• Scottish company plays pivotal role in developing Middle East region's petrochemicals industry

Grangemouth, Scotland; 24 March 2009:  Impact Laboratories Limited, the global polymers and plastics services organisation created by former employees of BP Chemicals, has secured a multi-million dollar project management contract in the Middle East to build and develop a cutting edge polymers research and technical centre for Saudi Arabia's second largest industrial and petrochemical conglomerate.

Tasnee Petrochemicals, has constructed a $multi-billion polyolefin complex (ethylene, polyethylene and polypropylene) based in Jubail in the east of Saudi Arabia. They have committed in the region of £30 million to the new R&D centre with Grangemouth-based Impact Laboratories enabling them to complete on this pioneering development facility which opens later this year.

From its formation just over three years ago, Tasnee has expanded to become the second largest polyolefin producer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the polymer research and technical centre will support their future polyolefin business.

Impact Laboratories has scoped out the entire project management including the design layout and specification, equipment selection, commissioning, development and staff training. The complex will house nine laboratories equipped for physical & analytical testing, rheological & thermal analysis, molecular characterisation & microscopy, end product pipe, film and container testing.

Additionally, a 3,000m2 Machine Processing Hall equipped with the latest compounding and pipe extrusion lines, is also being constructed, where leading edge processing equipment will enable Tasnee to scale up from small laboratory sized quantities/products to semi commercial quantities/products, which allows them to get close to customer production scale.

Rob Meek, CEO of Impact Laboratories is delighted with this contract award which reaffirms his companies commitment to the growth of the Middle East petrochemical industry.

"This work with Tasnee is helping us to further demonstrate our capability across the Middle East, where we've been active for some time now. We're taking our know-how harvested from our many years with BP Chemicals and applying it in the most rigorously demanding of environments. Tasnee's strategy is to push the boundaries of its future research and development aspirations and we're supporting this by adopting a multi-dimensional approach to give them the facilities which we believe, exceeds their expectations."

Tasnee's new polymer research and technical centre is due to be opened in autumn 2009.

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Editor's Note -

Impact Laboratories Ltd is an independent company based in Scotland, providing expert services in polymers and plastics for clients across international boundaries.

Founded in 2002 as a spin-off company from BP Chemicals, Impact has formed a team with both business and technical know-how to tackle almost any challenge across the polymer supply chain.

For further information, please contact Kevin Dorrian, Acumen on 0044 131 661 7027 oe email Kevin.dorrian@acumen-pr.com