Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara), a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and The Dow Chemical Company, has announced the commissioning of the last of its 26 plants – an isocyanates section currently producing crude quantities of toluene di isocyanate (TDI) and other specialty chemicals. A press release issued by Sadara said that the milestone was celebrated at a function in Jubail on Monday in the presence of Khalid A. Al-Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources and Saudi Aramco Chairman; Andrew Liveris, Dow Chairman and CEO; and Ahmad Saadi, Chairman of Sadara and Saudi Aramco Senior Vice President of Technical Services at the Sadara complex in Jubail Industrial City II. A first for the Gulf region, the TDI section is mainly used in the production of flexible polyurethane foam for furniture, mattresses, cushioning and car seats. TDI also has a variety of industrial uses, such as coatings, adhesives, sealants, specialty foams and other products. The isocyanates envelope also includes an unprecedented integrated facility producing PMDI or polymeric methylene di phenyl di isocyanate. The PMDI Plant began producing commercial quantities in early June. Additionally, Sadara is producing another important polyurethane precursor – polyether polyols. The company's Polyols Plant came on-stream in late July. The press release said, "The world's largest integrated chemicals complex ever built in a single phase, and established by the largest foreign direct investment in the Saudi petrochemicals industry, Sadara has been bringing its chemical plants on-stream in a carefully planned sequence and will produce more than three million tons of high-value performance plastics and specialty chemical products annually. Sadara's mixed feed cracker, the heart of Sadara's operations, started up in August 2016, cracking ethane gas and naphtha liquid feedstock to produce chemicals for the site's other facilities. Sadara's four polyethylene production units came on-line between late 2015 and early 2017." Al-Falih has been quoted in the press release as saying, "Sadara's commissioning positions the company to fully deliver its promise as a major catalyst for Saudi Arabia's economic future – a promise that will be felt in human terms. "Sadara's slate of high-value chemicals, including many firsts for the Kingdom and the region, will create the quality performance, value-added and plastics products that support a higher living standard around the world, especially in the emerging Asia Pacific and Middle Eastern markets that will drive two-thirds of global petrochemical demand over the next decade. "In addition to transforming the Kingdom from a consumer and importer to a global exporter, Sadara will create new value chains and technologies that will attract foreign and domestic investment, spurring new sectors and entrepreneurial business, and creating thousands of manufacturing jobs for Saudis. In this way, Sadara is perfectly aligned with the Kingdom's national transformation goals as expressed in Vision 2030. By driving non-oil sector growth, innovation and better-life opportunities, Sadara will deliver progress and prosperity now, and for generations to come." Strategically located to benefit from competitive feedstocks, Sadara will serve the needs of Dow customers across the Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East, Africa and Central and Eastern Europe.
