Iran extends Marjan methanol plant deadline

19 August 2010

Bidders now have to 23 September

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

Originally set for 1 August, the company announced the new deadline at the end of July, following requests for extensions due to the company’s delays in sending information to bidders, sources close to the scheme tell MEED.

Marjan is planning to build a 1.6 million tonne a year (t/y) methanol plant at the Assaluyeh Pars Special Economic Zone. Commissioning is scheduled for 2013 and the plant’s output earmarked for export markets, mainly in Asia. Iran plans to become the world’s biggest methanol exporter by 2013, producing 14.7 million t/y. Iran produced 29.7 million tonnes and exported $7.1 billion worth of petrochemicals products in the year ending March 2009.

Marjan and another private sector petrochemicals producer Kimiaye Pars signed two technology deals with Denmark’s Haldor Topsoe in June 2009 for the facility, which will use natural gas as feedstock. The deal involves the licensing of technology, engineering design, catalysts and technical support services (MEED 24:6:10).

Iran privatised Marjan Petrochemicals Company in 2007, although the government maintained a 49 per cent stake. Petrochemicals Industries Investment Company (PIIC) has a 17 per cent stake in the company.

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