Saudi International Petrochemicals Company (Sipchem) has started production at two out of three new chemicals plants at its Jubail Industrial City production complex.

Sipchem started up its 345,000 tonne a year (t/y) carbon monoxide plant and its 450,000 t/y acetic acid plant on 5 June, the company said in a statement.

A third 33,000 t/y vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant will start production in July, Sipchem says.

The US’ Fluor Corporation built the acetic acid and VAM units under contracts awarded in 2005, while a joint venture of Germany’s Lurgi and France’s Air Liquide built the carbon monoxide plant. The US’ Eastman Chemical and DuPont provided the technology for the acetic acid and VAM production units respectively.