The Chinese company already has one PDH unit at its complex and has selected the Catofin process and catalysts for the project’s second phase. With capacity for 900,000 t/y of propylene, the new unit set to go on stream in 2023 will count as one of the world’s largest facilities.

The process combines Lummus’s advanced technology with Clariant’s tailor-made catalysts and Heat Generating Material (HGM) to convert propane to propylene with what the partners assert is “exceptional reliability.”

Since its commercial launch in 2017, Catofin has been selected for 34 new projects worldwide, producing more than 24 million of new propylene capacity annually. More than half of the plants are in China.

The contract award underscores the need for catalyst and technology innovations that allow for larger PDH units with higher returns on investment, Clariant said. “No other PDH technology has been commercially proven at this scale to date,“ it added.

Acccording to Stefan Heuser, senior vice president and general manager at Clariant Catalysts, the combination of HGM with the new Lummus process technology reduces energy consumption of the process by a third, making it a low-carbon route to propylene production.

Specialized in energy, petrochemicals, logistics and packaging, Zhongjing Petrochemicals Group is the largest producer of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films in China, with an annual capacity for 1 million of BOPP and 4 million t of PP.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist