Technology, engineering and project management company Neste Jacobs and Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, have signed an agreement for Neste Jacobs to deliver the EPCM services for the upgrade of the process section part of Borealis' steam cracker to enable increased ethane cracking in Stenungsund, Sweden. The steam cracker is one of the most feedstock-flexible in Europe and in addition to ethane, it can also crack naphtha, propane and butane.

Borealis will import ethane from the United States for the upgraded steam cracker at Stenungsund, which is designed to produce 625.000 Mt/year of ethylene. Borealis is investing a combined 120 Million Euros in the storage tank and an upgrade of the cracker, to enable the plant to use more ethane.

Neste Jacobs carries out the project from its offices in Gothenburg, Sweden and Porvoo, Finland.

"For us the agreement with Borealis is a prominent sign of confidence, which we are proud of", says Jarmo Suominen, Managing Director of Neste Jacobs. "We are aiming to be the preferred solution provider also for hydrocarbon industry. This unique enhanced ethane cracking implementation project reinforces this position and it is a matter of honour for us that Borealis has chosen Neste Jacobs to be their partner."

"We chose Neste Jacobs to be the EPCM provider in the process section of our upgrade project as we have years of experience from their excellent quality and delivery reliability", says Pål Theie, Managing Director of Borealis AB. "We have trusted several EPCM projects in Neste Jacobs' professional hands and are confident that this one will be yet another success."