Gulf Petrochemical Uses Mitsubishi CO2 Recovery Technology

Bahrain’s fertilizer and petrochemicals maker, Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co (GPIC) has reportedly using Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) license for carbon dioxide (CO2) recovery technology which application would be to recover CO2 from GPIC petrochemical plants.

The CO2 are emitted from the flue gas emitted which now can be use to capture material to increase urea and methanol production. As much as 450 tonnes per day capacity of CO2 (the world’s largest) is captured for the chemical application unit.

MHI is also looking at adapting the technology for production of dimethyl ether (DME) plus other chemical plants applications.

ExxonMobil’s Coal to Fuel Technology Applied in US

Coal to Fuel technology which widely utilized in the GTO (Gas to Olefins) technology uses coals to produce syngas that is used for production of methanol which can either be used for DME for gasoline blending or as feedstock for petrochemicals (olefins).

DKRW Advanced Fuels has reportedly being another US company which will use ExxonMobil’s methanol to gasoline technology for the gasoline blending, reducing the sulphur and benzene content of the fuel as well.

The project will be implemented in Medicine Bow, Wyoming with capacity of 15,000 barrels per day of gasoline expected to be commissioned in 2012. DKRW will only use ExxonMobil’s technology for Methanol to Gasoline but the syngas will be produced by DKRW for the methanol production.

Gas to Olefins and Fuel is catching popularity and earlier, DKRW has announced its coal to diesel plant utilizing Rantech technology.

GTO is popular in China due to cheap available coals in the country as well as China’s announcement earlier to not be dependent on external oil.

New Ethanol Technology Will Cut Energy Cost

New technology for Ethanol production energy reduction by reducing emissions and improving overall energy balance wwas presented by Interstate Power and Light Co. (IPL), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation, Harris Companies, a mechanical contracting firm; and AE&E - Von Roll, Inc., a technology provider of steam generating systems. Currently the licensor for the patent is managed by FCStone Carbon, LLC. The technology is claimed to enable producers to produce Ethanol at significant cost reduction which will place the owners at great competitive advantage.

Typical process of Ethanol production

The new patented technology utilizing Ethanol in the product stream for the steam generation cutting the fuel gas consumption by 50% which save energy and reduces plant emissions.

As ethanol production has more than doubled in the past eight years, energy balance is a key issue. This technology will help producers reduce energy consumption while increasing the efficiencies of ethanol production.

Energy costs for a typical 50-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant represent approximately 20 percent of the plants total annual operating costs. For every gallon of ethanol produced, 29 cents is spent on natural gas and four cents is spent on electricity.

Analysts are expecting that Ethanol producers will eventually adapt the technology for the cost benefit impact and better environmental image for ethanol plants.

In a separate news: DuPont has announced that it is investing $300 million for biofuels development. DuPont, a US chemical major player is planning to invest US$300 million in biofuels development which includes bio-butanol expansion and cellulosic ethanol technological acceleration development. The investment plan is set to start in the next 12 to 18 months. 

Business Deals Archive for December 2007

Petrochemical Deals: Arkema Acquiring Repsol’s PMMA
Arkema is acquiring Repsol’s polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) business in Europe which will increase the company’s growth opportunity and boosting its position in Europe as major PMMA sheet supplier.

Spanish firm’s Repsol has eight polymethyl methacrylate production sites which capacity alone is 20% of PMMA global market production through its subsidiary Altuglas.

Petrochemical Deal: Lyondell & Basell $19.4 billion MergerLyondell and Basell completed a $19.4bn merger of what could potentially become a global leader in the

Understanding types of petrochemical plants

We always hear the word petrochemical plants, but what really is a petrochemical plant and what types are there in the world of chemical and process engineering?

Petrochemical Plant uses feedstock usually from natural gas or from petroleum liquids which can be converted to fertilizers such as urea from ammonia, olefins such as propylene, adhesives, detergents, solvents, rubber and elastormers, films and fibers, polymers and resins and others.

Main Types of Petrochemical Plants:

Ethylene Plants:

Shell Gasification Technology Licensed to Vinachem

Oil major, Shell has licensed its coal gasification to produce syngas to Vietnam National Chemical Group (Vinachem). The syngas produced for the coal gasification will be used for the Binh Fertilizer Petrochemical Plant to produce ammonia for urea production which utilizes 1300 tonnes/day of coal.

Coal gasification or sometimes known as partial oxidation, converts carbon-containing fuel sources which in this case, coal, into syngas at high temperatures. The Shell technology is a clean way of transforming coal into syngas for use in the manufacture of fertilizer, chemicals and power generation.

Petrochemical Projects Archive for December 2007

China’s Synthetic Butadiene Rubber Plants On-stream 2008
China is likely to increase butadiene imports in 2008 as 5 new synthetic butadiene rubber plants are coming on-stream in 2008. The capacity for the 5 new plants will add 320 ktpa tonnes per year of synthetic rubber in China.

Butadiene, a scarce feedstock in China has no new capacity expansion announcement yet. The five butadiene rubber plants will be:
1. 100,000 tonne/year SBR plant capacity at Lanzhou Petrochemical
2. 50,000 tonne/year SBR plant capacity in Guangdong province
3. 100,000 tonne/year styrene butadiene styrene (SBS) plant capacity in Guangdong province
4. 20,000 tonne/year styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) plant capacity in Jiangsu province
5. 50,000 tonne/year polybutadiene rubber (BR) plant capacity in Jiangsu province

Petrochemical Complex: IOC for Plan for Phase II Mixed Feed CrackerIndian Oil Corporation (IOC) has planned for a mixed feed cracker and downstream derivatives petrochemical plants