Saudi Aramco this week announced an agreement to form a joint venture with US industrial gases firm Air Products and Saudi private-sector firm Acwa Power to operate an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant at Jazan in the remote southwest of Saudi Arabia.

The announcement confirms that the power plant is expected to start operations in 2019 and thus also confirms that the adjacent 400,000 b/d Jazan refinery, with which it is integrated and which is at the heart of the flagship Jazan Economic City (JEC), is due to begin commercial operation next year. (CONTINUED - 795 WORDS)