Catalysts prevail in PDH unit startup

Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has reported the excellent performance of its catalysts during the successful startup of the largest propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit in South Korea. Located in Ulsan on the southeast coast of the country, the PDH plant is a joint project between SK Gas Corporation Ltd and Advanced Petrochemical Company. The facility is designed to produce 600 000 tpy of propylene using CB&I's Catofin® catalytic dehydrogenation technology, which is based on Clariant's Catofin catalyst.

The Catofin process is recognised as a highly reliable and efficient technology for producing propylene from propane. The process operates at optimum reactor pressure and temperature to maximise conversion of propane for a high yield of propylene and correspondingly low investment and operating costs.

These performance benefits were confirmed by the successful startup of the PDH plant in Ulsan. The unit has achieved a fast startup time with on-specification propylene produced within one day of propane feed introduction. 100% of design capacity was available in less than 15 days, and the plant is currently operating slightly above 100% capacity. Design conversion rate has already been reached at lower than expected temperatures. These highly favourable startup results mirror those achieved in previous startups.

CJ Kim, CEO of SK Advanced, stated, “The completion of the new PDH plant is an important milestone for our company and, indeed, for the Korean petrochemical industry. We are very pleased with the smooth startup and the initial performance of the Catofin catalyst technology.”

Stefan Heuser, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Business Unit Catalysts at Clariant, added, “We are proud to share the success of this major PDH project in South Korea. Together with our engineering partner, CB&I, we continue to prove the commercial strength and performance benefits of Catofin for customers around the world.”

Adapted from press release by Francesca Brindle

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/petrochemicals/09062016/south-korean-pdh-unit-startup-supported-by-clariant-catalyst-3492/