Wiesbaden, July 8, 2005 - On July 3, the Iranian company Bakhtar Petrochemical commissioned an international consortium, under the leadership of Linde, to construct two large ethylene plants on the Persian Gulf. The state-owned Iranian National Petrochemical Company (NPC) holds a stake in Bakhtar Petrochemical. The total order volume amounts to around 1 billion Euro, of which 400 million Euro is apportioned to Linde as the licensor of the manufacturing process. Specialists from Linde Engineering are also responsible for basic engineering and the procurement of key components. Other members of the consortium include South Korea's Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company and the Iranian company Sazeh. The deal provides for a local content of 51 percent of the order value.
The two identical plants, each with a capacity of 1.2 million tons of ethylene per year, are being developed in the rapidly expanding industrial area of Bandar Assaluyeh in western Iran. The plants are scheduled to be in operation in close succession in approximately 4 years. "This project is the largest of its kind in the region", said Dr. Aldo Belloni, member of the Linde AG Executive Board and responsible for the business segment Linde Gas and Engineering. "It has enabled Linde to strengthen its market position within the area of olefin facilities in this key region."
Linde is an international technology group, which occupies leading market positions in each of its two business segments Gas and Engineering and Material Handling. With some 41,500 employees worldwide, Linde achieved an annual turnover of around 9 billion Euro in the 2004 fiscal year.]