Abu Dhabi-based petrochemicals producer Borouge has received bids from contractors for the construction of a flare-gas recovery plant at its site in Ruwais.

Technical engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) proposals for the estimated $150m project were submitted by at least seven companies, according to a sources from bidding contractors.

Bidding companies include:

• ABB (Switzerland)
• Descon Engineering (Pakistan)
• Dodsal (UAE)
• eTEC E&C (South Korea)
• Intecsa Ingenieria Industrial (Spain)
• Linde (Germany)
• Toyo Engineering (Japan)

Borouge is expected to set a deadline for commercial bids in late November, with a contract likely to be awarded in the first quarter of 2013. US-based Bechtel has already been awarded the project management consultancy (PMC) contract for the project.

The scheme is planned to reduce the amount of gas flared at Borouge’s polyolefins operation in Ruwais, 240 kilometres west of Abu Dhabi city, which is undergoing a major capacity expansion.

The phase three expansion will increase the company’s petrochemicals capacity to 4.5 million tonnes a year (t/y) from the present 2.5 million t/y. The company had completed 69 per cent of the construction works by July 2012 and was on track to complete the project by the end of 2013, Borouge’s chief executive officer, Abdulaziz al-Hajri, recently told MEED.

Borouge is a 60:40 joint venture of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and European plastics maker Borealis.