EQUATE in the final stages of plants' turnaround

KUWAIT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- EQUATE Petrochemical Company, Kuwait's first international petrochemical joint-venture, announced that it will soon be in the final stages of its plant maintenance (turnaround).
In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), EQUATE President and CEO Mohammad Husain said, "EQUATE has successfully entered its final stage of the turnaround's operations relevant to a number of industrial units for ethylene, polyethylene and ethylene glycol." Husain noted, "Every phase and step of the turnaround are implemented in coordination and cooperation with Kuwait's Environment Public Authority (EPA) by complying with all relevant guidelines.
"I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude and appreciation to the EPA's management and employees for their support and collaboration that they are extending to all industrial entities.
This acknowledgement is also addressed to all public and private bodies which have played a great role to ensure the community's overall security and safety, especially in the environmental field." Husain added, "Currently, EQUATE is preparing to enter the stage of conducting the plants' return to operations (RTO) after the turnaround.
"As one of the environmental requirements for the RTO, the flares were operated within a controlled and precise manner as part of the industrial safety guidelines when executing an RTO. All of these practices are global measurements that are applied by all petrochemical plants and within the regulations of relevant regulatory bodies in Kuwait, as well as in accordance with international environment, health and safety standards, especially as stipulated by the EPA." Husain said, "EQUATE continuously supports and encourages all efforts aimed at preserving and safeguarding the environment, which is a core element of its strategy and its Corporate Social Responsibility Program, in addition to several other initiatives for sustainability within and outside Kuwait." Established in 1995, EQUATE Petrochemical Company is an international joint venture between Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Commencing production in 1997, EQUATE is the single operator of a fully integrated world-scale manufacturing facility producing over five million tons annually of high-quality petrochemical products which are marketed throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. (end) rk