Abu Dhabi’s TA’ZIZ has given a $1.99bn engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build a major specialty chemicals complex within the TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone at Ruwais Industrial City. China National Chemical Engineering & Construction Corporation Seven (CC7) has secured the contract.
Project Salt: Expanding the UAE’s Chemical Manufacturing Capacity
The project, known as Project Salt, will include the construction of production units for:
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Ethylene Dichloride (EDC)
- Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM)
- Caustic Soda
The facilities will produce 1.9 million tons per year of marketable chemical products once completed. TA’ZIZ plans to complete the complex by Q4 2028. Officials announced the contract award during the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) held from 3–6 November.
Supporting Industrial Growth and Supply Chain Localization
According to TA’ZIZ, the project represents a major milestone in advancing the UAE’s strategic goal of:
- Strengthening domestic industrial growth
- Localizing supply chains
- Enabling new downstream value chains across the country
The chemicals produced will support growing demand in sectors such as construction, infrastructure, packaging, and healthcare, both locally and globally.
Tendering and Bidding Process
The EPC bidding process saw CC7 emerge as the leading contender, with Samsung E&A of South Korea understood to be the only other bidder. Adnoc managed a multi-stage tendering timeline in which bidders submitted technical bids in July and commercial bids in mid-August.
Integrated Production Strategy
The facility design aims to maximize resource efficiency:
- The chlor-alkali plant will supply chlorine to the EDC plant, which will have capacity of up to 1.2 million t/y.
- The PVC plant will use part of the EDC output as feedstock and is planned to produce 350,000 t/y.
- Surplus EDC and caustic soda will be exported to global markets.
Project Salt marks a key step in positioning the UAE as a competitive chemicals manufacturing hub, reinforcing its industrial diversification and export strategy.
