Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) announced last week that it has reached full production of polymer-grade propylene from its newly commissioned Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH) unit located in the Ruwais petrochemical complex.
The PDH unit is a key element of Adnoc Refining’s expansion strategy to help create maximum value for the company’s downstream businesses due to growing demand for petrochemical products, especially in Asia.
Earlier this year, Adnoc unveiled plans to upgrade the entire Ruwais refining and petrochemicals complex with an investment of $45 billion (Dh165 billion) to substantially raise the company’s capabilities to produce greater volumes of higher-value petrochemicals and derivative products.
The plan includes building one of the world’s largest mixed-feed crackers, trebling petrochemical production capacity from 4.5 metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) in 2016 to 14.4 mtpa by 2025.
“The expansion in propylene production will be over half a million tons per year, adding value to our refining operations by integrating with downstream processing units. It will also help enable our partner company, Borouge, to meet the increasing global demand for specialist polymer products, particularly from the AsiaPacific region,” said Jasem Al Sayegh, CEO of Adnoc Refining, a subsidiary of Adnoc.
Propylene is a key ingredient in the production of polymers. The future demand for polymers is expected to be in Asia, projected to be the fastestgrowing market for the product due to rising automotive production and the greater purchasing power of its expanding middle-class populations.
Earlier this year, Adnoc unveiled plans to upgrade the entire Ruwais refining and petrochemicals complex with an investment of $45 billion to boost the company’s capabilities.
