The scope of works on the $400m engineering, procurement and construction contract was altered after prices submitted earlier in the year came in too high above budget.

Four South Korean contractors are bidding for the work. They are Daelim Industrial Company, GS Engineering & Construction, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company, and Samsung Engineering Company (MEED 28:4:08).

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 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 EDC facility. Ethylene feedstock will be supplied from the Saudi Ethylene & Polyethylene Company cracker.

The EDC produced 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).

The client is a joint venture of Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) and the local Sahara Petrochemical Company.