Skip to content

Bechtel’s Impact Report

Bechtel Selected to Deliver Major Petrochemicals Project in Egypt

  • 18 April 2017
    HOUSTON, Texas
  • Africa, Chemicals, Energy, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Press Release

Award Builds on Company's Extensive Experience in the Middle East

Bechtel, a global leader in engineering, procurement, and construction, announced today that the company has been awarded two contracts by Carbon Holdings of Egypt: one to provide project management services for the Tahrir Petrochemicals Complex at Ain Sokhna, Egypt, and one to build two new polypropylene units at an adjacent site. In its project management role, Bechtel will have oversight of project execution and contractor performance on what will be the largest petrochemicals complex in Egypt.

"For decades we have partnered with customers, contractors, and suppliers in Egypt and the region to safely deliver quality industrial facilities. These awards allow us to continue the legacy with the delivery of world-class facilities for Carbon Holdings," said Joe Thompson, general manager of Bechtel's Downstream and Chemicals business. "At the same time, the project will use goods and services from the United States, supporting jobs and creating opportunities for small businesses in the country."

Basil El Baz, the Chairman and CEO of Carbon Holdings, added, "We are very pleased to be working with Bechtel. The selection of a world-class contractor is critical to ensuring the successful delivery of a facility as large and as complicated as Tahrir Petrochemicals."  "Approximately 20,000 Egyptians will be directly employed during the peak construction phase with approximately 3,000 engineers and technicians being employed during the operations phase." 

Bechtel will also design, build and procure all the equipment and materials for the polypropylene production expansion at the complex's existing Oriental Petrochemicals site.

Mr. El-Baz also noted that "This new petrochemical plant will produce the basic materials that shall facilitate the domestic manufacturing of some of the most basic products that are required for the industrialization process. This project shall effectively increase Egypt's overall exports by an estimated 110% - Tahrir Petrochemicals is without a doubt a game changer for the Egyptian economy."

Bechtel has successfully delivered complex petrochemical projects for more than 60 years, including signature projects such as the Borouge Petrochemical Complex in Abu Dhabi, CSPC Nanhai in China, and LP-7 in Canada. The company is currently building an ethylene plant in Texas for ExxonMobil.

About Carbon Holdings of Egypt

Tahrir Petrochemicals Corporation, owned by Carbon Holdings Limited, is the developer of the $10 billion Tahrir Petrochemicals Complex. The project is split across three sites, and comprises a naphtha cracker, expected to be one of the largest in the world, associated derivatives units, and three polyethylene units. Two additional polypropylene units at the existing Oriental Petrochemicals plant, a new port tank farm, and marine facilities will also be built as part of the project.

Key Contact

About Bechtel

Bechtel is a trusted engineering, construction and project management partner to industry and government. Differentiated by the quality of our people and our relentless drive to deliver the most successful outcomes, we align our capabilities to our customers’ objectives to create a lasting positive impact. Since 1898, we have helped customers complete more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents that have created jobs, grown economies, improved the resiliency of the world's infrastructure, increased access to energy, resources, and vital services, and made the world a safer, cleaner place.  

Bechtel serves the Energy; Infrastructure; Manufacturing & Technology; Mining & Metals; and Nuclear, Security & Environmental markets. Our services span from initial planning and investment, through start-up and operations. www.bechtel.com

RSS icon Add the Bechtel News Feed to my RSS reader.