QatarEnergy has made the final investment decision (FID) on the $6bn Ras Laffan Petrochemicals complex with partner Chevron Phillips Chemical Company (CPChem), which is jointly owned by Chevron and Phillips 66.

The integrated olefins and polyethylene facility is planned to be built at Ras Laffan Industrial City.

Expected to be commissioned in 2026, the Ras Laffan Petrochemicals complex will comprise an ethane cracker, with a capacity of 2.1 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of ethylene. This makes the complex the largest of its kind in the Middle East and one of the world’s largest.

It will also feature two polyethylene trains with a combined capacity of 1.7Mtpa of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) polymer products.

Qatar Minister of State for Energy Affairs and QatarEnergy president and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said: “This marks QatarEnergy’s largest investment ever in Qatar’s petrochemicals sector and the first direct investment in 12 years.

“It will double our ethylene production capacity, increase our local polymer production from 2.6Mtpa to more than 4Mtpa, and place the utmost emphasis on sustainable growth and the environment.”

“There is no doubt that this cornerstone investment in Ras Laffan Industrial City marks an important milestone in QatarEnergy’s downstream expansion strategy. It will not only facilitate further expansion in the downstream and petrochemical sectors in Qatar, but will also reinforce our integrated position as a major global player in the upstream, LNG, and downstream sectors.”

QatarEnergy has also awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to SCJV, a joint venture between Samsung Engineering Company and CTCI, for the ethylene plant of the Ras Laffan Petrochemicals complex.

Maire Tecnimont has secured an EPC contract for the polyethylene plant while Emerson has been selected for the main automation contract.

Source: Offshore Technology