Saudi Aramco has signed a joint venture agreement with Dow Chemical for an integrated chemicals complex, named Sadara Chemical Company, in Jubail Industrial City, it has been announced.
The joint venture is another major step forward for Sadara, which will comprise 26 manufacturing units, several of which constitute mega projects in themselves.
Once complete, the JV complex will be one of the world's largest integrated chemical facilities and the largest-ever built in one single phase, a statement released following signing of the agreement said.
Saudi Aramco and Dow announced their respective board authorisations for formation of the JV on July 25, 2011.
The first production units are expected to come onstream in the second half of 2015. All units are expected to be up and running in 2016.
Just over 100 kilometres from where the agreement was signed, bulldozers, graders and rollers are proceeding with site preparations for the world-scale, mixed feed cracker, which will be integrated with Saudi Aramco's extensive hydrocarbon infrastructure.
