Taiyo Oil selects UOP technology to improve flexibility at Japan petrochemical plant

09-Aug-13

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, has been selected by Taiyo Oil Co. Ltd. to supply technology and catalysts to improve operational flexibility and increase petrochemical production at Taiyo’s Shikoku Operations in Ehime, Japan. The plant will install UOP Tatoray process technology to allow it to boost yields of certain petrochemicals by more than 70%, and give the plant more flexibility to produce petrochemicals or gasoline as demand changes. The new Tatoray unit is expected to produce 300,000 metric tpa of mixed xylene and high-purity beneze, which will require no further processing. The unit is expected to start up in 2014. “Demand for petrochemicals in Asia is growing, while gasoline demand is expected to decrease due to stricter fuel specifications and increased demand for fuel-efficient vehicles,” said Pete Piotrowski, senior vice president and general manager of Honeywell’s UOP Process Technology and Equipment business unit. “The Tatoray process will significantly increase mixed xylene and benzene production, allowing Taiyo to respond to the region’s growing petrochemical demand, and it will give them the operational flexibility to also produce high-quality gasoline as needed. We look forward to continuing our longstanding relationship with Taiyo as we work to complete this project.” Honeywell’s UOP has worked with Taiyo for nearly 30 years, and has provided almost all of the process units for its Shikoku Operations. The plant’s existing UOP Thermal Hydro-Dealkylation (THDA) unit converts heavy aromatics such as toluene to benzene, a high-value petrochemical used in the production of polymers, plastics and high-octane gasoline. Taiyo will convert the unit to use Honeywell’s UOP Tatoray process technology. Honeywell’s UOP Tatoray process converts toluene and C9 aromatics to mixed xylenes and high-purity benzene without the need for sulfolane extraction. The process can more than double mixed xylene production from a given naphtha feedstock, while significantly reducing the overall cost of production, making it one of the most economical ways to increase xylene and benzene yields in an aromatics complex. Honeywell’s UOP latest-generation Tatoray catalysts have demonstrated superior activity and stability in multiple commercial applications. These catalysts enable higher on-stream efficiency with minimum cracking and the lowest hydrogen consumption for petrochemical-grade benzene and mixed xylene production.