Advanced
Polypropylene Company and CB&I Announce Successful Start-Up
of Polypropylene Complex
Advanced
Polypropylene Company (APPC) and Lummus Technology, a CB&I
company, today announced the successful commissioning of a
polypropylene complex in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The plant,
which has a capacity of 455,000 metric tons per annum is currently operating
above the nameplate capacity. CB&I served as the PMC
contractor on this fast-track project, which was completed in 32
months from EPC award to mechanical completion.
The new plant is utilizing the patented CATOFIN(R) dehydrogenation
technology that employs SA 1/4d-Chemie's
latest CATOFIN catalyst to efficiently convert propane to
propylene and the Novolen(R) advanced gas-phase polypropylene
technology, licensed
by Lummus Novolen Technology. The Novolen unit at APPC has been
designed for the production of both standard and specialty
applications to enable APPC to serve both local and export
markets.
About APPC
Advanced Polypropylene Company (APPC) is a joint stock company
established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the purpose of
developing an integrated propane dehydrogenation and
polypropylene complex in Jubail Industrial City. The two main
shareholders of APPC are National Polypropylene Co. and
the Islamic Development Bank.
APPC was established as a joint stock company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 27th Shaban 1426H (Corresponding to 1 October 2005) to develop an integrated propane Dehydrogenation and Polypropylene complex in Jubail Industrial City comprising an area of 650,000 m2. The company produces 450,000 tons per annum of polypropylene. The company is utilizing proven technologies provided by ABB Lumus and Novolen Technology Holdings (NTH). The products are marketed locally and globally through approved partners with high quality packaging materials.
PDH
CATOFIN-ABB Lumus technology is used to convert Propane gas into propylene with a capacity of 455KTA. Propane is received from Saudi Aramco through pipelines and sent to 8 fixed-bed reactors which operate in sequence. The reactors outlet is sent to purification in order to obtain high purity propylene of 99.5%. Then propylene is sent to PP Plant in liquid form for polymerization.
PP
NOVOLEN Technology is used to produce 450KTA of polypropylene in 2 production lines. First line produces both Homopolymer and Random copolymer grades with total capacity of 180KTA. Second line produces Homopolymer grades with a capacity 270KTA. Additives (i.e. Antioxidants, slip agents, UV stabilizers, anti-block additives, etc…) are added to give special properties to product and to resist high temperature and weathering problems.
In 2005, National Polypropylene Company (NPPC) and a group of companies established Advanced Polypropylene Company.
In October 2005, Samsung Engineering Company was awarded the EPC contract for the project. The contract was awarded on a negotiated base.
In March 2006, A sub-contract was awarded by Samsung Engineering Company to Nasser Al Hajri Corporation.
In January 2008, the company announced that construction has been completed and operation will start in Q1 2008.
In February 2008, the project was completed and the company announced that it has started experimental production.
On 26 August 2008, the company announced that it has started commercial operations.
Advanced Polypropylene Company
Pre-Offer(%) Post-Offer(%) Dar Al Kimaweyat 30.00 15.92 IDB Infrastructure Fund : Islamic Development Bank 17.00 9.02 National Polypropylene Company Limited 15.00 7.96 Gulfvin Investment Limited 5.00 2.65 Mada Industrial and Commercial Investment Company 5.00 2.65 Rashid Abdul Rahman Al Rashid and Sons Company 4.80 2.55 Lummus Catalyst Company 4.50 2.39 Others Total 100 53.05