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Saudi Aramco Total Refining & Petrochemical Company (Satorp) is understood to be in an advanced stage of bid evaluation for the proposals it received for the contract to develop a cogeneration independent steam and power plant (ISPP) serving the Amiral petrochemicals project in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Sources close to the project tell MEED that clarifications with bidders have been completed, with an award expected by September or earlier.

The consortiums that submitted proposals for the contract in April are:

• Acwa Power / Power & Water Utility Company for Jubail & Yanbu (Marafiq)  (local)
• Jera (Japan) / Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa, UAE) 
• Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco, South Korea) / Aljomaih Holding Company (local)

The planned facility is anticipated to have a design capacity of about 470MW, as MEED reported in November.

Expanding operations

Expectations for the imminent award of the package are building following the recent award of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts for the $11bn Amiral petrochemicals production facility in Saudi Arabia.

The EPC contracts went to: 

• Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company (South Korea) — for a mixed feed cracker and utilities, with a nameplate capacity of 1,650 kilotons a year (kt/y) of ethylene and related industrial gases, and utilities, flares and interconnecting systems that support main packages within the facilities
• Maire Tecnimont (Italy) — for two polyethylene units with a nameplate capacity of 500 kt/y each and the derivative units
• Sinopec Engineering (Group) Saudi Company (China) — for a tank farm and Satorp integration
• Gulf Consolidated Contractors Company (local) — for the transfer pipelines
• Mohammed Ali al-Suwailem Trading & Contracting Company (local) – for industrial support facilities
• Mofarreh Marzouq al-Harbi & Partners Company (local) – for site preparation
• Mobarak M. Alsalomi & Partners for Contracting Company (local) – for temporary construction facilities

Integrated with the existing Satorp refinery in Jubail, the new complex aims to house one of the largest mixed-load steam crackers in the Gulf, with a capacity to produce 1,650 kt/y of ethylene and other industrial gases.

This expansion is expected to attract more than $4bn in additional investment in various industrial sectors, including carbon fibres, lubes, drilling fluids, detergents, food additives, automotive parts and tires. It is also expected to create around 7,000 local direct and indirect jobs.

Satorp reached the final investment decision on Amiral in December last year.

Aramco owns 62.5 per cent of shares in Satorp, while France's TotalEnergies has a 37.5 per cent stake.