KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, July 27 (Reuters) – Sadara Chemical Co, a $20 billion joint venture between Saudi Aramco and U.S. firm Dow Chemical, has started production at its polyols plant, the first in Saudi Arabia.

Sadara has been announcing the start up of new plants in its complex, which it says is the world’s largest petrochemical facility to be built in a single phase. It announced the start-up of its amines plant last week.

The Sadara complex is made of 26 integrated facilities in Jubail, eastern Saudi Arabia and has the capacity to produce more than 3 million tonnes of products per year.

Many products will be produced in the kingdom for the first time as the world’s largest oil exporter moves downstream.

“The polyols plant is one of the last of Sadara’s 26 chemical facilities to start up. It is also one of Sadara’s 14 facilities that will produce specialty chemicals never before produced in Saudi Arabia,” Sadara said.

It has two units, or trains, which use propylene oxide and ethylene oxide to produce multiple grades of polyether polyols.

The products have a broad range of industrial uses, such as the production of speciality foams for trim and seating.

Sadara did not say in the statement when the remaining facilities would start. Previous statements said all the facilities would be commissioned by the end of this year.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) shelved plans in 2014 to expand its Sadaf plant in Jubail which was due to have added production of polyols, propylene oxide and styrene monomer. (Reporting by Reem Shamseddine; Editing by Edmund Blair)

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