Egypt’s state petrochemicals firm Echem is progressing two big projects central to the state firm’s 2020-35 expansion plan. Meeting Egyptian petroleum minister Tarek El Molla on 14 September, Echem chairman Saad Helal said the firm is “finalizing the procedures” for a planned refining and petchems project at El Alamein having signed a studies agreement with Norwegian firm PSW.

This El Alamein complex is expected to cost $7.5bn and have capacity to produce 1mn t/y of petchems and 850,000 t/y of petroleum products. (CONTINUED - 175 WORDS)