Sidi Kerir Petrochemicals Company (SIDPEC) has selected Honeywell technology to upgrade the production capabilities of its flagship petrochemical complex in Alexandria, which produces ethylene and polyethylene for the Egyptian market
The upgrade is part of an expansion of the facility to incorporate propylene and polypropylene production and increase the supply of petrochemical products to domestic and international customers. The decision was steered by Mohamed Ibrahim, chairman at SIDPEC.
Honeywell has replaced SIDPEC’s legacy Honeywell TotalPlant Solution (TPS) production system with the latest version of its Experion Process Knowledge System solution at SIDPEC’s complex in Alexandria. The upgrade was achieved in just 10 days, allowing SIDPEC to get back to production as quickly as possible. The process automation improvements will support collective production at the site once the expansion is completed.
“We selected Honeywell for this important upgrade because of the reliability and performance of our previous Honeywell TPS system in Ethylene and Polyethylene, and our success with other Honeywell technologies at the site,” said Mohamed Zayan, utility project manager, SIDPEC. “Honeywell’s ability to upgrade the production system in such a short timeframe minimized disruption to our operations. Honeywell is a critical partner in our effort to expand the supply of vital petrochemical products to customers in Egypt and beyond.”
Honeywell works with some of Egypt’s major government and private sector entities in the fields of oil and gas, refining and petrochemicals, defence, aviation, infrastructure development, smart cities, security and fire safety.
“SIDPEC is taking a lead in the future of the petrochemicals of Egypt as the government seeks to boost the commercial and competitive success of domestic customers with a wider range of petrochemical products,” said Mansour Belhadj, vice-president of sales, Honeywell Process Solutions.
Petrochemical products such as polypropylene are used for a variety of applications, including textiles, consumer product packaging, and plastic parts for a wide range of industries. According to IHS Markit, Egypt is the top consumer of polypropylene in Africa, consuming about 4.4 kg of polypropylene per capita. Rapid population growth and urbanisation will see this number grow by five percent annually through 2022.
