Egyptian Propylene & Polypropylene Company (EPPC) is in the final stages of evaluating commercial proposals submitted in early July for the contract to build a major propane dehydrogenation (PDH) and polypropylene (PP) complex near Port Said (MEED 22:7:05).

Only two companies remain in the race for the contract - Japan's Toyo Engineering Corporationand Germany's Uhde- after Linde, also of Germany, pulled out due to a heavy workload after winning large-scale jobs in Saudi Arabia and Iran (MEED 15:7:05). Among the issues being discussed are the project's financing arrangements and whether to carry the scheme out on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) or cost-reimbursable basis.

EPPC, a 50:50 joint venture between the local Oriental Petrochemicals Company (OPC)and the state-owned Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM), is also in the final stages of finalising an agreement for propane gas feedstock from Union Gas Derivative Company (UGDC).

The estimated $400 million plant will comprise a 400,000-tonne-a-year PDH unit, which will feed a PP plant of the same capacity.