Under the $4 million contract, ABB Lummus will carry out basic engineering for the process package over a period of up to 12 months and provide its in-house styrene technology. ABB Lummus' only competitor for the contract was the US' Shaw Group.

Under Sadaf's expansion plans, the company will build a 600,000-tonne-a-year (t/y) styrene plant by 2007. The tender for the project's engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) portion is expected to be released later this year and will be followed by an award in the first half of 2005.

Sabic's in-house engineering and project management division is in charge of project management. Additional benzene feedstock has been secured from Saudi Aramco. Sadaf already produces more than 1 million t/y of styrene.

Sadaf is also in the process of planning the expansion of its 240-MW captive power plant, currently under construction, by another 120 MW.