【Frontiers in HaiChuan Chemical Technology】Honeywell releases a new generation of methanol-to-olefins (MTO) catalysts

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On May 29, 2025, the 2025 Honeywell UOP Petroleum Refining Conference, themed “In-Depth Technology Development and Global Enablement – UOP’s Solutions for Local Chinese Applications,” was held in Wuhan. It was organized by UOP, which is part of Honeywell’s Energy and Sustainable Technologies division. This conference brought together industry leaders, technical experts, and corporate representatives from the oil refining sector to engage in in-depth discussions on the trends of the energy revolution and the pathways to achieving carbon neutrality. It aimed to help Chinese refining companies find new paths for high-quality development in the global petrochemical industry, by leveraging technological innovation and localized strategies, so as to effectively address the challenges faced by the industry. Currently, as the global energy revolution intersects with long-term structural changes, the petrochemical industry is facing multiple challenges, including the need for an upgrade in sustainable strategies and shifts in technological paradigms. However, challenges also contain strategic opportunities for transformation and upgrading. If Chinese refining and chemical enterprises are to stand out in the global competition, they urgently need to use technological innovation as a driving force for high-quality development, and build global competitiveness through localized innovation in order to achieve strategic breakthroughs in going global. The holding of this conference represents Honeywell UOP’s proactive response to current challenges, as well as a forward-looking exploration of the industry’s future development. During the conference, Honeywell UOP unveiled its annual innovation achievement – the next-generation methanol-to-olefins (MTO) catalyst, MTO-600. By optimizing its formula, this catalyst can reduce the production of coke and alkane by-products, improve the economic efficiency of the plant, or increase the plant’s processing capacity by 10%. For customers, this new solution not only increases annual production but also enhances performance and reduces operating costs, thereby giving them a greater advantage in the fierce market competition. Honeywell UOP is actively promoting MTO performance solutions, and has signed performance solution agreements with two leading petrochemical companies in China to work together toward improving key performance indicators (KPIs). As a long-time advocate of energy transition, Honeywell UOP remains committed to the principle of \"serving the East with solutions from the East,\" and continues to drive innovation in technology as well as the development of localized strategies. As early as 1937, Honeywell UOP helped build China’s first oil refinery – the Yumen Oil Refinery in Gansu – thus paving the way for modern oil refining in China. In the pursuit of driving energy transformation and a thorough restructuring of the petrochemical industry, Honeywell UOP remains committed to staying at the forefront of technological innovation, helping the refining and petrochemical sector achieve carbon reduction goals while enhancing its economic efficiency and market competitiveness.