Emerson Process Management has been selected to provide automation and reliability technologies and services for Carbon Holdings’ Tahrir Petrochemicals Project at Ain Sokhna, Egypt
The announcement was made at Emerson’s Middle East headquarters in Dubai where David Farr, CEO of Emerson, met with Basil El-Baz, CEO of Carbon Holdings, for the signing of an MoU.
Under the MoU, Emerson will also make a preferred equity investment in Tahrir Petrochemicals.
Emerson’s initial scope of work is estimated at US$150mn. When completed, the approximately US$6.9bn Tahrir project will be the largest petrochemical plant in Egypt and the largest naphtha cracker plant in the world. It is expected to produce 1.5mn metric tonnes per year of ethylene that will then be further processed into polyethylene. Other major products will include propylene, polypropylene, hexene, butadiene, benzene, and styrene.
As main automation contractor, Emerson, in a statement, said that it will apply best practice technologies and services to help ensure the facility is completed on time and within budget. Engineering services include designing the plant for optimum availability and a robust reliability programme that includes consulting services, equipment health monitoring, and a reliability service centre for ongoing local support and expertise.
El-Baz said, “We chose Emerson for its proven ability to deliver a successful automation project that results in an efficient, high-availability operation.”
Farr added, “We are excited to help Carbon Holdings realise its vision of creating a world-class petrochemical complex that can be a catalyst for economic development in Egypt.”
Designed to serve both local and export markets, the Tahrir Petrochemicals complex will be constructed in Egypt’s Suez Special Economic Development Zone with raw materials received and products shipped from the Gulf of Suez. Financing for the mega-project is expected to come from the export credit agencies of the USA, South Korea, Italy and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, as well as direct investors.
