Uhde will use MDPE technology provided by Europe's Basellfor the 300,000-tonne-a-year (t/y) plant. The German firm won the contract against competition from Italy's Tecnimontand South Korea's Daelim Engineers & Construction Company.

Uhde will carry out the main engineering portion and international procurement, while Sazeh will be responsible for detailed engineering, local procurement and construction. Financing for the project has yet to be arranged.

The olefins 9 complex, located in the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone near Bandar Assaluyeh, will also house a 300,000-t/y low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit and a 1 million-t/y ethane cracker, both of which are being built by Paris-based Technip-Coflexipin partnership with the local Nargan Consulting Engineers.

In addition to providing feedstock for the complex's PE units, the cracker will feed 220,000 t/y of ethylene to a styrene monomer plant, being built by the UK office of Italy's Snamprogettiin partnership with the local Sazeh Consultants. The remaining ethylene is earmarked for export (MEED 28:12:01; 31:1:03).

NPC and South Africa's Sasolare the joint owners of the cracker and PE units, following the signing of a 50:50 joint venture agreement in February.