Fast-To-Market Technology From Honeywell UOP Helping Meet Growing Fuel And Petrochemical Demand In China

Shandong Luqing Petrochemical Co. commissions UOP Oleflex™ technology ahead of schedule to quickly meet growing demand for fuel and petrochemicals in China
DES PLAINES, Ill., Nov. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — UOP LLC, a Honeywell (NYSE: HON) company, announced today that Shandong Luqing Petrochemical Co. has started up a new production unit in just 20 months, leveraging Honeywell UOP technology and a pre-engineered, fast-to-market design.

Located in Shandong Province on China’s East Coast, the new unit will use Honeywell UOP’s C₄Oleflex™ process to produce 170,000 metric tons per year of isobutylene, a key ingredient for making high-octane fuel and synthetic rubber used in tires, healthcare supplies and other consumer products.

“UOP’s fast-to-market solution with key, pre-engineered components enabled this project to go from kick-off to start-up in just 20 months – about 10 to 12 months earlier than a typical project of this size – allowing Shandong Luqing to start producing isobutylene sooner,” said Mike Millard, vice president and general manager of UOP’s Process Technology and Equipment business unit. “With the lowest cash cost of production and the highest return on investment, Oleflex technology makes Luqing a more competitive player in the market for isobutylene.”

“Shandong Luqing is proud to operate the first dedicated C₄ Oleflex unit in China,” said Wang Heqing, general manager at Shandong Luqing. “Using UOP’s fast-to-market design, we were able to begin production much faster to meet the growing demand for fuel and petrochemicals, while gaining a strong foothold in the market.”

In addition to licensing, UOP provided the engineering design, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, staff training and technical service for the project.

The C₄ Oleflex process uses catalytic dehydrogenation to convert isobutane to isobutylene. The technology consistently delivers superior performance due to its high reliability, low energy usage, high isobutylene yields, and a fully recyclable platinum alumina-based catalyst system using proven continuous catalyst regeneration (CCR) technology. Last year, Hebei Xinxinyuan Energy Co., Ltd. became the eighth producer in China to license the C₄ Oleflex process. The unit is expected to start up later this year.

In addition to the C­­­­₄ Oleflex process, UOP also licenses C­­­₃ Oleflex technology, a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) process that converts propane to propylene. Since the technology was commercialized in 1990, UOP has licensed more than 40 Oleflex units worldwide, including propane (C₃), butane (C₄) and mixed C₃/C₄ service.
Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co. is an independent integrated refiner that produces gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas, and the gas additive MTBE.

Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT) is a global leader in developing advanced materials, process technologies and automation solutions. PMT’s Advanced Materials businesses manufacture a wide variety of high-performance products, including environmentally friendlier refrigerants and materials used to manufacture end products such as bullet-resistant armor, nylon, computer chips and pharmaceutical packaging. Process technologies developed by PMT’s UOP business (www.uop.com) form the foundation for most of the world’s refiners, efficiently producing gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, petrochemicals and renewable fuels. PMT’s Process Solutions business (www.honeywellprocess.com) is a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, industrial power generation, chemicals and petrochemicals, biofuels, life sciences, and metals, minerals and mining industries.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; turbochargers; and  performance materials.  For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.

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