MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lummus Technology announced an award for its butadiene extraction (BDE) technology from Korea Petrochemical Ind. Co., Ltd. (KPIC). The BDE unit will be part of KPIC's Onsan Chemical Plant in Ulsan, Republic of Korea, said the company.
"With this award, KPIC is recognizing the value and experience that Lummus offers in terms of providing a butadiene extraction technology with the most environmentally-friendly design and the largest global market share," said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lummus Technology. "We look forward to strengthening our partnership with KPIC and supporting their production of value-added products at Onsan."
The project scope for this award includes the technology license, basic engineering and training services. Once complete, the unit will produce 146,000 MTA of butadiene, which will also lead to the production of more valuable products from existing C4 streams and generate feed for an existing olefins conversion unit.
Lummus has been licensing the BASF BDE technology since 1990. This technology, which is based on using the n-methylpyrrolidone solvent, is the preferred butadiene extraction technology worldwide. The key advantages are its low operating, investment and maintenance costs, its environmentally-friendly design, and Lummus' extensive worldwide experience licensing this technology for commercial use. Click here to learn more about the technology and its advantages.
As per MRC, Nizhnekamskneftekhim (NKNKH, part of TAIF Group) signed contracts with Lummus Technology LLC for the provision of licenses and technologies for the production of ethylbenzene, styrene and propylene for the olefin complex. Facilities include a 250 ktpa ethylbenzene and styrene unit using EBOne and CLASSIC SM technologies, and a 150 ktpa olefin metathesis unit for polymer-grade propylene using Lummus' ethylene dimerization and olefin conversion technology Technology. The units will operate as part of the olefin complex under construction (EP-600).
Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 576,270 tonnes in the first three month of 2021, up by 4% year on year. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market totalled 410,890 tonnes in January-March 2021, up by 56% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.