Coal Chemical Complex to Deploy UOP Methanol-to-Olefins Tech

(Downstream Today)UOP LLC announced Tuesday that China's Wison (Nanjing) Clean Energy Company Ltd. has selected UOP technology to convert methanol into building blocks for chemical products at an existing coal chemical complex in China.

The project will be the first commercial-scale installation of Honeywell UOP's advanced MTO methanol-to-olefins solution, which allows petrochemical producers to use methanol from natural gas or coal, instead of petroleum, to produce high yields of high-value plastics and petrochemicals. This solution, which combines the UOP/Hydro MTO process and the Total Petrochemicals/UOP Olefin Cracking Process, allows producers in countries with limited supplies of crude oil, but plentiful quantities of coal or natural gas, to produce high-value petrochemicals.

Honeywell UOP will provide technology licenses, basic engineering, catalysts, adsorbents, specialty equipment and technical services for the plant, which is expected to start up in 2013.

"Our advanced methanol-to-olefins solution will allow Wison to use methanol to produce the highest yields achievable of high-value petrochemicals," said Rajeev Gautam, president and CEO for Honeywell UOP. "Commercialization of this breakthrough technology is another example of UOP innovation that addresses the growing global demand for petrochemical products as well as drivers to reduce our dependence on traditional crude sources."

Located in Nanjing, China, the facility will be one of the world's first methanol-to-olefin production facilities. It is projected to produce 295,000 metric tons per year of ethylene and propylene for conversion to chemical products.

"Wison is happy to collaborate with Honeywell UOP to build this world-class methanol-to-olefins facility," said Hongjun Liu, general manager for Wison (Nanjing) Clean Energy Company Ltd. "We are looking forward to the successful adoption of the technology in the Wison Nanjing Plant, which will help further extend Wison Energy's product portfolio and enable us to supply more high-quality chemical raw materials."

The MTO process, jointly developed by Honeywell UOP and INEOS (formerly Hydro), converts methanol from non-crude oil sources such as coal or natural gas to ethylene and propylene primarily. The facility will also employ the Olefin Cracking Process (OCP), which further converts olefins produced during the MTO process to boost the total yield of usable ethylene and propylene.

The solution, based on proprietary UOP catalysts, is proven to provide high yields with minimal byproducts. It also offers flexibility in the quantity of propylene and ethylene produced, so producers can adjust their plant design to most effectively address market demands.

The MTO process technology has been successfully demonstrated in a semi-commercial-scale unit built by Total Petrochemicals in Feluy, Belgium. Total Petrochemicals and UOP announced the successful conversion of ethylene and propylene from the demonstration unit to polyethylene and polypropylene in 2010.

Wison (Nanjing) Clean Energy Co., Ltd, located in Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park and fully owned by Wison Group Holding Limited headquartered in Shanghai, China, adopts clean coal technologies to produce high-quality chemicals—including carbon monoxide, hydrogen, synthetic gas, methanol and sulfur—for use in Chinese industry.

UOP LLC, headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois, USA, is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, process plants, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. UOP is a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc. and is part of Honeywell's Specialty Materials strategic business group. 

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