QPIC plans $1-billion petrochem plant

Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC) is pushing ahead with the development of its $1-billion petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia with the appointment of IHS Inc. as advisor to undertake the planning and development of the project. Chairman Sheikh Mubarak Abdullah Al Mubarak Al Sabah said that QPIC would lead the development of the integrated polyethylene terephthalate plant to be located at Al-Jubail industrial city. The complex will benefit from paraxylene feedstock to be sourced from a local refinery and comprise purified terephthalic acid (PTA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and downstream investments to serve the local, regional and international packaging markets.

QPIC's project will comprise the production of around 800,000 tonnes of PET and 1 million tonnes annually of PTA. The complex will support the downstream conversion industry in Saudi Arabia in the production of bottle pre-forms, sheet and films for the packaging of food and consumer goods. www.qpic-kw.com