Eatco's scheme will entail using natural gas to make methanol, which will then be processed, using methanol-to-olefins (MTO) technology, into ethylene and propylene. The end-products will be 300,000 tonnes a year (t/y) of polyethylene and 200,000 t/y of polypropylene (MEED 7:6:02). 'This GTP project, with its strong international group, is an example of how partnership with the private sector can assist the Egyptian government in its drive to utilise its expanding gas resources, through the value-adding petrochemical industry,' said Eatco chairman Yehya el-Komi.

See this week's edition of MEED for details.