Borouge is to move to the next stage in the expansion of its polyolefins operation at Ruwais in Abu Dhabi. Its Borouge 2 project is still in construction and is not scheduled to start up until 2010, but a year ago the company – a joint venture between Borealis of Austria and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company – started a feasibility study into Borouge 3.
This is now complete and Borouge is moving on to the engineering and design stage. Rashed Saud Al Shamsi, petrochemicals director of ADNOC, said of the decision to begin the next stage: “Notwithstanding the current economic climate, we remain focused on our long term strategy and, together with Borealis, are supporting Borouge’s preparation for the upswing of the global economy and market growth.”
Borouge 3 will add 2·5 million tonnes of polyethylene and polypropylene by the end of 2013: the current Borouge 2 project will double Borouge’s 600,000 tonnes capacity for polyethylene during 2010 and will add 800,000 tonnes of polypropylene. Included in the Borouge 3 expansion will be second generation Borstar polypropylene and polyethylene units and a butene unit. It will also take Borouge into LDPE for wire and cable grades.
Source: britishplastics.co.uk
