Sadara Chemical Company celebrated the commissioning of the last of its 26 plants – an isocyanates section currently producing crude quantities of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and other specialty chemicals.

Sadara is a USD20 billion joint venture between Saudi Aramco and U.S.-based Dow Chemical. The Sadara complex consists of 26 integrated facilities in Jubail Industrial City II, eastern Saudi Arabia and has the capacity to produce more than three million tonnes of products per year.

Many products are being produced in the kingdom for the first time, including isocyanates, as Saudi Aramco, world’s largest oil exporter moves downstream.

Sadara will transform the kingdom “from a consumer and importer to a global exporter,” Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said.

“Sadara’s slate of high-value chemicals, including many firsts for the Kingdom and the region, will create the quality performance, value-added and plastics products that support a higher living standard around the world, especially in the emerging Asia Pacific and Middle Eastern markets that will drive two-thirds of global petrochemical demand over the next decade.”

The landmark commissioning milestone was celebrated in the presence of Al‐Falih; Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris; and Ahmad Saadi, chairman of Sadara and Saudi Aramco Senior Vice President of Technical Services at the Sadara complex.

The TDI section consists of three integrated units producing di nitro toluene (DNT), toluene di amine (TDA) and toluene di isocyanate (TDI). The DNT and TDA units started operations in April, and the TDI unit began crude production this week.

The isocyanates envelope also includes an unprecedented integrated facility producing PMDI or polymeric methylene di phenyl di isocyanate. The PMDI Plant began producing commercial quantities in early June.

Sadara’s specialty chemicals portfolio includes facilities that manufacture propylene oxide, propylene glycol, ethylene oxide, glycol ethers, amines, isocyanates and polyether polyols.

“In addition to transforming the Kingdom from a consumer and importer to a global exporter, Sadara will create new value chains and technologies that will attract foreign and domestic investment, spurring new sectors and entrepreneurial business, and creating thousands of manufacturing jobs for Saudis. In this way, Sadara is perfectly aligned with the Kingdom’s national transformation goals as expressed in Vision 2030,” Al-Falih said.

“Commissioning of Sadara’s final plant marks a pivotal moment in the history of this landmark public and private partnership that advances Dow’s growth strategy and will help transform the Kingdom’s rich resources into solutions for the world through a thriving manufacturing sector,” said Dow Chemical’s Liveris.