Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer) has issued tenders for the construction of a carbon black plant in Ruwais.

The project is part of Takreer’s downstream expansion at its refinery in Ruwais. The scope of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) tender includes an integrated coker unit and a hydrogen processing facility.

Bidders collected the invitation to bid (ITB) on 11 June. Technical bids are due to be submitted on 6 October and the deadline for commercial bids is 5 December.

A total of 14 EPC contractors are prequalified for the tender. The list includes GS Engineering, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Samsung from South Korea, and Italy’s Saipem.

The front-end engineering and design (feed) work was undertaken by Australia’s WorleyParsons. The US’ Bechtel has been tasked with the management of the project.

Carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum products such as fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) tar, coal tar, ethylene cracking tar, and a small amount from vegetable oil. A coker unit takes heavy oil by-products from a main refining unit and breaks them down into lighter, more saleable products, while producing coke which can be used in the manufacture of metals and plastics.