SK Energy completes construction of the world’s first naphtha cracker using advanced catalytic olefin technology

28-Dec-10

South Korea’s SK Energy has completed construction of the world’s first naphtha cracking facility that uses advanced catalytic olefin technology (ACO) at Ulsan. This new facility using ACO will reduce carbon dioxide emissions and energy costs by 20% as compared with conventional method at the facility that can produce up to 40,000 tons of both ethylene and propylene. The ACO process can help lower the required temperature to under 700 degrees, from the conventional requirement of over 850 degrees Celsius (1,562 degrees Fahrenheit) for naphtha cracking process. This process allows for scalable production of propylene than ethylene if needed.