IsoTherming hydrotreater success at Sinochem’s Quanzhou refinery

DuPont Clean Technologies (DuPont) is pleased to announce that the world’s largest DuPont™ IsoTherming^® unit has successfully completed the performance test, certifying that the unit is meeting performance guarantees. The IsoTherming hydrotreater at Sinochem’s Quanzhou refinery is designed to process 78 500 bpd (3.95 ktpy) of a variety of cracked feedstocks to produce diesel with less than 10 ppm sulfur.

Capital cost advantages, as well as the need for reduced utility requirements, were key drivers for SinoChem’s selection of IsoTherming technology for this project.

“We were thrilled to partner with Sinochem on this opportunity,” said Glenn Liolios, Global Business Manager for IsoTherming technology. “This is the world’s largest capacity IsoTherming unit, utilising DuPont’s liquid full reactor and catalyst systems, producing Euro V diesel. This project showcases the value IsoTherming technology can bring to producing Euro V diesel from difficult cracked feedstocks.”

IsoTherming hydroprocessing technology employs a novel reactor system that is superior to conventional hydroprocessing technologies because it uses the hydrogen and catalyst more efficiently. IsoTherming technology offers lower capital and operating costs while significantly reducing sulfur content in the finished diesel product. Today, DuPont has 25 IsoTherming licenses globally, with 11 of these in commercial operation. IsoTherming technology is suitable for a wide range of applications, including kerosene hydrotreating, transmix hydrotreating, diesel hydrotreating, FCC feed hydrotreating, mild hydrocracking, dewaxing, gas-to-liquid (GTL) upgrading and heavy oil upgrading for both grassroots and revamp configurations. IsoTherming capacities range from 1500 bpd up to 80 000 bpd processing feedstocks such as 100% kerosene, 100% light-cycle oil (LCO) and various mixtures of distillates and heavy gas oils, including coker blends.

Growing global demand for transportation fuel continues to drive refiners toward operations that maximise hydroprocessing capacity and capability either through unit debottlenecks or new unit construction. More stringent environmental regulations and the processing of cost advantaged sour and heavy feed stocks make meeting this demand even more challenging. Typical hydroprocessing techniques use hydrogen in contact with a solid catalyst to remove sulfur and other contaminants from petroleum liquids. IsoTherming hydroprocessing technology is licensed and marketed by DuPont as part of its Clean Technologies portfolio in Overland Park, Kansas.

Adapted from press release by Francesca Brindle

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/refining/24062016/sinochem-quanzhou-refinery-successful-operation-of-dupont-isotherming-unit-3578/