Kuwait’s Clean Fuels project is 85 per cent complete and will be finished by the end of the year according to Bader al-Refai, an official from the country’s Supreme Council for Planning and Development.

Speaking at a site visit Al-Refai said the project was worth $15bn.

The Clean Fuels Project will upgrade and expand Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries and the three main packages were awarded during 2014.

The packages were awarded to the following companies:

Mina Abdullah (Package One)

Petrofac / Samsung Engineering / Chicago Bridge & Iron JV

$3.7bn

Mina Abdullah (Package Two)

Fluor Corporation / Hyundai Heavy Industries / Daewoo E&C JV

$3.4bn

Mina Al Ahmadi (Package Three)

JGC Corporation / GS E&C / SK E&C JV

$4.7bn

State-owned downstream operator Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) is the client for the project.

The Clean Fuels Project was first announced in 2007 and in February 2008 KNPC awarded technology contracts for the scheme to several international firms, including US engineering and technical services company Chevron Lummus. Orders for 37 reactors and vessels were placed, but the project stalled in 2009.

Kuwait’s Supreme Petroleum Council reviewed the project in 2010 and the plans were finally approved in June 2011.

In December last year the Italian export credit agency Sace guaranteed a $625m loan issued by a pool of international banks, led by BBVA Milan Branch to help fund the project.