US oil and gas giant Williams (Tulsa, Oklahoma; www.williams.com) has awarded an engineering contract to Fluor (Irving, Texas / USA; www.fluor.com) for its propane dehydrogenation (PDH) project in Redwater near Edmonton in Alberta / Canada – see also Plasteurope.com of 27.07.2012. Fluor said it will provide preliminary engineering services for the project, which will convert propane into polymer-grade propylene. Most of the propane feedstock will be supplied from Williams’ existing fractionation facility in Redwater.

Williams announced last year that the proposed PDH facility, which would be the first in Canada, would have the capacity to produce about 1 bn lb/y (454,000 t/y) of propylene and would to cost about USD 600m-800m (EUR 440m-587m).

The plant will also produce PDH by-products butane/butylene and ethane/ethylene, Williams said. Details of the timing of the project have not been revealed.