Tarek Al Malla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, examined the performance level of Alexandria's petrochemical projects as they are significant to the ministry's strategic objectives. Petrochemical projects achieve the highest percentage of added values and are considered as an industrial cornerstone of small and medium-sized projects.
Al-Malla was accompanied by Eng. Mohamed Taher, First Undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Eng. Mohamed Saffan, Head of Egyptian Petrochemical Holding, and Eng. Mohamed Al-Shemy, Head of Petrojet.
Al-Malla started his visit with examining the newest petrochemical projects of Ethylene and its derivatives production which seize investments worth $1.93bn. The factory of Ethylene and its derivatives production produces 460 thousand tons annually whereas polyethylene factory produces 400 thousand tons annually.
Al-Malla and his associates examined the production units of Sidi Kerir Petrochmeicals Co. (Sidpec), Egypt’s prominent petrochemical company. Osama Mahdi, Head of Sidpec, presented the production rates of the company’s Ethylene factory which produces 300 thousand tons annually, divided as 225 thousand tons of polyethylene, 10 thousand tons of Biotin and 50 thousand tons of liquefied petroleum gas.
Mahdi added that polyethylene is used in plastic manufacturing; 62 per cent of polyethylene is sold to the local market and 38 per cent is exported. It is worthy of note that the EU market is the main exporter of the company’s polyethylene.
New projects are being implemented in Sidpec, among them are: a new project of ethylene production in Port Said and a carbon dioxide retrieval unit.