Qatar started the construction of a petrochemical complex that is set to drive the Gulf country’s annual petrochemical production capacity to about 14 million tonnes by the end of 2026, QatarEnergy said Monday.
In his address at the launch ceremony, Qatari Energy Minister and CEO of state-owned QatarEnergy, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, said the $6 billion Ras Laffan Petrochemical Complex at a site located 80 kilometers north of Doha in Qatar is the largest investment in the history of QatarEnergy in the country’s petrochemicals sector.
“There is no doubt that this is an important landmark in QatarEnergy’s downstream expansion strategy, as it will reinforce our integrated position as a global energy player and generate significant economic benefits for the country,” Al-Kaabi said.
Qatar's ethylene production capacity will expand by more than 40% thanks to the complex, which has an ethylene cracker with a 2.1 million tonnes annual capacity—the largest in the Middle East and among the biggest in the world.
The complex also includes two polyethylene trains with a combined annual output of 1.7 million tonnes of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) polymer products, raising Qatar’s overall production by about 50%, the statement said.
By Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
energ@aa.com.tr