A “mega” petrochemicals complex to be built at Skikda to replace an outdated facility will have total production capacity of 3mn tons/year, Algerian Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi says. Visiting Skikda on 2 February, he told reporters the plant will produce “petrochemical products such as plastics and rubber” and that construction will begin “by early 2015.”
Mr Yousfi says the plant will be “one of the biggest projects in Algeria, with an investment of $5-10bn.” Sonatrach’s ENIP petrochemicals subsidiary until recently operated a complex at Skikda comprising a 120,000 t/y ethylene plant, a 48,000 t/y low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit and a 130,000 t/y high-density polyethylene (HDPE) unit. This has been “closed due to lack of profitability.” (CONTINUED - 291 WORDS)
