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Collaboration Aims to Build a World-Class Integrated Refining and Petrochemical Complex
YANBU INDUSTRIAL CITY, Saudi Arabia, April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Yanbu Refinery joint venture, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation ("Sinopec," HKG:0386) and Saudi Arabian Oil Company ("Aramco") signed a venture framework agreement ("VFA") to advance the Yanbu Refinery Expansion Project.
The project will leverage existing facilities to construct new units, including a large-scale mixed feed steam cracker of 1.8 million metric tons per year ethylene plant, a 1.5 million ton per year aromatics plant with associated downstream polyolefin units, enhancing integrated refining and petrochemical synergies and fostering an innovative, full-industry-chain ecosystem. Upon completion, the expansion will significantly boost production capacity for high-end petrochemical products, support Saudi Arabia's industrial diversification strategy, and meet growing global market demand.
"The Yanbu Refinery stands as a testament to the strong friendship between China and Saudi Arabia, delivering robust economic benefits and advancing the petrochemical industry's modernization," commented Zhao Dong, Sinopec Group President. "This expansion will unlock greater synergies between Sinopec and Aramco, creating a world-leading integrated refining and petrochemical enterprise with global competitiveness. Together, we will contribute to a low-carbon energy transition."
Aramco President & CEO Amin H. Nasser emphasized, "The Yanbu expansion agreement deepens Aramco's strategic partnership with Sinopec. By prioritizing product innovation and diversification, we aim to reinforce Saudi Arabia's leadership in the global energy and chemicals landscape while positioning Yanbu as a premier integrated refining and petrochemical hub."
The Yanbu Refinery, a flagship collaboration under Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and China's Belt and Road Initiative, is located in Yanbu Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. The Yanbu Refinery spans 5.2 million square meters and processes 430,000 barrels per day of Saudi heavy crude oil, producing high-quality refined products and value-added chemicals for global markets. As a pivotal energy hub in the Middle East, the refinery has driven Saudi Arabia's industrial modernization and international engagement.
The expansion project marks a new chapter in the partnership, combining technological innovation and industrial chain optimization to upgrade traditional energy cooperation models and explore sustainable development pathways.
The expansion project will integrate new ethylene, aromatics, and polyolefin units with existing infrastructure, elevating the complex's refining-petrochemical integration capabilities and expanding production of high-performance materials. It will also incorporate advanced technologies and green innovations to support Saudi Arabia's economic diversification and decarbonization goals.
Collaboration Aims to Build a World-Class Integrated Refining and Petrochemical Complex
YANBU INDUSTRIAL CITY, Saudi Arabia, April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Yanbu Refinery joint venture, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation ("Sinopec," HKG:0386) and Saudi Arabian Oil Company ("Aramco") signed a venture framework agreement ("VFA") to advance the Yanbu Refinery Expansion Project.
The project will leverage existing facilities to construct new units, including a large-scale mixed feed steam cracker of 1.8 million metric tons per year ethylene plant, a 1.5 million ton per year aromatics plant with associated downstream polyolefin units, enhancing integrated refining and petrochemical synergies and fostering an innovative, full-industry-chain ecosystem. Upon completion, the expansion will significantly boost production capacity for high-end petrochemical products, support Saudi Arabia's industrial diversification strategy, and meet growing global market demand.
"The Yanbu Refinery stands as a testament to the strong friendship between China and Saudi Arabia, delivering robust economic benefits and advancing the petrochemical industry's modernization," commented Zhao Dong, Sinopec Group President. "This expansion will unlock greater synergies between Sinopec and Aramco, creating a world-leading integrated refining and petrochemical enterprise with global competitiveness. Together, we will contribute to a low-carbon energy transition."
Aramco President & CEO Amin H. Nasser emphasized, "The Yanbu expansion agreement deepens Aramco's strategic partnership with Sinopec. By prioritizing product innovation and diversification, we aim to reinforce Saudi Arabia's leadership in the global energy and chemicals landscape while positioning Yanbu as a premier integrated refining and petrochemical hub."
The Yanbu Refinery, a flagship collaboration under Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and China's Belt and Road Initiative, is located in Yanbu Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. The Yanbu Refinery spans 5.2 million square meters and processes 430,000 barrels per day of Saudi heavy crude oil, producing high-quality refined products and value-added chemicals for global markets. As a pivotal energy hub in the Middle East, the refinery has driven Saudi Arabia's industrial modernization and international engagement.
The expansion project marks a new chapter in the partnership, combining technological innovation and industrial chain optimization to upgrade traditional energy cooperation models and explore sustainable development pathways.
The expansion project will integrate new ethylene, aromatics, and polyolefin units with existing infrastructure, elevating the complex's refining-petrochemical integration capabilities and expanding production of high-performance materials. It will also incorporate advanced technologies and green innovations to support Saudi Arabia's economic diversification and decarbonization goals.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Sinopec and Aramco Sign Venture Framework Agreement to Expand Yanbu Refinery
GUANGZHOU, China, Jan. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, GAC's independently developed Quark E-Drive power domain control system has achieved the world's first dual certification for deeply integrated ASIL D functional safety and information security, accredited by DAkkS, Germany's national accreditation body. The certification was evaluated and issued by SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd. (SGS), a globally recognized certification authority.
ISO 26262 is the internationally recognized core standard for automotive functional safety. Within this framework, ASIL D represents the highest automotive safety integrity level, requiring near-zero tolerance for safety-critical failures. Achieving an ASIL D certification accredited by DAkkS signifies that the certified product meets the highest globally accepted standards for automotive safety.
The certified Quark E-Drive power domain control system has been in production use since February 2025, and is now deployed across multiple models under GAC's brands - HYPTEC and AION. As the industry's first electric drive power domain system based on deep integration using a single main control chip, the solution significantly reduces chip count, minimizes risks associated with chip-level failures, and boosts motor controller efficiency to as high as 99.9%. The certification confirms that GAC has completed the system's full product development lifecycle in strict compliance with ISO 26262:2018 functional safety and ISO/SAE 21434:2021 information security standards.
Throughout the project, GAC Technology Research Center worked closely with SGS experts, strengthening safety design across all development phases while ensuring engineering feasibility and an optimal user experience.
Zhao Hui, Vice President of SGS China, commented: "The successful certification highlights GAC's strong team and robust development systems. We are pleased to support the safety of the Quark E-Drive and look forward to closer collaboration."
This milestone represents a major breakthrough for GAC in e-drive safety and sets a new global benchmark for the intelligent electric vehicle industry.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
GAC's Quark Electric Drive Achieves the World's First DAkkS ASIL D Functional Safety and Information Security Dual Certification
