WIESBADEN, Germany, July 11 (AFP) - The German engineering group Linde said Tuesday that it had won a contract worth 350 million euros (333 million dollars) to build the world's largest olefin plant in Iran's free trade zone, Bandar Imam, on the Persian Gulf.
The project was commissioned by the Iranian National Petrochemical Company and was announced to coincide with the visit of Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to Germany, Linde said in a statement.
Olefins are hydrocarbons and form the basis for the production of plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polyester.
The plant, scheduled to be completed in 2003, will have annual capacity of 1.1 million tonnes of ethylene and 200,000 tonnes of propylene.
The contract also covers a natural gas separation facility which will supply the new olefin plant with enthane, propane and butane via a 100-kilometre (60-mile) pipeline.
It is Linde's second order in two years for construction of an olefin plant in Iran.
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
