Sinopec NZRCC will license Lummus’ Novolen process technology for a new polypropylene plant in Ningbo, China, with a capacity of 500,000 tons per annum, Lummus said in a news release. Lummus’ scope includes the technology license, basic design engineering, training, and project engineering services.
“With this award, our Novolen business strengthens its position in China and globally, reinforcing it as the industry’s leader and preferred process for producing high-quality polypropylene”, Lummus Chief Business Officer of Polymers and Petrochemicals Romain Lemoine said. “We look forward to supporting Sinopec NZRCC’s project to build this highly competitive plant by providing timely, superior process design- and implementation services”.
Novolen is a polypropylene technology that can deliver a sustainable route for polymer production while maximizing the financial benefits of operations through lower capital expenditures and operating expenditures, Lummus said, adding that “the technology is highly flexible, robust, energy efficient and allows production of a full grade slate of leading polypropylene products of all product families, including homopolymers, random copolymers, terpolymers, impact copolymers and rTPOs [reactor thermoplastic olefins]”.
Sinopec NZRCC has a comprehensive crude oil processing capacity of 23 million tons per annum (mtpa), an ethylene capacity of 1 mtpa, an aromatics capacity of 2 mtpa, a deepwater sea jetty with over 45 million tons of annual handling capacity, and a tankage of over 3.3 million cubic meters, according to the company’s website.
Ethanol to SAF
In September, Lummus announced the commercial availability of its technology to convert ethanol to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The technology provides operators with a large-scale, commercially demonstrated solution to reduce the aviation industry’s greenhouse gas emissions by integrating ethanol to ethylene (EtE), olefin oligomerization, and hydrogenation technologies, the company said in a separate news release.
“Lummus’ extensive commercial experience in all steps, including conversion of ethanol feedstock and production of the SAF process, gives us a unique advantage to help our customers produce sustainable fuels”, Lummus President and CEO Leon de Bruyn said. “Our process leverages proven, commercial-scale technologies that we integrate to meet the aviation industry’s growing demand for SAF and support its decarbonization efforts”.
Vital to the process is Lummus and Braskem SA's technology partnership for producing green ethylene, which accelerates the use of bioethanol and supports the industry’s efforts towards a carbon-neutral economy, Lummus said.
Since 2010, Braskem said has been operating an ethanol dehydration unit in Brazil. Using EtE EverGreen technology, the unit provides a proven and reliable foundation for producing 260,000 tons per year of ethylene from ethanol. Lummus has integrated the dehydration process with its light olefins oligomerization and advanced hydroprocessing technologies through Chevron Lummus Global, a joint venture with Chevron, according to the release.
Plastic Recycling Plant in Korea
Meanwhile, Lummus signed an agreement with Dongyang Environment Group to deploy Lummus’ advanced plastics recycling technology in South Korea. The plant will be located in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea, and will be operated by Dongyang Environment's subsidiary, Seohae Green Chemical.
Lummus’ Green Circle business unit will provide its advanced plastic recycling technology, which effectively converts plastic waste into high-value chemicals and feedstocks, creating circularity, the company said in a statement.
