Algeria’s state petroleum firm Sonatrach and France’s Total have finalized their Sonatrach Total Entreprise Polymères (STEP) JV to develop a polypropylene complex at Arzew on the Mediterranean coast. Sonatrach will take its usual 51% equity, while Total will have 49%.
Total committed to the $1.4bn project in October, having signed an initial study agreement earlier in the year (MEES, 12 October 2018). The complex will comprise a propane dehydrogenation unit, which will process locally produced propane to provide propylene feedstock for a 550,000 t/y polypropylene plant. (CONTINUED - 145 WORDS)