Bids were submitted in three stages for the estimated $900 million-1,100 million contract, covering the process technology sub-package, detailed list of equipment and material take-off. Commercial bids are due to be submitted in late September (MEED 2:6:06).

The bidders are: Germany's Linde; US-based ABB Lummus Global with Italy's Snamprogetti; and the US-based Shaw Group with the local Al-Jaber Energy Services. Borouge has tendered the package on an open-book basis, which will be converted to lump-sum eight-10 months into the project's execution. The basic and detailedengineering and parts of the material takeoff, however, will be carried out on a fixed lump-sum basis.

Expressions of interest for prequalification are due to be submitted by late June for four civils packages. They are:Early works, which covers site preparation, roads and junctions, fencing, earthmoving, gates, access control system and turnstiles and the installation of temporary utilities;Marine works, which calls for an extension of the existing quay walls and gantry crane rails, navigation channel, and water intake pipes;New office, which entails the construction of a technical office;Laboratory package, which involves the construction of a 2,500-square-metre facility.

The Borouge expansion involves the construction of a1.4 million-tonne-a-year (t/y) ethane cracker and will also entail the construction of one 540,000-t/y polyethylene (PE) unit, two 400,000-t/y polypropylene (PP) units and a 752,000-t/y olefins conversion unit (OCU).

ABB is carrying out the front-end engineering and design (FEED) and technology contract for the OCU unit. US-based Fluor Corporation is undertaking the FEED contract for the PP and PE units. The US' Foster Wheeler is project management consultant. On completion in 2010, the expansion will triple Borouge's PP and PE capacity to 2 million t/y.

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