This project encompasses the development of three key plants for ethylene dichloride, chlor alkali, and polyvinyl chloride production, attracting global industry players.
Technical bids have been submitted by major international contractors for Project Salt, a crucial chemicals plant cluster within Abu Dhabi's Taziz Industrial Chemicals Zone, marking a significant step forward in the UAE's industrial expansion strategy.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has received technical bids from a consortium of leading international contractors for the ambitious Project Salt, situated in the burgeoning Taziz Industrial Chemicals Zone in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi. The project, a cornerstone of Taziz's initial development phase, involves the construction of three interconnected chemicals plants designed to produce ethylene dichloride (EDC), chlor alkali, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Media reports confirmed that contractors met Adnoc's 15 July deadline for technical bid submissions for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) works. Among the notable entities understood to be vying for the project are China National Chemical Engineering Company / China Chengda Engineering Company / China Tianchen Engineering Corporation, India's Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon, and South Korea's Samsung E&A. This competitive bidding underscores the project's strategic importance and the global interest in the UAE's expanding petrochemicals sector.
Project Salt has seen some shifts in its investor lineup since its initial announcement in December 2021. While India's Reliance Industries was originally slated as the main investor, France-based Kem One has since stepped in to replace them, a development previously reported by MEED.
The groundwork for these plants was laid last year with the award of front-end engineering and design (FEED) contracts. Germany's Thyssenkrupp Uhde secured the FEED contracts for the EDC and chlor alkali plants, while France's Technip Energies was awarded the FEED contract for the PVC facility. The planned EDC plant, with a capacity of up to 1.2 million tonnes a year (t/y), will utilize chlorine from the associated chlor alkali plant. A portion of this EDC output will then feed the PVC plant, which is designed for a production capacity of 350,000 t/y. Surplus EDC and caustic soda from the chlor alkali plant are earmarked for export, highlighting the project's contribution to regional and international markets.
The Taziz Industrial Chemicals Zone itself is a hub of significant investment, aligning with the UAE's Operation 300bn strategy, which aims to boost the industrial sector's contribution to national GDP to AED300 billion ($81.7 billion) by 2031. Since 2021, Taziz, a 60:40 joint venture between Adnoc and ADQ, has attracted substantial foreign and domestic investments across seven planned petrochemicals derivatives projects. These include maleic anhydride, methanol, blue ammonia, isopropyl alcohol, and elastomers, with UK-headquartered Wood Group having performed the FEED works for these diverse ventures.
