On December 7, 2021, the petrochemical company Borouge won the contract to develop the fourth unit of the polyolefin manufacturing complex in Ruwais, the downstream center of the UAE. Borouge said the engineering, procurement and construction contracts were awarded to Abu Dhabi’s Al Asab General Transport and Contracting French construction company Technip Energies and Italy’s Tecnimont. Borouge stated that this move “highlights Borouge’s efforts to unlock opportunities in polyolefin manufacturing, promote industrial growth, and maximize the value of every barrel of oil produced in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Borouge is a joint venture between Adnoc and Austrian chemical producer Borealis. Last month, the two companies signed an agreement to invest US$6.2 billion to expand the Ruwais complex and build the fourth unit, Borouge4. Through this expansion, Borouge will become the world's largest single-point polyolefin complex. It will also provide raw materials for the Taziz Industrial Chemical Zone, thereby promoting the next phase of growth in the Ruwais Industrial Park.

This expansion will further strengthen Borouge's international influence and will help create domestic value. The company stated that approximately 60% of engineering, procurement, commissioning and construction activities will be managed by local companies and will use local materials. Borouge operates a polyethylene plant with an annual production capacity of 450,000 tons. The device was put into use in 2001. Borouge No. 2 and No. 3 were put into production in 2010 and 2014, increasing the annual production capacity of polyethylene and polypropylene to 2 million tons and 4.5 million tons, respectively. With the last device, the total output of polyolefins will reach 6.4 million tons. Keywords: engineering construction, engineering news

The company also plans to install a carbon capture device to offset 80% of its emissions. The device will be put into use in time when Borouge 4 starts. Borealis is the eighth largest producer of polyethylene and polypropylene, with oil and gas company OMV as an important minority shareholder. The increase in production will meet the growing demand for polyolefins in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Abu Dhabi plans to triple its petrochemical capacity from 4.5 million tons (currently produced entirely by Ruwais’ Borouge plant) by 2025.Editor/XingWentao