DuPont Clean Technologies announces that the STRATCO alkylation unit at the Fujian Refining and Petrochemical Co., Ltd (FREP) refinery in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China, has successfully started up and completed the performance test, certifying that the unit is meeting performance guarantees. The STRATCO alkylation unit at FREP is designed to produce 7,700 bbl/d (300,000 metric tons per year) of alkylate from a mixed butylene FCC feedstock.
This startup is the seventh successful STRATCO alkylation technology startup within Sinopec and allows compliance with the China VI standard which limits sulfur content in gasoline to a maximum of 10 ppm by generating low-sulfur, high-octane, low-Rvp alkylate. As the world’s largest vehicle market in the world, China is committed to improving air quality in the country by introducing legislation, such as the China VI fuel standards, to reduce automobile-generated pollution. Alkylate produced by Sinopec will meet both the current China VIA fuel standard and the VIB standard expected to come into force in 2023 which further reduce the levels of benzene, aromatics and olefins in the gasoline pool. As a paraffinic hydrocarbon, alkylate plays a key role in improving air quality and public health.
“Over the last several years, we have been able to work with multiple Sinopec refineries, building an energetic relationship and providing a reliable technology solution at each site. The consistency of our technology provides Sinopec the ability to deliver high quality alkylate to the gasoline pool, decreasing the environmental impact of its fuels. It has been a pleasure to work regularly with the Sinopec organization, a rapport that will continue throughout the lives of these seven units,” said Kevin Bockwinkel, global business manager, STRATCO® Alkylation Technology.
With this startup at the FREP refinery, the total capacity of alkylate produced by STRATCO® alkylation units in the Sinopec refinery network is 60,380 bbl/d (2,360,000 m.t./yr).