4 August 2009 - PetroquímicaSuape's Pure Terephthalic Acid (PTA) plant being built in the Port of Suape, Pernambuco, North East Brazil, will be the largest polyester plant in Latin America. Aker Solutions is part of this important and challenging project, delivering basic and detailed engineering design and providing offshore procurement services for long delivery purchase orders. The new plant will produce 640,000 tpa of PTA, and is expected to come on line in Q4 2010.

A key milestone in the project sees the first equipment starting to arrive at Suape harbour. A 1,255 tons load has recently arrived from Japan, bringing some of the main components of the PTA plant. Amongst this load is the oxidation reactor, the most important equipment of the plant. The oxidation reactor is a 298 tons cylinder where the raw material, paraxylene, reacts with oxygen and produces the PTA.

The main goal of PetroquímicaSuape is to produce modern and competitive raw material for the textile industry in Brazil.

Aker Solutions has a wide experience in developing projects for PTA plants, working on more than 21 PTA facilities, which represents around 20 per cent of the world's PTA production capacity. PTA is the preferred raw material for polyester, used for polyester fibres, resins and films and in the manufacture of PET. Polyester is also used for tyres, electrical equipment and plastic film for packaging.

ENDS

Media:

Brazil: Fernanda Bacelar, Communications and Marketing Manager, Aker Solutions. Tel: +55 41 3227-8466, Mob: +55 41 9948-5599

Investor relations:
Lasse Torkildsen, SVP Investor Relations, Aker Solutions. Tel: +47 67 51 30 39, Mob: +47 911 37 194

 

Suppliers:
For further information about sourcing and potential subcontracts for this project, please contact Rodger Liang, Global Sourcing, Process & Construction - Tel: +86 10 640 966 36.

 

Career opportunities:
Visit http://www.akersolutions.com/Internet/CareerCentre

 

Aker Solutions ASA, through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("Aker Solutions"), is a leading global provider of engineering and construction services, technology products and integrated solutions. Aker Solutions' business serves several industries, including oil & gas, refining & chemicals, mining & metals and power generation. The Aker Solutions group is organised in a number of separate legal entities. Aker Solutions is used as the common brand/trademark for most of these entities. 

Aker Solutions' parent company is Aker Solutions ASA.  Aker Solutions has aggregated annual revenues of approximately NOK 58 billion and employs approximately 23 000 people in about 30 countries.

Aker Solutions is part of Aker (www.akerasa.com), a group of premier companies with a focus on energy, maritime and marine resource industries. The Aker companies share a common set of values and a long tradition of industrial innovation. As an industrial owner controlling 40.27 percent of the shares in Aker Solutions through Aker Holding AS, Aker ASA takes an active role in the development of Aker Solutions.  

Aker Solutions' Process and Construction business area is a world leader in the project management, design and construction of major projects spanning refining, petrochemical processing, liquefied natural gas (LNG), metals and mining, power generation, nuclear clean-up, and acid plants.  From initial concept through technology development, process technology application, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, operations, maintenance, modification and decommissioning, we provide our customers with the full life cycle of services.  Process and Construction provides sound local expertise, combined with the depth and strength of global project operations.   

This press release may include forward-looking information or statements and is subject to our disclaimer, see www.akersolutions.com.