Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd has won a front-end engineering and design (FEED), feasibility study and project management contract by Société Anonyme Marocaine de l’Industrie du Raffinage, SAMIR, for the expansion of its Mohammedia Refinery. The project aims to increase capacity, maximise gasoil production and meet improved product quality specifications. Foster Wheeler will be responsible for a feasibility study to define the project, the selection of licensors, FEED and cost estimating. In addition, Foster Wheeler will prepare the invitation to bid documentation for selection of the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contractor and will assist in the tendering process. The project, which is based in Mohammedia, approximately 30km north of Casablanca, is part of an estimated USD 500 million scheme to increase the total throughput to a minimum of 8.25 million tonnes a year from the current capacity of 6.25 million tonnes. The project will increase gasoline production by 50%, diesel by 100% and will reduce fuel oil production by over one third. It aims to meet the distillate requirement of the Moroccan market by 2010. The project involves the erection of eight new units at Mohammedia, including a vacuum distillation unit, hydrocracking unit and hydrogen and sulphur production unit.
