Najib visits PIC development in Pengerang

KOTA TINGGI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak took an hour off from his busy schedule today to visit Petronas' Pengerang Integrated Complex (PIC), with an aerial as well as ground tour.

Accompanied by Petronas President and Group Chief Executive Officer Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, as well as Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, he also officiated the successful installation of a propylene fractionator process column for the steam cracker facility at the PIC.

The fractionator, standing at 121.3m and weighing 1,808.6 tonnes, has been recognised as the tallest and heaviest process column in Malaysia by the Malaysia Book of Records.

It processes liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and naphtha into ethylene and propylene, which are feedstocks for petrochemical products such as plastics and synthetic rubber.

Meanwhile, in a statement here, Wan Zulkiflee said PIC was on track for an overall start-up in the first quarter 2019.
"It is already 48% complete," he said.

The US$27 billion mega development (PIC) forms part of Malaysia's ambitious 22,000-acre Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC) under the government's Economic Transformation Programme.

The PIC consists of a 300,000 bpd refinery and petrochemical complex designed to produce premium differentiated petrochemicals, which will meet domestic demand for petroleum products and the government's future legislative requirements on implementation of Euro 5 specifications.

There are about 31,000 workers currently employed at the project site, while at the peak of construction in 2017, it is expected to have a workforce of about 60,000 with varying skills and disciplines.

The development of the PIC also includes associated facilities such as the Pengerang Co-generation Plant (PCP), an LNG re-gasification terminal, a raw water supply project (PAMER) and the Pengerang Deepwater Terminal. — Bernama