Turner & Townsend wins Teesside chemicals contract

Following a competitive and extensive tender process, SABIC UK Petrochemicals Limited (SABIC UK) has appointed professional services firm Turner & Townsend as its partner for commercial services on Teesside. 

The new contract builds on Turner & Townsend’s eight-year relationship with SABIC UK and is for an initial four-year period, which can be extended based upon service excellence for up to a further four years.

SABIC UK is part of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of chemicals, fertilizers, plastics and metals. SABIC UK’s operations are based in Teesside where it operates one of the UK’s largest petrochemical facilities.

Securing the framework means Turner & Townsend will continue to provide commercial, project management and project controls services to SABIC UK’s capital projects, as well as commercial services to its maintenance team. 

In 2017, SABIC took out a new 15 year lease on its 29,000 sq ft of office space at the Wilton Centre, Teesside’s premier science and business park. This came after the company completed a multimillion pound upgrade to its Olefins 6 plant, commonly known as The Cracker, at the neighbouring Wilton International site earlier in 2017, securing the jobs of its 600 employees on Teesside. The petrochemicals business has been established at the Wilton Centre for over 40 years under previous guises and as SABIC since 2006.

Darren Laybourn, director at Turner & Townsend, said: “SABIC UK’s ambition is to be a long-term producer of chemicals in Teesside and we are delighted to be continuing our eight-year relationship with them and remain absolutely committed to the process industries and to the future of the Tees Valley.”