French technology and engineering group Axens has signed an agreement with KazMunayGas (KMG) to supply the process design package for its proprietary AlphaButol technology that produces high-purity 1-butene, which is required for producing PE. KMG plans to build a 1.2 million t/y PE plant in the Atyrau region of Kazakhstan – a timescale for the project has not been disclosed.

The companies have worked together before, specifically on the Atyrau Oil refinery in 2018 where Axens licensed technology as part of a modernization program that increased production of petrochemicals, gasoline, diesel and jet fuels.

In separate news, Axens also announced that it has signed an exclusive licensing alliance with ExxonMobil Catalysts and Licensing that will allow it to offer the latter’s MTBE decomposition technology for high-purity isobutylene.

The technology is used in the production of high-reactivity polyisobutylene and butyl rubber and will, said Axens, enable its customers to better address the growing demand for petrochemical intermediates over the next decade.

“ExxonMobil MTBE decomposition technology is a commercially proven, cost-effective, continuous fixed bed process that catalytically cracks MTBE into isobutylene and methanol. Adding this technology to Axens’ portfolio completes Axens’ offer and strengthens our long-term partnership with ExxonMobil Catalysts and Licensing,” said Luc Wolff, Axens vice president petrochemical product line.

Under the agreement, Axens gains the worldwide right to market, license and provide engineering work and technical support for the design, construction and start-up of new MTBE decomposition units. The alliance builds on collective expertise to provide customers with isobutylene purity of at least 99.99 wt% via an integrated unit with MTBE and MTBE decomposition technologies, or through a standalone unit using MTBE decomposition technology.