Abu Dhabi National Chemicals Company (Chemaweyaat) is expected to tender the front-end engineering design (feed) for its aromatics chemicals complex during the fourth quarter of 2012, according to industry sources.

The Tacaamol project will convert more than 3 million tonnes a year (t/y) of naphtha supplied by a pipeline from Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company’s (Takreer) refinery in Ruwais, east of the project’s site in Al-Gharbia.

The feed phase will be overseen by US-based engineering group Foster Wheeler, which won the project management consultancy (PMC) contract from Chemaweyaat in May.

The PMC contract also includes an option for Foster Wheeler to provide the same services for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) stage of the contract, which is expected to be tendered in 2014.

Chemaweyaat plans to convert the naphtha to produce paraxylene, mixed xylenes and benzene. The scope of the project also covers supporting infrastructure, including an export tank farm, jetty and loading berths.

The Tacaamol project, which was initially expected to be completed in 2014, has hit several hurdles since its conception over four years ago. The aromatics complex was planned as part of a larger $11bn complex including polyolefins, polystyrene, polycarbonate plants and several other plants.

Chemaweyaat is a joint venture between the UAE’s International Petroleum Investment Company (Ipic), Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Abu Dhabi Investment Council (Adic).