Petro Rabigh signs agreement with TAQAT to build petcoke plant

Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co. signed an agreement with TAQAT Co. to build and operate a new high-quality petroleum coke (petcoke) plant at the company’s complex.

The plant will be the first of its kind in the Middle East, the company said in a statement obtained by Argaam.

Under this agreement, Petro Rabigh will supply feedstock materials and provide support and services to the facilities, in addition to the land area required to build and operate the new plant.

Nasser D. Al-Mahasher, president and CEO of Petro Rabigh, stated that this agreement is an embodiment of the company's vision to achieve growth and return for investors and stakeholders in general, in addition to supporting the local economy by empowering national manufacturing industries.

The step is considered the first in the company's workflow plan, and it is expected that production will start in early 2024, Jamal Bassam, CEO of TAQAT said.

He added that the initial production capacity of the proposed plant is about 75,000 tons per year of high-purity coke, indicating that it will be used in the development of a group of manufacturing industries such as local electric batteries for storing energy, graphite electrodes for the production of iron and aluminum, nuclear electrodes, and graphite as well as batteries of electric cars.