ABB Speeds Kemya Ethylene Plant Startup

ABB announced today that the Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company (Kemya) ethylene plant in Jubail, Saudi Arabia is producing on-spec product with world class performance, achieved in an overall project schedule of 33.5 months from start of basic design to production.

The 700,000 metric ton per annum ethane/propane cracker incorporates SRT® cracking heater technology from ABB Lummus Global combined with the Ethylene 2000SM recovery process technology, also from ABB. The combination of feed flexibility, operating efficiency and favorable project capital cost makes the Kemya olefins plant a worldwide benchmark gas cracker.

ABB provided process technology, basic and detailed engineering, procurement and supply of all equipment and material, construction of the plant and technical assistance during commissioning and plant start-up.

Earlier this year ABB had been given special recognition by Kemya for outstanding safety accomplishments on the project. The labor force worked over 12,500,000 manhours without a lost time injury.

Kemya is owned 50 percent by Saudi Basic Industries and 50 percent by ExxonMobil Chemical Saudi Arabia.

ABB (www.abb.com) serves manufacturing, process and consumer industries, utilities, the oil and gas sector and infrastructure markets, with 160,000 employees in more than 100 countries.

Visit the ABB Automation storefront on Chemical Online.

Subscribe to our free e-mail newsletter.

Click for a free Buyer's Guide listing.