Honeywell technology helping Chinese company meet growing demand for plastics

Honeywell has announced that LUXI Chemical Group Co., Ltd. selected Honeywell process technology and automation controls to convert coal to key plastic building blocks.

LUXI will use Honeywell UOP’s Advanced Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) process to convert methanol derived from gasified coal into 293,000 metric tons per year of ethylene and propylene at its facility in Liaocheng, Shandong Province, China. The operations will be managed by a suite of automation and control technologies from Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS).

Global demand for ethylene and propylene is growing 4–5% per year. Traditionally, these petrochemicals are produced from crude oil. The MTO process allows producers in regions without abundant domestic supplies of crude to produce the key plastics building blocks from natural gas or coal, which are often more abundant and cheaper.

“The technology to turn methanol from coal into plastics has been well proven in China, which is expected to invest more than $100 billion in coal-to-chemicals technology in the next five years,” said Mike Millard, vice president and general manager of UOP’s Process Technology and Equipment business. “Eight companies in China have chosen UOP’s Advanced MTO technology, representing a total capacity of nearly 3.2 million metric tons per year.”

The automation and control systems at the plant, which will be supplied by HPS, contain proprietary UOP operating models to improve operating efficiency. The suite of solutions includes the Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) and Safety Manager.

“Combining UOP process technology with HPS automation and controls will help LUXI maximise its return on investment for the entire project life cycle — from start-up to reaching and maintaining peak performance,” said Aldous Wong, HPS vice president, Greater China. “As competition continues to grow, it is critical that facilities maximise production while lowering total cost of ownership.”

Honeywell UOP’s Advanced MTO process combines the UOP/Hydro MTO process and the Total/UOP Olefin Cracking process to significantly increase yields and feedstock efficiency. The process converts methanol from coal and natural gas into ethylene and propylene. At the heart of the technology are UOP’s proprietary catalysts, which make it possible to efficiently adjust the ratio of propylene and ethylene produced, so operators can most effectively meet demand for those products. In addition, the Advanced MTO process offers the lowest operating cost, quick and efficient start-up, and operational reliability.

LUXI Chemical Group Co., Ltd. was founded in 1998 and is part of LUXI Group, a large state-owned enterprise involved in chemicals, fertilisers, chemical equipment and chemical engineering design.