Iran’s Marjan Petrochemical Company has extended the deadline for engineering firms to submit commercial bids from 23 September for its planned second methanol plant at Assaluyeh in the southwest of the country.

No new deadline has been set, according to sources bidding on the estimated $300-400m deal tell MEED.

Bids were originally due on 1 August, but following requests for extensions by a number of firm this was delayed to 23 September as Marjan Petrochemical Company had been slow to send information to the bidders.

Marjan Petrochemical was privatised in 2007, although the government continues to hold a 49 per cent stake. It plans to build a 1.6 million tonne a year (t/y) methanol plant at the Assaluyeh Pars Special Economic Zone on the Gulf coast.

Commissioning is scheduled for 2013, with the plant’s output bound for export to Asia. The plant will use natural gas as feedstock. The company signed a technology deal with Denmark’s Haldor Topsoe in June last year for the facility.

VenIran Petrochemicals Company (VIPC) a joint venture of Iran and Venezuela has yet to award the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for its planned methanol plant, also at Assaluyeh. Although local engineering and management firm, Namvaran is considered the front runner to win the contract, negotiations with the joint venture continue (MEED 10:9:10).