National Petrochemical Co (NPC) and its future joint venture partners in a 300,000 tonne/year low density polyethylene (ldPE) plant awarded a contract to the German contractor Lurgi and Iranian firm Sazeh to build the plant in Iran.
The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract covers basic and detailed engineering, equipment supply, construction and technical assistance.
Located in Bandar Imam on the northern coast of the Persian Gulf, southwest of Iran, the ldPE facility will be completed in 29 months time. It will use 'clean tubular reactor' technology from Stamicarbon, a subsidiary of Dutch chemicals producer DSM.
The plant is part of NPC's No 7 olefins project, which is being implemented and will be operated by the NPC subsidiary Marun Petrochemical Co.




NPC subsidiary Petrochemical Industries Development Management Co. (PIDMCO) is expected to start negotiations shortly with bidders for Razi Petrochemical Co.'s third ammonia plant.
NPC is expected to select an EP contractor for RPC's ammonia facility by mid March 2002. Short listed bidders have offered their proposals to PIDMCO.
An NPC subsidiary, RPC is located in southwest of Iran near the northern coast of the Persian Gulf. The project will have a capacity of 2050 tonne/day (676,500-t/y).




NPC has extended the deadlines for submission of bids for its PVC and soda ash projects. Bidding deadline for soda ash project has been extended to end of January 2002. The 80,000 tonne/year project will be located next-door to the Shiraz Petrochemical Complex in the southern Shiraz province.
The deadline for a world-scale PVC facility has been extended to early February 2002. The project will be built in Bandar Imam.


NPC will construct a large port complex in Assaluyeh, south of Iran to export output from its projects already under construction in the area. The port will have an annual throughput of 25- 27 million tonnes including 3.9 million tonnes of polymers, 2.1 million tonnes of aromatics, 3.15 million tonnes of methanol, 4.2 million tonnes of LPG, 5.4 million tonnes of heavy ends, 4 million tonnes of ammonia/urea and 4 million tonnes of by-products.



Ships of 65000 tonnes (DWT) can be berthed at the port facility.With its 13 jetties and long wharves,the port can receive and accommodate several vessels simultaneously throughout they year. The port's basic design has been completed. NPC is expected to award the construction contract before the end of 2001.