The UAE’s petrochemicals and aluminium sectors are set to benefit from key raw materials when Abu Dhabi’s carbon black and delayed coker project in Ruwais comes onstream, according to the scheme’s operator Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer).

South Korea’s Samsung Engineering officially signed the project’s $2.47bn engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract in Abu Dhabi on 31 October, after winning the deal in June.

Takreer said the carbon black will be used by Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge) to manufacture pipelines and cables, while the anode-quality coke can be used by local aluminium smelters Emirates Aluminium (Emal) and Dubai Aluminium (Dubal).

The project has a planned capacity of 40,000 tonnes a year (t/y) of carbon black and 30,000 barrels a day (b/d) of crude. Samsung is the only EPC contractor on the scheme and is expected to carry out the work on a turn-key basis by the first quarter of 2016.

“The project comes within Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (Adnoc’s) strategy of diversification of production and more integration among its companies, in addition to the supply of necessary raw materials for local industries,” said Takreer in its EPC signing announcement.