Alexandria National Refining and Petrochemicals Company (ANRPC) is starting the pilot operation of its refining project and will start production next month, Egypt Oil & Gas reports.

The project will double the company’s production of 92-octane benzene and 95-octane benzene, increasing the company participation of the national consumption from 10% to 21.5%.

The refinery will produce around 850,000 tons of 92-octane benzene and 95-octane benzene annually. Capital investments of $233 million have been invested in the refinery, which will also produce 38,000 tons of butane beside producing hydrogen.

ANRPC is planning to establish three more refining units along with an industrial wastewater treatment and recycling unit, with a daily production capacity of 1200 cubic meters. The recycled water will be used in ANRPC’s production units, saving around EGP 25 million.

Oil minister Tarek El Molla, who attended the project’s inauguration, commented on the project’s importance to the government’s $8 billion plan to expand the country’s refineries.