China commissions second unit to produce propylene using UOP's C3 Oleflex™ process technology

22-Sep-15

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that China commissioned its second unit to produce propylene, a key ingredient in plastics, using its C3 Oleflex™ process technology. In addition to technology licensing, UOP also provided engineering design, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, staff training and technical service for the project. Equipment supply included Callidus Low NOx (Callidus Stage Gas Ledge Stabilization) burners, manufactured at UOP Callidus Shanghai, which feature a patented tile configuration to achieve a "stiffer" flame. Zhejiang Shaoxing Sanjin Petrochemical Co., Ltd. became the second company in China to commission a UOP C3 Oleflex process unit to produce propylene from propane, increasing the global production capacity from UOP technology to approximately 3.8 mln mtpa. Traditionally, propylene is a byproduct of certain refining processes, but those processes no longer produce enough propylene to meet rising global demand. This propylene shortage has sparked investment in technology to create propylene from propane, also known as on-purpose propylene. "By 2020, 20% of the world's propylene production is expected to come from on-purpose propylene production technologies, and UOP is proud to be leading the development of this essential petrochemical with our Oleflex technology," said Pete Piotrowski, senior vice president and general manager of UOP's Process Technology and Equipment business. "For more than 20 years, the Oleflex process has been a reliable, independent source of high-quality propylene and we look forward to helping increase its availability in China and around the world." Zhejiang Shaoxing Sanjin Petrochemical Co., Ltd. will produce 450,000 MTA of propylene at its facility in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, China. Zhejiang Shaoxing Sanjin Petrochemical Co., Ltd. is a fully owned subsidiary of Zhejiang Fuling Holding Group, located in Shaoxing City, China. Established in 2003, the company specializes in polypropylene production and produces 600,000 metric tons of the substance annually. "We selected UOP Oleflex technology for our propylene production needs due to its reliability, economics, experience in integrating with polypropylene technologies, and overall processing flexibility," said Mr. Zhong Jianming at Zhejiang Shaoxing Sanjin Petrochemical Co., Ltd. "UOP's local service and support team worked well with our team to make the start-up a success."