China’s largest single-train propane dehydrogenation unit in operation

Honeywell UOP commissioned the operation of the largest single-train propane dehydrogenation unit in China at Yantai Wanhua Polyurethanes Group Co., according to the company.

Yantai Wanhua Polyurethanes Group now uses Honeywell UOP’s C3 Oleflex process technology to convert propane into 750,000 metric tons per year of propylene, the primary component used for making plastics, packaging and synthetic fibers.

“As China’s largest Oleflex unit, this represents a significant expansion in the country’s propylene capacity and a big step toward meeting local demand for propylene,” says Mike Millard, vice president and general manager at Honeywell UOP’s process technology and equipment business.

China consumes more than 15 percent of the world’s propylene, and its demand for propylene is growing more than 4 percent per year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In recent years, ethylene producers have made ethylene from natural gas, which produces a negligible amount of propylene. The shift in ethylene production has caused a propylene supply gap, leading to investments in facilities that produce on-purpose propylene, Honeywell UOP adds.

The technology uses catalytic dehydrogenation to convert propane to propylene.