The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and its partner Cepsa plan to develop the Linear Alkylbenzene (LAB) plant in the Ruwais Derivatives Park, ADNOC announced on December 18.

The plant will produce 225,000 metric tons per annum (MTPA) of normal paraffins and 150,000 MTPA of LAB when it comes on stream.

LAB is the most common raw material in the manufacture of biodegradable household and industrial detergents and its market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5% between 2016 and 2030, according to research conducted by Colin A. Houston & Associates.

The Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract has been awarded to Técnicas Reunidas SA (TR), a Spanish engineering company.

“The LAB plant will be a key component of ADNOC’s plans to develop a new, large-scale, manufacturing ecosystem in Ruwais through the creation of the Ruwais Derivatives Park,” Abdulla Al Messabi, ADNOC Refining and Petrochemicals Business Unit Manager, said.

“This award supports our strategy to deliver value-added services in projects involving technologies in line with TR know-how and experience,” Miguel Paradinas, Deputy CEO of Técnicas Reunidas, said.

Cepsa is wholly owned by Emirati investment company Mubadala, which will operate the project jointly with ADNOC.