Aramco extends desulphurisation scheme deadline

Saudi Aramco has allowed more time for bidders to submit proposals for a major desulphurisation programme to modify sulphur recovery units (SRUs) at key gas processing plants in the kingdom. Aramco expects third-party investments of up to $2bn in the desulphurisation programme, which entails building a large downstream tail-gas treatment (TGT) facility to collect and process tail gas discharged from SRUs at identified gas plants, MEED reported in December 2021. According to industry sources, the facility is to be developed on a build, own and operate (BOO) or build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis. This will make it one of Aramco’s initial public-private partnership (PPP) exercises, if not the first, in its main oil and gas business. Aramco issued the main tender for the TGT facility in May last year, MEED previously reported. The Saudi energy giant has now extended the proposal submission deadline for bidders until 31 March. Among those understood to be bidding for the scheme are:

·?????Vision Invest (Saudi Arabia) / Mitsui & Co (Japan) / JGC Corporation (Japan)

·?????Lamar Holding (Saudi Arabia) / Hyundai E&C (South Korea) / Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation (South Korea)/ Enerflex (Canada)

Aramco expects the common TGT facility to be operational by 2027.