Saudi Aramco is evaluating bids from Asian and European engineering companies to build a new cleaner fuels plant at its largest oil refinery in Ras Tanura and to construct a big power plant for a new oil refinery in Jizan, industry sources said.

Japan's JGC Corp, South Korea's Daewoo E&C , Spain's Tecnicas Reunidas, Maire Tecnimont , Samsung Engineering, Daelim Industrial, SK E&C and Hyundai Engineering have put in bids for the Ras Tanura clean fuels and aromatics project, three sources said.

The Ras Tanura clean fuels and aromatics project, due on line by 2016, is part of Aramco's second phase of its refineries upgrade. It will also help supply a new petrochemicals joint venture with Dow Chemical.

It includes a naphtha hydrotreater and will have an annual production capacity of around 1 million metric tonnes of aromatics.

As for the Jizan's 2,400 megawatt power plant, a total of 14 companies bid for four packages to build the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC): the sulphur recovery unit, a combined cycle power plant, utilities and a gasification unit.

The plant, which will be the world's largest IGCC according to Aramco will supply the 400,000 bpd oil refinery and meet demand from other consumers around Jizan, an industrial port on the Red Sea coast.

Saudi Electricity Co is also building a power plant in Shuqaiq, which together with Jizan will help meet demand for power in cities in western Saudi Arabia.

The Jizan refinery will be the last of a trio of new 400,000 bpd refineries to be opened in Saudi Arabia between 2013 and 2018. - Reuters