▲ Installs a mega-scale propylene fractionator tower measuring 118m in height, 8.5m in diameter, and weighing 2,370 tons, the largest in Korea 

▲ A mega-project with an investment of KRW 9.258 trillion, the Shaheen Site is the largest petrochemical facility in history, featuring TC2C technology, with completion scheduled for the first half of 2026

Hyundai E&C has once again demonstrated its strong execution capabilities in mega-projects by successfully completing the installation of the largest propylene fractionator tower in Korea at the Shaheen Ethylene Facility construction site.

The tower, whose installation was just completed by Hyundai E&C, is a facility used for propylene production. Reaching a height of 118 meters, a diameter of 8.5 meters, and a weight of 2,370 tons, it is the heaviest single piece of equipment ever installed at a Korean petrochemical facility. Hyundai E&C transported the structure, which is as tall as a 50-story apartment building, from the unloading dock to the site and then used a Tower Lifting System (TLS) to raise it vertically, completing the installation in just 14 hours.

The Shaheen Project, the largest in the history of Korea's petrochemical industry, is a venture to construct a high-value-added petrochemical production facility with an investment of KRW 9.258 trillion on a site of 880,000 m²—an area equivalent to about 120 soccer fields—within the Onsan National Industrial Complex in Ulsan Metropolitan City. As the lead manager for the entire Shaheen project, Hyundai E&C, along with Hyundai Engineering and DL E&C, is executing Package 1 of the Shaheen Ethylene Facility construction project, which involves constructing large-scale facilities, including the world's largest ethylene production facility, the 'Steam Cracker,' featuring TC2C technology.

The scale of the facility and the volume of materials used are also immense. In addition to the propylene fractionator tower, the cracking heater, a key component of the Steam Cracker (which produces products such as ethylene and propylene by thermally cracking raw materials like naphtha and LPG), is also a massive structure, measuring 68 meters in height and weighing 3,200 tons. The concrete used for the civil works of the entire package alone could fill 60,000 ready-mix concrete trucks (333,749 m³), and the amount of steel used was equivalent to 98,634 tons—enough to build 14 Eiffel Towers.

A Hyundai E&C official stated, “I am proud that we were able to safely lift and successfully install this symbolic mega-scale facility on-site.” The official added, “Although the volume of materials and the scale of the facilities are truly gargantuan, thanks to Hyundai E&C's global project execution experience and EPC expertise, we are progressing ahead of schedule. We are on track to successfully complete construction by next June, opening a new chapter in the history of Korean petrochemical plant construction.”

Hyundai E&C is concentrating all its efforts to ensure that the technological and business capabilities of K-construction create the ultimate synergy for the world's first commercial operation of a TC2C platform. The Shaheen Ethylene Facility construction project, which is currently over 60% complete, will witness the installation of the Steam Cracker within the first half of this year. With this, the main milestones, including the production of 1.8 million tons of ethylene per year and facilities for the manufacture of basic petrochemicals, will be completed, and commissioning will begin in the second half of the year.

After its completion in the first half of 2026, the Shaheen Project will enter commercial operation in the second half of next year, producing ethylene, basic petrochemicals (including 770,000 tons of propylene, 200,000 tons of butadiene, and 280,000 tons of benzene), and polyethylene (880,000 tons of LLDPE and 440,000 tons of HDPE). By successfully leading this largest-ever project, S-OIL plans to enhance the fundamental competitiveness of the Republic of Korea's petrochemical industry while contributing to the expansion of the value chain in conjunction with neighboring industrial complexes.