Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company (Saudi Kayan) has awarded the US’ Jacobs Engineering the front-end engineering and design (feed) contract for an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene plant at Jubail in Saudi Arabia.

The deal will also see Jacobs develop a process design package (PDP) for the scheme, which will have a capacity of 35,000 tonnes a year when completed. The feed and PCP will be carried out at the company’s Al-Khobar and UK offices.

The specialised polyethylene is used in several industrial applications, which include fibres and batteries. The plant will source ethylene from the adjacent Saudi Kayan’s olefins plant.

Saudi Kayan is an affiliate of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic).