Abu Dhabi’s Adnoc and India’s Reliance Industries on 10 December signed a framework agreement to explore the development of an ethylene dichloride (EDC) plant in the refining and petchems hub at Ruwais, 240km west of Abu Dhabi city. EDC is used to make vinyl chloride monomer, which is further processed into polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Adnoc says it would supply ethylene feedstock for the EDC plant, with Reliance providing operational expertise and entry to the large and growing Indian vinyls market. Although no plant capacity was announced, larger EDC plants typically produce around 300,000 t/y.
Adnoc will spend $45bn by 2030 on downstream projects intended to turn Ruwais into the world’s largest integrated refining and petchems complex, with 1.5mn b/d of refining capacity and 14.4mn t/y of petchems. The Borouge joint venture of Adnoc and Austria’s Borealis recently awarded licensing and engineering contracts for a 1.8mn t/y mixed feed cracker and 1.5mn t/y aromatics plant at Ruwais, adding to its three petchems complexes based around ethane crackers with combined capacity of 3.6mn t/y (MEES, 1 March). (CONTINUED - 247 WORDS)