SABIC has signed an initial agreement with Russian interests to build and operate a methanol plant in the country’s far east The installed capacity of the proposed plant in the Amur Region is expected to be up to two-million tons of methanol LONDON: SABIC has signed an initial agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and ESN Group, to build and operate a methanol plant in the country’s far east. The deal was struck on the sidelines of the Russian President’s visit to the Kingdom. The installed capacity of the proposed plant in the Amur Region is expected to be up to two-million tons of methanol. “This is an important milestone in our global growth strategy, which is formulated around competitive feedstock and capacity to innovate and plan strategically,” said Yousef Al-Benyan, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO. “We plan to maintain our strategic partnership with the Russian market by continuing to focus on meeting customer needs, increasing our key customer base, and growing our commercial operation.” Riyadh-headquartered SABIC is the region’s biggest petrochemical company with operations worldwide. It has been rapidly expanding its global footprint over the last year as it pushes into new markets and higher value products.