Amiral, a Major Petrochemical Complex Project in Saudi Arabia

Amiral, a major petrochemical complex project in Saudi Arabia

What is TotalEnergies’s relationship with Saudi Arabia?

Ahmed Tarzi, General Manager Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is one of the most important countries in the world in terms of energy supply. So it’s very important for us to be here in the country. We have developed very strong relationships between TotalEnergies and the local and private actors in Saudi Arabia. We have been partners with Saudi Aramco for almost 20 years now through SATORP, our exceptional project. We have been selected from more than 50 actors and we built this mega-refinery in the Middle East with Saudi Aramco.

What is the Amiral Project in a few words?

Ahmed Tarzi: Amiral, before anything else, is a petrochemical project. Amiral, from that perspective, needs to be seen as SATORP phase 2. When we build the refinery, we are looking at the synergies between the refinery and the petrochemical projects. This is our way of doing business in this kind of sector. In a few figures, Amiral is an investment of $11 billion. We’ll reach more than 25,000 workers at the peak of activity onsite and more than 800 after the start-up of the project. If you want to look at it from a size perspective, it’s more than 800 football fields on the ground.

What is the timeline?

Ahmed Tarzi: This amazing project started in 2018 with the signature of a joint development agreement between Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies. And now we are in the construction phase, with the objective of starting this project by the end of 2027, after a phase of commissioning, of course.

What will this petrochemical complex produce?

Ahmed Tarzi: The petrochemical project Amiral will enable SATORP to convert its refinery off-gas and its naphta with, added on top of that, ethane and natural gasoline from the regulator into high added-value products. And this particular conversion is part of the country’s strategy to convert liquids to chemicals. It works through three main lines. First, a mixed-feed cracker producing 1.65 million tons of ethylene. Second, two polyethylene lines of 500,000 tons each. And third, we’ll have extraction units for aromatics and butadiene for the production of high added-value products to be used on the local market or exported.

How do you execute such mega projects?

Ahmed Tarzi: One of our main strengths is our expertise in mega-projects. In this particular mega-project, one key for success is of course our excellent relationship with Saudi Aramco, to put the right people in the right place to follow project execution. In addition, we have developed a very important multicultural approach to this project. We have more than 25 nationalities working on the project.

Few words to conclude?

Ahmed Tarzi: This project fits with our strategy at TotalEnergies. We are developing projects in petrochemicals based on access to advantaged feedstock, and in synergy with our existing major refining platforms. But this project is exceptional because it is a human and industrial adventure before anything else.