W. R. Grace & Co. has contracted to license its UNIPOL® PP Process Technology to Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical Co. Ltd for a 1 million tpy ethylene cracker and refinery expansion project at its facility in Quanzhou, Fujian province, China.
The new 350 kt/yr line is expected to begin operations in 2020 to produce high-end impact copolymers.
The Quanzhou operation is a subsidiary of Sinochem Group of Beijing, one of China’s four state oil companies and its leading chemical service provider.
Tang Huiyuan, Standing Deputy General Manager of Sinochem Quanzhou and General Manager of the ethylene cracker project, said: “Our priority is to efficiently deliver a broad range of products to our customers. This technology is widely accepted and allows us to be extremely competitive.”
Al Beninati, President of Grace’s Specialty Catalysts business segment, said: “Grace is especially pleased that the success of our previous UNIPOL PP Process installation at Sinochem Quanzhou is now followed with another. The technology, along with Grace’s non-phthalate CONSISTA® catalysts, will help Sinochem Group remain a leader in this industry.”
Grace has also contracted to license its UNIPOL PP Process Technology to Oriental Energy (Ningbo) New Material Co. Ltd for an expansion at its facility in Ningbo, China. The two new 400 kt capacity lines are expected to begin operations in 2020 to produce homopolymer and random copolymers.
The Ningbo operation is a subsidiary of Oriental Energy Co. Ltd of Nanjing City, China, a comprehensive alkane resources operator that develops clean energy and new material for the international market. Oriental Energy previously licensed UNIPOL PP Process Technology for a 400 kt PP line in 2012.