ADNOC and Etihad Rail operate first rail journey between Abu Dhabi and Al Dhannah

His Excellency Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, and members of ADNOC’s executive leadership team, joined Etihad Rail’s first rail journey that connects the cities of Abu Dhabi and Al Dhannah.

Once operational, the rail service, which is currently under development, will enable ADNOC’s staff and contractors to travel between the two destinations, Abu Dhabi Media Office and WAM reported.

Following the milestone rail journey, H.E. Dr Al Jaber toured ADNOC’s world-scale downstream and petrochemicals hub in Al Ruwais Industrial City, during which he was updated on strategic growth projects at Borouge 4, ADNOC Refining and the Ruwais LNG project.

Strategic priorities

H.E. Dr Al Jaber said: “ADNOC’s partnership with Etihad Rail is fully aligned with our strategic priorities to successfully implement transport solutions that contribute to the UAE’s development and future prosperity. In line with our leadership’s visionary directives and under the supervision of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Head of the Office of Development Affairs and Martyrs’ Families at the Presidential Court, and Chairman of Etihad Rail, the development of passenger rail services between Abu Dhabi City and Al Dhannah City aims to connect the UAE’s main centres of trade, industry, manufacturing, production, logistics and population.”

According to H.E. Dr Al Jaber, the Etihad Rail project is more than just a rail network. “It will serve as a vital artery for economic growth and infrastructure development while driving decarbonisation, for the benefit of the UAE and its people. I am proud of our world-class facilities in Al Ruwais Industrial City and the commitment and dedication of our staff, who are passionate to showcase our unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation. Our facilities and expert workforce play a pivotal role in enhancing our nation’s status as a responsible and reliable global energy leader,” he said.

The rail passenger service is a continuation of the close strategic partnership between ADNOC and Etihad Rail, with sulfur products already being transported by rail between Shah and Habshan to the export point at Al Ruwais Industrial City, enabling ADNOC Sour Gas to be a leading global sulfur producer.

His Excellency Shadi Malak, CEO of Etihad Rail, said: “We were pleased to host ADNOC’s executive leadership team on board the first rail journey between Abu Dhabi City and Al Dhannah City, and we are proud to have a strategic partner and customer such as ADNOC, who were one of the first companies to adopt rail transportation solutions in the country.”

H.E. Malak added that as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to establish strategic partnerships in the public and private sectors, it would continue to work to develop an integrated transportation system in the UAE.

“Etihad Rail is strengthening the position that the UAE enjoys as a leading global hub within the logistics, transportation and infrastructure sectors, by providing more effective and reliable transportation solutions in line with the highest international standards and connecting cities and industries with a safe and sustainable rail network,” he said.

Borouge 4 expansion

The partnership between ADNOC and Etihad Rail aims to strengthen the resilience of the domestic economy by maximising the use of local resources and services, encouraging economic diversification and creating job opportunities for UAE Nationals in the private sector.

Work on the US $6.2 billion Borouge 4 expansion is underway. Supporting ADNOC’s In-Country Value programme, the Borouge 4 plant, is set to be operational by 2025 and will produce an additional 1.4 million tonnes of polyethylene, boosting ADNOC’s annual production capacity of polyolefins produced in the UAE to 6.4 million tonnes.

ADNOC Refining is nearing completion of its Crude Flexibility Project, which will expand the range of products that are processed at Ruwais Refinery. Construction of the Waste Heat Recovery project has been completed, with the facility capturing waste heat to generate up to an additional 230 megawatts of electricity – equivalent to the energy needs of thousands of homes.

With deliveries of LNG expected to start in 2028, ADNOC’s low-carbon Ruwais LNG project will be the first LNG export facility in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to run on renewable and nuclear grid power, making it one of the lowest-carbon intensity LNG plants in the world. When completed, the project, which consists of two 4.8 million metric tonne per annum (mmtpa) LNG liquefaction trains with a total capacity of 9.6 mmtpa, will more than double ADNOC’s LNG production capacity to help meet increased global demand for natural gas.