Japanese firm to do feasibility study for petrochemical plant in KSA

JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation announced that it will conduct the feasibility study of a new Ethylidene Norbornene (ENB) plant, to be built in Jubail, on Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast, as part of the petrochemical Amiral complex, announced by Saudi Aramco and Total in October 2018.

ENB is an important component in the manufacture of Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM), an advanced heat and weather resistant synthetic rubber used primarily in the automotive and construction industries. Demand for ENB has been increasing strongly alongside the growth in the automotive production sector.

JXTG Group is the world’s leading ENB producer with one production line in Japan and two production lines in the USA. JXTG Group has developed the ENB business since 1979 and has grown its production to an overall capacity of 68,000 tons per year in April 2020.

JXTG Group will commence the feasibility study for the new ENB plant project in Saudi Arabia, which would make the Kingdom a third production site along with Japan and the USA. The location in Saudi Arabia, downstream of the world scale mixed feed cracker of the Amiral petrochemical complex which is being jointly developed by Saudi Aramco and Total will ensure the future ENB plant of the reliable supply of raw materials and energy. With ENB demand expected to be firm and increasing in the mid and long term, this project will contribute to the stable ENB supply chain of the JXTG Group, not only to existing customers, but also to future customers around the world.