Four South Korean contractors are understood to be preparing offers for the lump-sum engin-eering, procurement and construction contract, which is worth $400m. They are Daelim Engineering Company, GS Engineering & Construction, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company and Samsung Engin-eering Company.

The complex will have two main process units: a caustic chlorine plant and an EDC facility.

The former will be fed with 370,000 tonnes a year (t/y) of salt feedstock, procured locally, to produce 250,000 t/y of caustic soda, which Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) will use for the etching process at its planned aluminium smelter at Ras al-Zour.

The chlorine will be used as feedstock for the 300,000-t/y ethylene dichloride facility. Ethylene feedstock will be supplied from the Saudi Ethylene & Polyethylene Company cracker.

The ethylene dichloride prod-uced will be sold for export. Additional ethylene amine produced will be sold locally. Mechanical completion is set for the second quarter of 2010 (MEED 6:7:07).

Arabian Chlor Vinyl Company is a 50:50 joint venture of Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) and the local Sahara Petrochemical Company (MEED 5:10:07).