Honeywell announced that Guangxi Huayi New Material Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of Shanghai Huayi, will use Honeywell UOP (Des Plaines, Ill.) C3 Oleflex technology for propane dehydrogenation for the production of 750,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of polymer-grade propylene at its plant in Qinzhou, Guangxi, China.
UOP will provide services, catalysts and adsorbents for the Huayi plant. The project marks the 38th award for C3 Oleflex technology in China, which continues to see increased growth and demand for propylene, the primary component in many plastic resins, films and fibers.
“Our agreement with Huayi for Oleflex marks the second 750,000-ton unit in China, where demand for propylene derivatives is surging,” said Bryan Glover, vice president and general manager, UOP Process Technologies. “Huayi chose Oleflex based on our extensive commercial experience and will use it to produce on-purpose propylene for its downstream acrylic acid unit, as well as cumene and phenol units to support the creation of industrial and consumer products.”
Honeywell UOP’s C3 Oleflex technology uses catalytic dehydrogenation to convert propane to propylene and is designed to have a lower cash cost of production and higher return on investment compared to competing dehydrogenation technologies. Oleflex’s low-energy consumption, low-emissions and fully recyclable, platinum-alumina-based catalyst system also helps minimize impact on the environment. The independent reactor and regeneration design helps maximize operating flexibility and onstream reliability.
Shanghai Huayi (Group) Company is a large-scale state-owned conglomerate in the chemical industry that produces methanol, acetic acid, acrylic acid and esters, and other chemical products, as well as plastics, paints, pigments and dyes, among others. As a subsidiary of Shanghai Huayi, Guangxi Huayi New Material Company Ltd. leads the construction, management and operation of Phase 2 projects in Guangxi, China.