Qatar Petroleum and Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) have jointly awarded a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract to Tecnimont, a leading engineering and construction company, for its upcoming Al Sejeel Petrochemical Complex.

Qatar Petroleum owns a 80 per cent stake in the mega-petrochemical complex, while Qapco owns the rest.

The Al Sejeel Petrochemical Complex, which is scheduled for completion in 2018, features one of the world’s largest mixed-feed steam crackers, and is designed to produce 2.2 million MTPA of polymers, including PE and PP resins.

Today's signing of the Feed contract with Tecnimont SpA marks a strategic milestone for the progress of the giant complex which will be built in Ras Laffan Industrial City, said the top Qatari petrochmical firms.

The two companies also unveiled a new logo for the Al Sejeel Petrochemical Complex which bears the colors of the Qatari flag in the presence of Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry.

Speaking at the launch, Dr Al-Sada said the Al Sejeel complex will strengthen Qatar’s position as a leading global petrochemical producer.
"This project is aligned with the principles of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and we are committed -more than ever- to the accomplishment of our growth objectives, and to meeting our economic needs while safeguarding the requirements of future generations," he stated.

"Today is a clear demonstration of such a commitment. It is the vision of our leadership to harness the tremendous potential of the petrochemical sector, and to embark on a large-scale expansion of our downstream industry," he added.

The minister said Qatar aims to raise its petrochemical output to 23 million MTPA by 2020, thus supporting the growth and diversification of the country's economy.

"This will increase the universal reach of value-added “Made in Qatar” product portfolio across the globe," he added.

Al Sejeel complex, said Dr. Al-Sada, will surely be unique in terms of its feedstock, as it will assure production efficiency and access to a steady supply of critical chemical building blocks while increasing its global competitiveness.

Qapco chairman Hamad Rashid Al Mohannadi said the country has witnessed the tremendous progress achieved by its petrochemical industry, resting on the capabilities and skills developed by local talent.

"Today, Qatari leadership is the driving force of Al Sejeel, which makes the project truly special as it is the first time that two Qatari companies will develop together a complex of this scale. Al Sejeel has become a national symbol and I take great pride in this groundbreaking achievement," he noted.

Al Mohannadi pointed out that Al Sejeel will also develop the talents of the future. "This unprecedented complex will offer more than 1,500 career opportunities for talented young Qataris willing to participate in building a sustainable future for our nation," he added.

The plants will be processing several feed types simultaneously, namely ethane, butane, and naphtha, ensuring an optimum use of natural resources and allowing extra flexibility and diversity in terms of products.

On the win, Pierroberto Folgiero, the CEO of Maire Tecnimont Group, said: “Our competence-driven strategy is remarkably focused on an early involvement in the investment initiative of our world class clients and we are really delighted to contribute with our Feed expertise to this visionary complex which constitutes a cornerstone in the petrochemical industry with Qatari remarkable leadership."

"We will assure utmost commitment to the project and engage our best people for its brilliant success," he added.-TradeArabia News Service