Saudi Arabia’s smaller petchems firms are completing plants among a projects slate dominated by the Sadara and Petro Rabigh-2 ‘megaprojects’. Sipchem says construction of a SR600mn ($160mn) 63,000 tons/year polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) plant at Jubail is three-quarters complete. It expects Q4 start-up. PBT is a specialized thermoplastics polymer used in automotive, electronics and IT manufacturing.
Sipchem has also begun commissioning a SR230mn ($61.3mn) cable insulation polymers plant at Jubail, which will process low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) produced by its IPC affiliate. The 200,000 tons/year LDPE/EVA plant is due to be completed soon (MEES, 10 January). The company is also this year debottlenecking a 75,000 t/y butanediol plant at Jubail, which will provide feedstock for the new PBT unit. (CONTINUED - 256 WORDS)
