Italian petchem company Saipem, leading a consortium with Egypt-based Petrojet, has been awarded a contract by Egyptian Ethylene & Derivatives Co. (Ethydco) for the first polybutadiene-producing facility in Egypt, with an expected production capacity of 36,000 tonnes/year.
Saipem and Petrojet have a long history of partnership in Egypt and will be jointly responsible for detailed engineering design, procurement and supply of equipment and materials, construction, pre-commissioning, commissioning up to successful start-up and performance testing.
Saipem says it will contribute its key competencies as a leading solutions provider in the petrochemical sector, specifically in the elastomers segment.
The scope of work of the new rubber plant comprises one production train of low Cis butadiene rubber and related facilities. Polybutadiene is a synthetic rubber with a high resistance to wear and is used in the manufacture of tyres, which consumes about 70% of all global production.
The overall value of the contract is for approximately US$150 million.
Maurizio Coratella, COO of the Saipem Onshore E&C Division, commented: “After successful completion of the fast-track Zohr project, this award confirms Saipem as a partner of choice to support the sustainable development of Egypt.”