Project Management and Development Company Ltd. (PMD) has selected Basell technologies for two new polypropylene plants and a new low density polyethylene plant that will be built in Saudi Arabia.

The two Spheripol process polypropylene plants will have a combined annual capacity of 640 KT, and the Lupotech T process LDPE plant will have an annual capacity of 270 KT. The three new plants will be part of a new petrochemical complex in the industrial city of Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Start-up is scheduled for late 2008.

“Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest growing and most important petrochemical centres in the world,” said Just Jansz, president of Basell’s Technology Business. “Within the last year, Basell has granted nine licenses with a combined annual capacity of 3.2 million tonnes in Saudi Arabia alone.”

Jansz added, “The capacity expansions in Saudi Arabia are part of an unprecedented growth in polyolefins worldwide. Basell has already licensed more than 3.3 million tonnes in 2005.  This follows a record setting year in 2004 when we sold licenses totalling more than 4 million tonnes of new capacity.”

Basell’s complete portfolio of licensed technologies is comprised of:

• Spheripol – polypropylene technology for the production of homopolymer, random and heterophasic copolymers.
• Spherizone – latest generation polypropylene technology based on new multi-zone reactor technology.
• Spherilene – swing gas phase process for the production of LLDPE and HDPE.
• Hostalen - low-pressure slurry process for the production of bi-modal HDPE.
• Lupotech G – fluidised bed gas phase process for the production of HDPE and MDPE.
• Lupotech T – high pressure tubular reactor process for the production of LDPE and EVA copolymers.

Basell also produces and commercialises advanced catalyst systems which are sold under the Avant trade name.

Basell is the world's largest producer of polypropylene and advanced polyolefin products, a leading supplier of polyethylene and catalysts, and a global leader in the development and licensing of polypropylene and polyethylene processes. Basell, together with its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities around the world and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.

For more information contact Michelle Harrell, Basell Corporate Communications, at
+1 410 996 1366, +1 302 438 6574 or michelle.harrell@basell.com