New $50 Million Facility Opens At Jebel Ali To Bolster Petrochemical Trade

The global petrochemical market will likely hit $5.4 trillion by 2027. It is expected to be growing at a CAGR of 4.1% in the forecast period. The Middle East’s petrochemical Industry is proliferating.

To boost the regional market, an exceptional regional player for process industry chemicals in the GCC region and part of UAE’s AquaChemie Group, AquaChemie Middle East, has launched its unique Petrochemical Terminal in Dubai at DP World’s Jebel Ali Port.

The advanced $50 million terminal will be one of the most versatile and functional bulk liquid terminals in the GCC region that serves as a critical gateway to boost and facilitate the growing petrochemical trade between end users and manufacturers globally and across the Middle East.

The facility was officially inaugurated in a well-attended opening ceremony by Abdullah Bin Damithan, the chief guest, CEO, and MD of DP World UAE and JAFZA. Many other well-known personalities were also present.

AquaChemie reportedly commissioned Mott MacDonald, the globally renowned management, engineering, and development consultancy, for the new facility’s design, detailed engineering, and project management, with the region’s leading mechanical, instrumentation, electrical, and civil contractors on board for project completion in record time.

The Petrochemical Terminal’s foundation happened on 23 November 2020, with the facility being awarded the Operation Fitness Certificate (OFC), with required regulatory certifications from DP World and Dubai Civil Defense on 18 January.

The facility has been Chemical Distribution Institute — Terminal or CDI-T assessed. It is also ISO 9001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, and ISO 14001:2015 certified. The terminal has also serviced the first vessel transporting chemicals.

The Chemical Terminal reportedly covers 20,000 square meters and is located approximately 500 meters from Chemical Berth 4 in the Jebel Ali Port. The new facility is also connected via five jetty pipelines, introducing it as one of the GCC region’s most versatile and functional bulk liquid terminals.

With a storage volume that exceeds 34,000 cubic meters, 26 huge tanks of tank farms (A, B, C, D) are capable enough to handle more than 100 UN Class 8 and 3 chemicals. The terminal also boasts three tanker truck loading bays for top- and bottom-loading tankers and ISO tanks, five semi-auto drumming lines, a warehouse facility that boasts more than 6,300 drums, an ISO tank storage area, and also a weighbridge at the truck’s entry point.

The terminal is controlled and monitored from a centralized control room. The corporate headquarter of AquaChemie is on the same site as the terminal facility to permit the leadership team to be nearby. The corporate building houses the terminal’s operation control room, sales and support staff offices, dining and recreation areas, board room, and management office.

Speaking on occasion, Subrato Saha, AquaChemie’s MD, said it had taken them more than four years to make the AquaChemie terminal concept a reality. They are incredibly thankful to have met capable collaborators who assisted them in shaping it. The company pledges to its investors, customers, employees, and neighbours that they will conduct business in the most environmentally, safest, and socially responsible way possible for future and current generations.

Petrochemical manufacturers and end users are globally located, indicating that chemicals must constantly move between them. There has been an enormous supply chain gap in packing volumes and the geographic location of a manufacturer and end-user industry for petrochemical items. This new terminal, essentially a break-bulk facility, can fill the supply chain void by being a strategic hub for the trade and distribution of liquid petrochemical.

The petrochemical industry (regional) also benefits from the new terminal as the facility is situated in Jebel Ali Port, a part of a trade network that connects one-third of the world’s locations while offering the benefit of customs clearance besides other trade-specific processes.

With the new facility, the petrochemical sector also can avail of opportunities in the local ecosystem, especially those that involve logistics, transportation, and other service providers. The industry can enjoy the advantage of increased competition and professional players. At the same time, customers can also benefit from enhanced services, cost efficiency, and higher end-user firms’ access to international markets.

References: Trade Arabia, Gulf Today