Reliance Industries (RIL) announced its first investment in West Asia with Abu Dhabi Chemical Derivatives Company RSC (TA’ZIZ).
According to a RIL statement, the two have agreed to launch TA’ZIZ EDC & PVC, a chemical production partnership at the TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi.
“The new joint venture (JV) will construct and operate a chlor-alkali, ethylene dichloride (EDC), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production facility, with an investment of more than $2 billion,” stated the RIL statement.
This is the first investment by RIL in the region, the statement added. This is in line with RIL’s announcement to invest in West Asia when its oil–to-chemicals stake sale deal with Saudi Aramco was put on the back burner.
According to RIL, the equity structure of TA’ZIZ EDC & PVC has not been finalised yet.
The TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone project is currently in the design phase, with project start-up targeted in 2025. It represents the first production of these chemicals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“The project will enable the substitution of imports and the creation of new local value chains, while also meeting growing demand for these chemicals globally,” read the RIL statement.
UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said, “This new JV will manufacture critical industrial raw material for the first time in the UAE, supporting our national strategy to empower the industrial sector to become the driving force of a truly dynamic economy over the next 50 years.”
Al Jaber is also the managing director and group chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
“This JV marks a major milestone in ADNOC’s downstream expansion and the development of the TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone. It will help strengthen domestic supply chains, drive in-country value, and accelerate the UAE’s economic diversification, in line with the leadership’s wise directives,” added Al Jaber.
RIL Chairman said: “We will be setting up the first project in the vinyl chain in the UAE at TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone, which is being developed into a global hub for chemicals.”
“India’s need for PVC to propel its growth, and the value from the abundantly available feedstock in the UAE provides a win-win partnership for both companies,” added Ambani.
The production of chlor-alkali, EDC, and PVC will create opportunities for export to markets in Southeast Asia and Africa.