Borealis signed an agreement for technology, engineering and project management company Neste Jacobs to deliver 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.

"For us ,the agreement with Borealis is a prominent sign of confidence, which we are proud of", said Jarmo Suominen, managing director of Neste Jacobs. 

"We are aiming to be the preferred solution provider also for hydrocarbon industry," he added. "This unique enhanced ethane cracking implementation project reinforces this position, and it is a matter of honor for us that Borealis has chosen Neste Jacobs to be their partner."

Borealis will import ethane from the US for the upgraded steam cracker at Stenungsund, which is designed to produce 625.000 tpy of ethylene. Borealis is investing a combined 120 million Euros in the storage tank and upgrade of the cracker, to enable the plant to use more ethane.

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

"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", said Pal Theie, managing director of Borealis. "We have trusted several EPCM projects in Neste Jacobs' professional hands and are confident that this one will be yet another success."