Technip Energies Becomes SABIC's Exclusive Global Licensor for a Key Polyethylene Process
Technip Energies Becomes SABIC's Exclusive Global Licensor for a Key Polyethylene Process
Technip Energies and SABIC have strengthened their long-standing partnership through an exclusive global licensing agreement for SABIC’s Clean Tubular Reactor (CTR®) technology used to produce Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE).
Under the Licensing Collaboration Agreement, Technip Energies will become the worldwide licensor of SABIC’s CTR® LDPE technology, expanding its role in the global polyethylene technology market. The agreement was announced on September 21, 2026.
Technip Energies Takes Global Licensing Role
The partnership combines SABIC’s experience in LDPE technology with Technip Energies’ engineering, equipment fabrication and high-pressure polyethylene plant execution capabilities. The companies said the arrangement is intended to support the deployment of high-performance LDPE facilities while helping producers scale projects efficiently and reliably.
Technip Energies has supported SABIC’s CTR® technology since 1996, contributing to basic design, engineering, construction and plant start-up activities. This long involvement has given the engineering company extensive experience with the technology and its industrial implementation.
What Is SABIC’s CTR® Technology?
The Clean Tubular Reactor technology is a high-pressure process designed for the production of Low-Density Polyethylene, or LDPE.
LDPE is a widely used polymer found in applications including flexible packaging, films, coatings and other consumer and industrial products. SABIC maintains a broad polyethylene portfolio covering LDPE, HDPE, LLDPE and specialty polyethylene materials.
The CTR® process therefore gives polyethylene producers access to an established technology platform for developing LDPE production capacity.
Combining SABIC Technology With Technip Energies Engineering
The agreement is significant because it brings together two complementary capabilities.
SABIC contributes its established CTR® process technology, while Technip Energies brings expertise in polyolefin plant design, equipment fabrication and project execution.
According to Technip Energies, the combination is intended to accelerate the deployment of LDPE projects and provide producers with solutions designed for efficient, safe and reliable operation.
Technip Energies’ expanded licensing role also strengthens its position in the technology and services side of the global petrochemical industry.
Long-Standing Partnership Enters a New Phase
The new agreement builds on more than three decades of cooperation between the companies.
Since beginning its involvement with CTR® technology in 1996, Technip Energies has participated in different stages of project development, including engineering, construction and start-up. The new arrangement now moves that relationship into a broader global licensing role.
For SABIC, the agreement provides an established engineering and technology partner to support the wider commercialization of its LDPE process.
For Technip Energies, it expands the company's technology licensing portfolio in the polyolefins sector at a time when producers are seeking competitive and proven process technologies.
LDPE Remains Important to the Global Polymer Market
LDPE is an important part of the global polyethylene industry, particularly for flexible and specialty applications.
SABIC’s polymer portfolio includes LDPE alongside HDPE, LLDPE, metallocene polyethylene, plastomers and elastomers. The company has also highlighted continued pressure from structural oversupply and slower demand growth in the broader polymers market.
Against this market environment, process technology and plant efficiency can become increasingly important factors for producers evaluating new capacity and modernization projects.
Technip Energies Expands Its Polyolefin Technology Position
The SABIC agreement adds to Technip Energies’ broader activity in ethylene and polyolefins.
The company recently secured technology and engineering contracts from Petkim for a proposed integrated petrochemical complex in Aliağa, Türkiye. The project includes a world-scale mixed-feed ethylene cracker, an HDPE/LLDPE complex and a polypropylene plant.
The combination of technology licensing, process design and engineering capabilities gives Technip Energies a broader role across major petrochemical developments.
The company reported €7.2 billion in revenue in 2025 and operates across technology, products and services and project delivery activities.
What the Agreement Means for Polyethylene Producers
The exclusive licensing arrangement could give polyethylene producers access to SABIC’s established CTR® technology through Technip Energies as the global licensing partner.
For project developers, the combination of proven process technology and specialized engineering expertise can help reduce technical complexity during the development of high-pressure LDPE plants.
The agreement also demonstrates how major petrochemical technology owners are increasingly working with engineering companies to commercialize established processes across international markets.
Sources:
Polyethylene Glycol (200) - China
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