Saudi Kayan plans to set up a petrochemicals facility in Jubail

Al Khobar: Saudi Kayan Petrochemicals plans to bring the first unit online at its Jubail petrochemicals complex in the second half of this year and start other units slowly through 2012. Kayan, a unit of the world's largest petrochemical firm by market value Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), is located at Jubail. The city is home to a petrochemicals hub.

The first unit to start would be the complex's main facility, an ethylene cracker. They started operating the utilities, then the cracker, ethylene plant will start in the second half, after that other plants will start one by one in 2011-2012. There are 16 chemicals plants...it takes a long time.

The project will have an annual production capacity of six million tonnes of petrochemicals including ethylene, propylene and ethylene glycol.

Sabic chairman Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thunayan said that prices of petrochemicals have strengthened and demand continued to grow in Asia.