The Sino-Saudi Gulei (中沙古雷) ethylene project, a joint venture between China’s Sinopec and Saudi Aramco, reportedly completed high-standard mid-transfer (中交, the handover from construction to commissioning stage) on June 18. The ethylene facility that underwent mid-transfer has an annual capacity of up to 1.8 million tons, reportedly making it the world’s largest single ethylene unit.
The project is being built at the Gulei (古雷) petrochemical base in Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, China, with total investment of RMB 44.8 billion (approximately KRW 8.6 trillion), reportedly the largest foreign investment project in Fujian Province’s history. The joint venture between Sinopec and Aramco is reportedly building a large ethylene cracker together with downstream processing facilities. However, the original reports did not disclose the specific cracking process technology licensor, so detailed technical information could not be confirmed.
The annual capacity of the ethylene facility that underwent mid-transfer is up to 1.8 million tons, with total investment of RMB 44.8 billion (approximately KRW 8.6 trillion). Mid-transfer reportedly signifies that the facility has completed the construction phase and is ready for feedstock introduction and commissioning, with full commercial operation planned for the second half of 2026.