AquaChemie Middle East has officially inaugurated its world-class petrochemical terminal in DP World’s Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. The advanced $50 million (€46.1 million) terminal will be one of the most functional and versatile bulk liquid terminals in the GCC region.
It will serve as a vital gateway to facilitate and boost the growing petrochemical trade between manufacturers and end-users across the Middle East and globally.The new terminal, which is essentially a break-bulk facility, fills a supply chain void by serving as a strategic hub for the liquid petrochemical trade and distribution.
THE DEVELOPMENT
AquaChemie commissioned Mott MacDonald for the new facility’s design, detailed engineering and project management. The region’s leading mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, and civil contractors are also credited for the project’s completion in record time.
‘It took us over four years to bring the AquaChemie terminal from concept to reality,’ says Subrato Saha, AquaChemie’s MD. ‘We are thankful to have met such capable collaborators along the way who assisted us in shaping it.’
The foundation of the petrochemical terminal was laid in November 2020, with the new facility being awarded its OFC (Operation Fitness Certificate), along with all of the required regulatory certifications from Dubai Civil Defense and DP World in January 2023. Since, the facility has been fully CDI-T assessed and is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certified. The terminal has already serviced the first vessel carrying chemicals.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The chemical terminal covers an area of 20,000 m² and is located some 500 m from Chemical Berth 4 in Jebel Ali Port. The new facility is linked by five SS pig-gable jetty pipelines, making it one of the most functional and versatile bulk liquid terminals in the GCC region.
With a total storage volume of over 34,000 m³, the 26 large tanks in tank-farms A, B, C, and D are well equipped to handle over 100 UN Class 3 and 8 chemicals. The terminal has three tanker truck loading bays for top and bottom loading, five semi-automatic drumming lines, a warehousing facility with over 6,300 drums, a dedicated ISO tank storage area, and a weigh bridge at the truck entry point.
‘Our new state-of-the-art terminal is a step towards integration of our current oil and gas offering for the upstream and downstream petrochemical sectors,’ says Anand Kumar, managing director of AquaChemie. ‘The supply reliability and lower supply chain cost will benefit our existing customers, as chemicals will be delivered on time so that the customers’ operations are not disrupted.’
‘The new terminal will also assist in the formation of strategic alliances with regional and global manufacturers of petrochemicals, in order to distribute bulk products to customers in smaller packaging. To maximise capacity and partially offset operation costs, a few tanks in the new facility will be leased for third-party storage. Chemicals hold enormous promise for the region. We hope, humbly, to contribute to this value chain,’ Kumar adds.
STAND OUT POINTS
The terminal is fully monitored and controlled from a central control room. AquaChemie’s corporate headquarters are located on the same site to allow the leadership team to stay in close proximity. This houses the terminal’s operation control room, support and sales staff offices, dining and recreation areas, management office and board room.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
The regional petrochemical industry also stands to benefit from the new terminal, located in Jebel Ali Port. This is part of a trade network connecting one-third of the world’s locations, while also offering streamlined customs clearance and other trade-related processes.
Snehal Karia, VP business development of AquaChemie, says: ‘I am especially excited about our combined offering of a centrally located storage terminal supplemented by local setup in each Middle Eastern country. We will become a dependable chemical product supplier all year round, and serving on all days. Our new facility now enables the storage of several new products with improved pricing and availability for end-users.’
China, the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea are amongst the top six countries, by volume, producing bulk petrochemicals worldwide. The global petrochemical market is expected to reach $5.4 trillion (€4.9 trillion) by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period.
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