• thyssenkrupp nucera awarded contract in TA’ZIZ to build a chlor-alkali electrolysis plant for the chemical and industrial center in Industrial City in Abu Dhabi
• The electrolysis specialist is technology licensor and provider of basic engineering for a major chlor-alkali plant
• The produced chlorine is one major required feedstock for the downstream products EDC, VCM and PVC
• Caustic soda production will address growing regional and global demand

Dortmund / Abu Dhabi, August 7, 2024 – TA’ZIZ has selected the technology of electrolysis specialist thyssenkrupp nucera and has awarded the company the technology license and the basic engineering contract for a major chlor-alkali (CA) plant. Subject to a final investment decision (FID) which is expected for 2025, the electrolysis specialist will supply its proprietary equipment for indeed one of the largest chlor-alkali plants globally.

The TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone in Al Ruwais (in Abu Dhabi) is a joint venture between ADNOC and ADQ. The company is building a chemical and industrial hub with the chlor-alkali plant at its core to meet regional and global demand for chemicals.

The chlor-alkali electrolysis plant to be designed for one of the highest product volumes globally by thyssenkrupp nucera is a basis for the production of the desired volumes of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and caustic soda. The CA electrolysis uses the latest generation of bipolar membrane technology with outstanding performance features.

Market observers expect demand for PVC to grow strongly over the next 25 years in a number of important industries – from construction and the automotive industry to healthcare. The facility should ensure the UAE is well positioned for the future PVC market, fostering a robust domestic supply chain, catalyzing manufacturing growth, and furthering the UAE’s goal to become a global export leader of PVC.

The newly configured PVC plant is designed to produce 500,000 tons of PVC per year, which corresponds to a doubling of the originally planned capacity. The chlor-alkali plant has a design production capacity of caustic soda of up to 796,000 tons per year. The plant will also market the upstream PVC raw materials EDC and VCM as well as caustic soda for use in a range of industries.

“Optimizing the TA’ZIZ plant to capitalize on the growth momentum in the regional and global PVC market is central to adding value for the UAE and demonstrates the value-adding potential our chlor-alkali electrolysis can offer countries like the UAE,” says Dr. Werner Ponikwar, CEO of thyssenkrupp nucera.

“We are very pleased that the company is relying on our decades of experience in the implementation of challenging large-scale industrial projects and our powerful chlor-alkali technology with its proven high-performance values, on metrics such as current density, for this strategically important project,” says Dr. Roland Beckmann, Head of Chlor-Alkali thyssenkrupp nucera.