in Beirut
© APD (Arab Press Digest) 2005
