National Petrochemical Industrial Company (NATPET) and Basell have signed a license agreement for a new 400 KT polypropylene plant based on Basell’s Spheripol process.

NATPET, a joint stock company owned by Alujain Corporation, Xenel Industries Limited and other private investors, will utilise the latest generation Spheripol technology at the new plant, which will be located in Yanbu Industrial City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The start up of the plant is scheduled for the first quarter 2007, and Tecnimont S.p.A. of Italy has been selected by NATPET as the engineering contractor.

The Spheripol process is the most widely used technology in the world for the production of polypropylene, with more than 90 licensed lines – with a total capacity of more than 16 million tonnes – in operation.
 
In addition to developing and licensing a full range of polyolefin processes, Basell is the largest producer of polypropylene and advanced polyolefins products and a leading supplier of polyethylene and catalysts. Basell, including its joint ventures, has sales in more than 120 countries. The Basell corporate centre is in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, and the company has regional offices in Brussels, Belgium; Mainz, Germany; Elkton, Maryland, USA; Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Hong Kong. The company’s Internet address is www.basell.com.

For additional information contact Basell’s Licensing organisation at licensing@basell.com, or Michelle Talmo of Basell Corporate Communications Department at +1 302 438 6574, +1 410 996 1366 or michelle.talmo@basell.com.