MOSCOW (MRC) -- DuPont announced that the STRATCO alkylation unit at the Fujian Refining and Petrochemical Co., Ltd (FREP) refinery in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China, has successfully started up and completed the performance test, certifying that the unit is meeting performance guarantees, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.
The STRATCO alkylation unit at FREP is designed to produce 7,700 bpd (300 kmta) of alkylate from a mixed butylene FCC feedstock.
This startup is the seventh successful STRATCO alkylation technology startup within Sinopec and allows compliance with the China VI standard which limits sulfur content in gasoline to a maximum of 10 ppm by generating low-sulfur, high-octane, low-rvp alkylate. As the world’s largest vehicle market in the world, China is committed to improving air quality in the country by introducing legislation, such as the China VI fuel standards, to reduce automobile-generated pollution.
Alkylate produced by Sinopec will meet both the current China VIA fuel standard and the VIB standard expected to come into force in 2023, which further reduce the levels of benzene, aromatics and olefins in the gasoline pool. As a paraffinic hydrocarbon, alkylate plays a key role in improving air quality and public health.
“Over the last several years, we have been able to work with multiple Sinopec refineries, building an energetic relationship and providing a reliable technology solution at each site. The consistency of our technology provides Sinopec the ability to deliver high quality alkylate to the gasoline pool, decreasing the environmental impact of its fuels. It has been a pleasure to work regularly with the Sinopec organization, a rapport that will continue throughout the lives of these seven units,” said Kevin Bockwinkel, global business manager, STRATCO Alkylation Technology.
With this startup at the FREP refinery, the total capacity of alkylate produced by STRATCO alkylation units in the Sinopec refinery network is 60,380 bpd (2,360 kmta).
As MRC wrote before, earlier this month, Amur Gas Chemical Complex LLC agreed and signed loan documents to finance the completion of Amur GCC’s construction. Amur GCC will act as the borrower; SIBUR and Sinopec will be sponsors proportional to their stakes (60/40, respectively) in the joint venture (JV). Upon completion of standard conditions precedent, AGCC will begin to draw on the loan which will total USD USD9.1bn and has a final maturity of 2035. Project costs in excess of USD 9.1bn will be covered by the JV parties pro rata.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,047,100 tonnes in the first ten months of 2021, up by 17% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time,
PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,226,530 tonnes in January-October 2021, up by 26% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymers (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding stat-copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) decreased significantly.
Sinopec corp. is one of the world's largest integrated energy and chemical companies. Business Sinopec Corp. includes oil and gas exploration, production and transportation of oil and gas, oil refining, petrochemical production, production of mineral fertilizers and other chemical products. In terms of refining capacity, Sinopec Corp. ranks second in the world, in terms of ethylene capacity - fourth.
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