Linde secures $1bn cracker contract from Borouge

Abu Dhabi, UAE / Munich, Germany - Borouge, a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) and and Borealis, has awarded Linde Group a $1.075-billion contract to build another 1500 kiltonnes per annum (ktpa) ethane cracker at its production site in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The contract will be executed on a ‘lump sum turnkey’ basis, with construction work executed by the Consolidated Contractors Co. (CCC). The new cracker, the third of its kind to be built by Linde for Borouge, complements 600ktpa and 1,500ktpa ethane crackers, the latter of which is currently under construction as part of the plant’s expansion from 600ktpa to 2,000ktpa of polyolefins by mid-2010, and ultimately 4500ktpa of polyolefins by 2013.

The contract for the Borouge 3 project is a major expansion of our production facility in Ruwais and will increase the total capacity of the plant to 4,500ktpa of polyolefins annually by the end of 2013, according to Abdulaziz Alhajri, CEO of Abu Dhabi Polymers Co. (Borouge).

“In addition to the ethane cracker, the expansion includes the construction of second generation Borstar® polypropylene and polyethylene units, a low density polyethylene unit and a Butene unit, as well as related off-site utilities and marine facilities,” the CEO commented.

“Our relationship with ADNOC, enriched by our gases joint venture ‘Elixier’, and Borealis is now stronger than ever, thus making The Linde Group the leading gases and engineering company in the Middle East,” claimed Linde director Dr Aldo Belloni.