US engineering contractor CB&I has been awarded an ethylene technology contract by China’s Lianyungang Petrochemical, a subsidiary of Zhejiang Satellite Petrochemical.

CB&I’s scope of work includes the process design and a license for heater engineering and technology for two ethylene plants, each with a capacity of 1.25 million t/y. The plants will be built at Lianyungang’s petrochemical site in Jiangsu province – on-stream dates were not disclosed.

When completed, the facilities will be the first in China to crack 100% ethane feed, signaling a new wave of ethylene projects in the country that will be fed by ethane sourced from US shale gas. At present, all China’s large ethylene plants are based on mixed or liquid feeds.

Commenting on the award, Daniel McCarthy, CB&I’s executive vice president of technology, said: “Being the first company to license a unit in this new wave of ethane-only cracker projects in China not only enhances our business in the region, it puts CB&I in a better position to win future awards in the market.”

Earlier this month, the contractor announced that it had won three other technology contracts in China, namely for diphenyl carbonate, PP and propane dehydrogenation plants.