Riyadh, August 20, 2013
The United Jubail Petrochemical Company (UNITED), a manufacturing affiliate of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), has awarded the Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract for its Carbon Dioxide Utilization Project to Germany's The Linde Group to build the world's largest CO2 purification and liquefaction plant.
The plant will be designed to compress and purify about 1,500 tons per day of raw carbon dioxide coming from ethylene glycol plants. The purified gaseous CO2 will be supplied through pipes to three SABIC-affiliated companies for enhanced methanol and urea production. Methanol is a basic commodity for the chemical industry, and urea is used for fertilizer production. An estimated 500,000 tons of CO2 emissions will be saved each year.
Yousef Al-Zamel, SABIC Executive Vice President, Chemicals Strategic Business Unit, said that the project will contribute significantly to SABIC's growth strategy. "It will add to SABIC's business portfolio of industrial gas products. This is the first of many other similar projects to be executed next year," he said.
The plant will also be capable of producing 200 tons per day of liquid CO2 with food grade quality which will be stored and thereafter supplied by truck to the beverage and food industry. It is the first carbon capture and utilization (CCU) project to be realized in Saudi Arabia. The reduction of CO2 emissions is an important aim in SABIC's sustainability strategy.
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About SABIC
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world's top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world's market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
SABIC recorded a net profit of SR 24.72 billion (US$ 6.59 billion) in 2012. Sales revenues for 2012 totaled SR 189 billion (US$ 50.40 billion). Total assets stood at SR 338 billion (US$ 90.13 billion) at the end of 2012.
SABIC's businesses are grouped into Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. SABIC has significant research resources with 18 dedicated Technology & Innovation facilities in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, India, China and South Korea. The company operates in more than 40 countries across the world with around 40,000 employees worldwide.
SABIC manufactures on a global scale in Saudi Arabia, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Headquartered in Riyadh, SABIC was founded in 1976 when the Saudi Arabian Government decided to use the hydrocarbon gases associated with its oil production as the principal feedstock for production of chemicals, polymers and fertilizers. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 70 percent of SABIC shares with the remaining 30 percent held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
© Press Release 2013
