Cangzhou, Hebei plans to invest 1.9 billion yuan in a 300,000-ton/year α-olefins project
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Recently, the Online Approval and Supervision Platform for Investment Projects in Hebei Province showed that the Hebei Provincial Development and Reform Commission approved the first phase of a project with an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons of α-olefins, as well as the second phase of a project with an annual production capacity of 200,000 tons of α-olefins (along with the construction of a 360,000-ton internal alkanes dehydrogenation unit). The approvals involved the registration of hazardous chemical processes under strict supervision, hazardous chemicals under strict control, and major hazard sources. Construction unit: Hebei Siyou Shucarbon New Materials Co., Ltd. Project location: The project is situated in the Cangzhou Lingang Economic and Technological Development Zone, covering an area of approximately 220 mu. Investment amount: Total investment of 1,890.43 million yuan. Construction scope: Phase I project with an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons of α-olefins ； The second phase of the project, with an annual production capacity of 200,000 tons of α-olefins (accompanied by a 360,000-ton propane dehydrogenation unit), as well as the associated storage and transportation tanks for raw materials and products, and loading/unloading facilities. Related supporting control buildings, as well as public utility systems such as fire protection, circulating water, power transformation and distribution, water treatment, and auxiliary production facilities. In the first phase, oligoolefins are produced from propylene; in the second phase, propylene is generated through propane dehydrogenation, which is then used to produce oligoolefins. Propylene is one of the most important basic petrochemical raw materials. PDH is an important route for propylene production; after nearly 10 years of development, its capacity in China ranks second only to steam cracking, accounting for 26% of the total capacity. Against the backdrop of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, compared with other approaches such as integrated refining and chemical production, as well as coal/methanol-based olefin production, PDH offers a unique advantage in terms of the ability to produce low-cost hydrogen as a by-product. According to Yahua Consulting’s statistics, PDH production will continue to expand during the 14th Five-Year Plan period; more than 20 projects are planned for the next 5 years, resulting in an additional production capacity of over 15 million tons.
On November 15, 2022, the first loop reactor of the 200,000-ton/year LAO production unit in Tianjin Nangang Ethylene Project – the largest linear α-olefin production facility in China – was installed. For the first time in China, six loop reactors were assembled together in a “character ‘ Day’” shape and lifted in a single operation, which significantly reduced the safety risks associated with working at heights during installation, shortened the construction period, and improved the safety and quality standards of the project construction. This marked a new milestone in the installation of loop reactors in China.
Shell Chemicals announced on Monday, June 5, 2017, that the expansion project for its alpha-olefin production facility in Geismar, Louisiana, is progressing steadily, with full operation expected by the end of 2018. In a statement, Shell said that a local production facility with an annual capacity of 425,000 tons is under construction; the parts that have already been completed include a cooling tower and two new storage areas, one for railway use and the other for storing high-purity butylene from the alpha-olefins plant. There are already three α-olefin production units in this region, with the raw material ethylene supplied by Shell’s production facilities in Nokomis, Louisiana, and Deer Park, Texas. Shell stated that once operational, this additional capacity will raise the total annual production of alpha-olefins in the Gasmar region to over 1.3 million tons, making it the world’s largest producer of alpha-olefins. Shell made its final investment decision in November 2015, and construction on the project began in January 2016.