Borouge breaks ground for a new Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi

28.04.2010

(f.l.t.r.): Abdulaziz Alhajri, CEO of Borouge’s Production Company; Mark Garrett, Borealis Chief Executive; H.E. Yousef Omair bin Yousef, CEO of ADNOC, Secretary General of the Supreme Petroleum Council and Chairman of the Board of Borouge’s Production Company; Rashed Saud Al Shamsi, Chairman of the Board of Borouge’s Marketing Company; William Yau, CEO of Borouge’s Marketing Company

Borealis' joint-venture Borouge, a leading provider of innovative, value creating plastics solutions, was breaking ground for its new Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on April 27, 2010. With a total investment in excess of US$ 70 million in equipment and facilities, Borouge's Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi will work together with the European innovation centres of Borealis as well as with local and international educational institutions such as the Petroleum Institute of Abu Dhabi, to further develop the competence of polymer science in the United Arab Emirates. It is expected to be completed at the end of 2011.

More than 50 international researchers and engineers will focus on innovations for compounding as well as innovative plastics solutions for the pipe, automotive and advanced packaging industries in close cooperation and partnership with Borouge's customers throughout the value chain, ensuring that specific customer requirements are met.

"For Borouge, value creation through innovation is an essential success factor," says Rashed Saud Al Shamsi, Chairman of Borouge's Marketing Company. "Putting customers' needs at the centre of our planning is reflected in this investment. Through ongoing research and development, we can react to the market needs much quicker and we can work more closely with our value chain partners identifying together product development opportunities."

Borouge's significant expansion of its petrochemical complex in Abu Dhabi is scheduled to come on stream during the middle of this year, thereby expanding its annual production capacity from 600,000 to 2 million tonnes. The innovation centre is an important part of its increased product offering to its customers.

Currently, Borouge's innovation capability is based at its petrochemical complex in Ruwais, thereby supporting the imminent start-up of the new manufacturing facilities. The company also has recently announced an Application Centre at its manufacturing plant in Shanghai focussing on innovative solutions for the fast growing automotive and appliances businesses in China.

Borouge will also establish a training centre alongside the Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi for the Gulf Plastic Pipes Academy (GPPA) that was established by Borouge with the major players in the industry, thereby fulfilling its commitment to improving standards and the application of polyolefins for high quality pipe systems.

For further information, please contact:

Kerstin Meckler
Head of Communications
+43 122 400 389
kerstin.meckler@borealisgroup.com

Craig Halgreen
Vice President Global Communications, Borouge
+971 2 6070807
craig.halgreen@borouge.com

Borealis is a leading provider of chemical and innovative plastics solutions that create value for society. With sales of EUR 4.7 billion in 2009, customers in over 120 countries, and 5,200 employees worldwide, Borealis is owned 64% by the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi and 36% by OMV, the leading energy group in the European growth belt. Borealis is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, and has production locations, innovation centers and customer service centers across Europe and the Americas. Through Borouge, a joint venture between Borealis and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), one of the world’s major oil companies, the company’s footprint reaches out to the Middle East, Asia Pacific, the Indian sub-continent and Africa. Established in 1998, Borouge employs approximately 1,400 people, has customers in more than 50 countries and its headquarters are in Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Singapore.

Building on the unique Borstar® technology and their experience in polyolefins for more than 50 years, Borealis and Borouge provide innovative, value creating plastics solutions for the infrastructure (pipe systems and power and communication cables), automotive and advanced packaging markets. In
addition, Borealis offers a wide range of base chemicals from melamine and plant nutrients to phenol and acetone. Today Borealis and Borouge manufacture over 4 million tonnes of polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene) per year. Borouge is currently tripling its polyolefins manufacturing capacity to 2 million tonnes per year (t/y) by mid-2010 and an additional 2.5 million t/y is scheduled for 2013. The companies continue to invest to ensure that their customers throughout the value chain, across the globe, can always
rely on product quality, consistency and security of supply.

Borouge and Borealis are committed to the principles of Responsible Care® and proactively contribute to addressing the world’s water and sanitation challenges through their Water for the World™ initiative.

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