PE updates: S-Oil to use Unipol PE process for South Korean plant; Borouge secures US$30 mn contracts for PE materials in Middle East, Africa

South Korea’s S-Oil Corporation has selected Univation's Unipol PE Technology for three world-scale production lines to be located at S-Oil's site at Ulsan. Each line is designed to achieve a nameplate capacity of 400,000 tonnes/year for a combined PE production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes/year.

The design basis for these three lines enables S-Oil to access the full-density flexibility of the Unipol PE Process platform. This flexibility enables S-Oil with production capabilities to satisfy a wide range of demand for essential HDPE and LLDPE applications for both domestic consumption as well as global export market needs. S-Oil has further elected to access Univation's advanced product portfolio covering both HDPE and LLDPE applications.
S-Oil will also use Univation's Premier APC+ 3.0 platform which delivers advance process control capabilities further enhancing the overall operating performance of all three Unipol PE Process lines.

Univation developed the APC+ 3.0 platform specifically for the Unipol PE process to enable superior operational control that allows the optimising of raw material utilisation, maximisation of production rates, and provides for seamless product grade transitions.

Additionally, S-Oil has elected to utilise the Unipol PE Process Virtual Plant Simulator (UVPS) software. The UVPS training platform is designed to deliver realistic operation training experiences allowing S-Oil to train its entire staff on all essential unit operations related to the process including both routine and non-routine operating conditions.

Meanwhile in other news, Abu Dhabi-headquartered materials firm Borouge supplied PE materials worth around US$30 million that are being used in several development projects across the Middle East and Africa regions. The materials were used for pipelines for projects across Egypt, Oman and Tanzania.​

The pipes used in these projects were made from various grades of Borouge BorSafe PE100 materials, enabled by advanced Borstar technology, which is said to significantly contribute to lowering installation costs, operational costs and maintenance costs for customers and end-users, compared to other materials. Furthermore, Borouge materials also contribute to reducing carbon emissions generated during the manufacturing process of the pipes and their operational lifespan.

Pipes made of BorSafe material can also be recycled at the end of their lifecycle.

Some of the major ongoing projects which selected Borouge’s materials include:

1) Al Mudhaibi Water Supply Project, (Oman)

Borouge provided its PE infrastructure solutions to construct a water distribution network with a length of 820 km in the Wilayat of Al Mudhaibi in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate in Oman. The Oman Water and Wastewater Services Company (OWWSC) selected Borouge’s materials to make HDPE pipes that conform to the latest local and international specifications and contribute to preserving the environment. Borouge supplied this project in 2022 and will continue providing it with materials throughout 2023 when it’s expected to be completed.

2) Toshka Project, (Egypt)

Borouge supplied various grades of its innovative and differentiated PE solutions to make pipes between 200 mm–1,400 mm in diameter for the first and second phases of the ongoing Toshka project in southern Egypt that aims to make the country less dependent on food imports. The contractor selected Borouge’s materials due to their superior properties that enable production of reliable large and thick-walled pipelines. Borouge will keep supplying this project throughout 2023.

3) Dar Es Salaam Water and Sewage Project, (Tanzania)

Borouge’s PE materials were also supplied in 2022 to Dar Es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority in Tanzania for the ongoing Kigamboni water project which will supply 70 million l of water a day to Dar Es Salaam serving over 250,000 residents. Borouge will continue supplying this project in 2023.

The company reported an 8% increase in full-year revenues to US$6.72 billion in 2022 compared to US$6.22 billion from a year driven by higher sales volumes. Its total sales volume surged by about 15 per cent as it increased production from its fifth polypropylene unit (PP5), which raised the company’s production capacity by 500,000 tonnes/year.

Borouge has a presence in 49 countries. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Austria’s Borealis own a 54% and 36% stake in the company, respectively.

(PRA)

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