Clariant to supply catalyst for largest licensed PDH unit
Clariant will supply its Catofin catalyst and Heat Generating Material for ZPC's new propane dehydrogenation unit in China. The facility will have a nameplate capacity of 1.2 million metric tons per year.
Clariant has been awarded a contract by Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical Co., Ltd. (ZPC) to supply its Catofin catalyst and Heat Generating Material (HGM) for a new propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit in Zhejiang Province, China. With a nameplate capacity of 1.2 million metric tons per annum, the plant is expected to be the world's largest licensed PDH unit. The project combines process expertise from Lummus Technology with catalyst technology supplied by Clariant. The propylene produced at the facility will be used as feedstock for high-value petrochemical derivatives. According to the companies, additional propane feedstock for the unit will be made available through ZPC's ongoing upstream refinery expansions.
"The award of the largest PDH unit is a defining moment. ZPC’s decision to select CATOFIN for this flagship investment is a strong reflection of the performance and reliability our catalyst technology has demonstrated across the industry," said Jace Wang, Vice President and Head of Propylene, Business Unit Catalysts, Clariant.
Cooperation between catalyst and process suppliers
The PDH technology is based on cooperation between Lummus, which provides process expertise, and Clariant, which supplies the catalyst. The integrated offering is intended to support propylene output, process performance and competitive operating costs for large-scale installations.
"ZPC’s decision to entrust Lummus with the largest PDH unit ever built speaks to the proven performance of CATOFIN technology and the depth of our partnership," said Romain Lemoine, Chief Business Officer, Lummus Technology. "As customers pursue increasingly large-scale projects to meet growing propylene demand, CATOFIN's track record of meeting or exceeding design capacity demonstrates its technical reliability and reinforces its strong position as a trusted solution for PDH operators worldwide."
More than 40 projects since 2017
Catofin technology has been developed for more than 60 years, with improvements focused on reliability and selectivity. Since 2017, the technology has been selected for several new PDH contracts globally, representing more than 40 projects worldwide.