Samsung will provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for a joint venture firm setting up an aluminium alkyls manufacturing facility in Jubai Industrial City.

The plant is being set up by Saudi Organometallic Chemicals Company (SOCC), which is equally owned by Sabic affiliate Saudi Specialty Chemical Company and Albemarle Netherlands BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Albemarle Corporation.

The SOCC facility will initially manufacture 6,000 tonnes per year of tri ethyl aluminum, the key co-catalyst used in polyolefin production. This product is currently supplied to the region from Albemarle’s facilities in Europe, Asia, and North America and will be supplied from the SOCC plant to regional customers upon plant start-up.

Samsung will immediately begin the detailed engineering in Seoul, Korea. The manufacturing facility will be constructed in Jubail Industrial City at the Specialty Chem site with a mechanical completion date projected for Q3 2012. Samsung Engineering said in a statement it would do its utmost to ensure that the SOCC project was executed in a speedy manner and with outstanding quality and safety records.

"With Samsung’s history, SOCC is assured of a quality design and construction effort for this facility that will supply a strategic product supporting the polyolefin industry of the region," an SOCC statement said.