Commerical operation commences at SHARQ ethylene plant in Saudi Arabia

22-Apr-10

The Shaw Group Inc. has announced full commercial operation of the grassroots ethylene plant for Eastern Petrochemical Company (SHARQ) in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Shaw provided its proprietary ethylene technology and engineering, procurement and construction management for the 1.3 million metric tpa ethylene plant. Shaw also provided operational support during the commissioning and startup of the plant, which uses ethane and propane as feedstocks. Significant project facts include: The project includes eight of Shaw’s proprietary Ultra Selective Conversion (USC®) cracking furnaces, which are recognized for their large capacity, high yields, and long run lengths. This technology is based on more than 40 years of development and commercial experience. Shaw’s comprehensive site safety program, which was delivered in multiple languages to all project personnel, resulted in the project being completed without a lost-time incident. At peak construction, more than 12,000 field personnel representing more than a dozen countries worked on the plant, which will provide ethylene and propylene for various downstream units at the Al-Jubail industrial complex. An established leader in ethylene technology, Shaw has provided technology, design, engineering and/or construction for 120 grassroots plants worldwide. In addition to the SHARQ project, Shaw currently is providing ethylene technology, proprietary equipment, technical support and/or engineering, procurement and construction services for other major olefins projects in Brazil, France, Turkey, India, Thailand, Singapore, China and Korea.