Zhenhua Petrochemical to use Honeywell technology to boost production of polymer-grade propylene

DES PLAINES, ILL., Sept. 10, 2020 -- Honeywell today announced Zhenhua Petrochemical Co. Ltd will use Honeywell UOP’s C₃ Oleflex™ technology for propane dehydrogenation to process 1 million metric tons per year of polymer-grade propylene for a proposed plant in Dongying City, Shandong Province, China.

Honeywell UOP, a leading technology provider for the oil and gas industry, will provide services, equipment, catalysts and adsorbents for the Zhenhua plant. The project, which will be conducted in two phases, marks the 42^nd and 43^rd awards for C₃ Oleflex technology in China, which has seen strong growth as demand continues to rise for propylene, the primary component in many plastic resins, films and fibers.

Since 2011, 68 of the last 91 dehydrogenation projects globally have been based on UOP technology, including many in China. Global production capacity of propylene from Oleflex technology currently stands at approximately 7.9 million metric tons per year.

“Customers such as Zhenhua Petrochemical trust us to deliver catalytic dehydrogenation technology to feed downstream polymer-grade propylene production and meet the ongoing demand for propane derivatives in China,” said Bryan Glover, vice president and general manager, UOP Process Technologies. “With this project, we will have licensed capacity to generate more than 15 million metric tons per year of polymer-grade propylene in China.”

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. The Oleflex technology’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.

Zhenhua Petrochemical is a joint venture between Zhenhua Import and Export Corporation and Dongying Yatong Petrochemical company in Dongying Port. Dongying Yatong Petrochemical Co. Ltd., one of the leading petrochemical companies in Shandong, produces and operates gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, MTBE, propylene, sulfur, petroleum coke, fuel oil and other petrochemical products. In recent years, it has been committed to upgrading the oil-to-chemicals industry chain and increasing investment in chemical projects.  

Honeywell UOP (www.uop.com) is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com), a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable.  For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.