French engineering contractor Technip has been awarded a contract by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) to modernize the Azerikimya complex. The value of the contract was not disclosed.

Technip will carry out engineering, procurement and construction services for the plant, which is located in Sumgait, Azerbaijan. Work includes modernizing the EP-300 steam cracker by building new furnaces licensed from Technip, installing a new refinery dry gas treatment unit and building new ethylene/propylene storage and related utilities and off-sites facilities. The project also includes upgrading instrumentation and installing a new control system.

The contractor’s operation in Rome, Italy, will execute the project, which is scheduled to be completed during the first half of 2019. Marco Villa, president of Technip’s Onshore-Offshore business in Europe, Russia, Middle East, India, Africa and Latin America, said the award reinforces Technip’s presence in Azerbaijan, which is a strategic market, and allows it to consolidate and enhance its relationship with SOCAR.

SOCAR Polymer is currently building high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) plants at Sumgait. The 120,000 t/y HDPE plant, based on Ineos technology, is scheduled to be completed in 2018. The 180,000 t/y PP plant, which is licensing technology from LyondellBasell, is expected to start operation in 2017.

Tecnimont and Kinetics Technology are performing engineering, procurement and construction for both plants while US-based Fluor is the project management consultant.