Refining, Petrochemicals, Gas Processing, Biofuels
Eni Moves Ahead with Conversion of the Livorno Refinery into a Bio-refinery
Today, Eni confirms its decision to build Italy's third bio-refinery in Livorno. The project, first announced in October 2022 and followed by an application for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in November 2022, is awaiting official authorisations and includes the construction of three new facilities for the production of hydrogenated biofuels: a biogenic feedstock pre-treatment unit; a 500,000 tonnes/year Ecofining™ plant; and a facility to produce hydrogen from methane gas.
Shell invests to repurpose German Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland
Shell Deutschland GmbH has taken a final investment decision (FID) to convert the hydrocracker of the Wesseling site at the Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland into a production unit for Group III base oils, used in making high-quality lubricants such as engine and transmission oils. Crude oil processing will end at the Wesseling site by 2025 but will continue at the Godorf site.
Técnicas Reunidas and Sinopec awarded two contracts by Saudi Aramco for more than 3.3 billion USD
Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s largest energy companies, has awarded a joint venture formed by the Spanish company Técnicas Reunidas and the Chinese Sinopec Engineering Group the development of new Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) fractionation facilities in Saudi Arabia. The works will be developed on the basis of two EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contracts for the execution of Riyas NGL Fractionation Trains (Package 1) and Riyas NGL Common Facilities (Package 2), which includes utilities, storage and export facilities. Total investment arising from these two contracts amounts to more than 3.3 billion USD. Since the joint venture is 65% owned by Técnicas Reunidas and 35% by Sinopec Engineering Group, the Spanish company is entitled to more than 2.15 billion USD of this total amount.
Acelen Renewables Selects Honeywell For SAF And Renewable Diesel Fuel Production
Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) announced that Acelen Renewables has selected its Ecofining™ technology to help support the efficient production of a targeted 20,000 barrels per day of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel. The fuels will be processed at Acelen's facility in Bahia, Brazil, from a blend of inedible seed and waste oils. With this agreement, Acelen Renewables becomes the 50th site to license Honeywell's renewable fuels technology.
Topsoe Selected as Technology Provider for Preem's Renewable Fuels Plant in Sweden
Topsoe, a global technology and solutions provider for the energy transition, has signed a licensing and engineering agreement with Preem, Sweden’s largest fuel company, to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel, using Topsoe’s HydroFlex™ technology.
SABIC’s $6.4 Billion Dollar Petrochemical Plant in China Gets Go Ahead for Construction
Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) announced in a recent company exchange filing that it will proceed with building a new petrochemical complex in southeastern China's Fujian province. This $6.4 billion dollar project will be developed as a joint venture of SABIC and China state owned Fujian Fuhua Gulei Petrochemical Company.
Petronas Moving Forward with its RNEST Train One Expansion to Complete Early Next Year
A representative of Petronas of Brazil stated on January 17 that the company is intending to complete its expansion plans for Train One at its long-lived Abreu e Lima Refinery in the first quarter of 2025. This plan had begun years ago but was delayed due to a corruption scandal that began in 2014.
Chevron Lummus Global Awarded New Licensing Contract for HPCL's Integrated Hydrocracker and Catalytic Dewaxing Unit
Chevron Lummus Global LLC (CLG) announced the award of a new licensing contract by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) for the development of a grassroots integrated hydrocracker and catalytic dewaxing unit and a full catalyst reload of their existing lube oil upgrading program (LOUP) at the Mumbai Refinery in India.
Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery Begins Production After Multiple Delays
The Dangote oil refinery in Lagos, Nigeria has begun production of diesel and jet fuel after many years of delayed construction, according to Dangote company officials on social media. With this startup, test runs are expected to continue with an eventual move to full capacity potentially reached as early as the end of 2024.
Mexico's New Olmeca Oil Refinery Now Expected to reach 243,000 bpd in 2024
Pemex CEO Octavio Romero has estimated that the Dos Bocas (AKA Olmeca) refinery will process 243,000 bpd of crude in 2024, with a full peak of 340,000 bpd in 2025.
Azure Announces Plans to Develop an SAF Production Facility in Kansas
Azure 2023 Inc. , a leading developer in the sustainable aviation fuel ("SAF") industry, today announces its planned development of an SAF production facility in Cherryvale, Kansas.
Technip Energies has been selected to provide Proprietary Technology, Engineering, and Procurement services for Dow’s net-zero ethylene cracker in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada.
Technip Energies has been selected to provide Proprietary Technology, Engineering, and Procurement services for Dow’s net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions integrated ethylene cracker in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada. Technip Energies provided an Extended Basic Engineering Package for this new ethylene plant, including the cracking furnaces and the downstream separation section.
Dow's Board of Directors Approves Final Investment Decision for Path2Zero Project
Dow (NYSE: DOW) today announced that its board of directors has declared Final Investment Decision on the Company's Fort Saskatchewan Path2Zero investment to build the world's first net-zeroi Scope 1 and 2 emissionsii integrated ethylene cracker and derivatives facility in Alberta, Canada.
Topsoe Selected by Santa Maria Renewable Resources LLC to Deliver Technology for Renewable Fuels Project In Texas
Topsoe has signed licensing and engineering agreements with Santa Maria Renewable Resources LLC (Santa Maria) to provide its HydroFlex™ and H2bridge™ technologies to produce renewable fuels. Santa Maria will build a grassroots plant to produce 3,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) of renewable diesel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Clariant’s SynDane® catalyst chosen for Shenghong’s new world-scale biodegradable plastics project
Clariant, a sustainability-focused specialty chemical company, today announced that it has been awarded a major contract by Jiangsu Shenghong Petrochemical Co., Ltd, to use Clariant’s SynDane 3142 LA catalyst for its new maleic anhydride (MA) production plant in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China. With a production capacity of 200,000 tons per year, the new plant slated for start of production in 2025, will be one of the largest production plants for MA worldwide.
Petrobras Technology Enables Riograndense Refinery to Process 100% Renewable Feedstocks
The Riograndense Petroleum Refinery (RPR) has accomplished a historic achievement by successfully processing 100% soybean oil in a Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Unit at the Refinery. This milestone was made possible through innovative technology developed by the Petrobras' Research, Development, and Innovation Center (CENPES), processing 100% renewable feedstocks, adopting process and catalyst innovations, and generating fully renewable petrochemical products. This trial represents a groundbreaking achievement, marking the first of its kind worldwide.
Eni and Saipem: Agreement to Develop New Biorefineries
Eni and Saipem have signed an agreement for the development of biorefining. It was signed today by Giuseppe Ricci, Chief Operating Officer for Energy Evolution at Eni, and Alessandro Puliti, Chief Executive Officer at Saipem, to support the transformation path of traditional refineries and the development of new Eni biorefineries.
Haldia Selects Multiple Lummus Technologies for India’s First On-Purpose Propylene Plant and Largest Cumene and Phenol Plant
Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies and value-driven energy solutions, announced Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd. (HPL) will license its olefins conversion technology (OCT) and the Lummus/Versalis cumene and phenol technologies for a new plant in West Bengal, India.
Data Director's Q4 Update
Peregrine Bush, Director of Data and Technology, shares his Q4 2023 update
Repsol Selects Honeywell Ecofining™ Technology For Biofuel Production In Spain
Honeywell announced today that Repsol has licensed Honeywell Ecofining™ technology to produce renewable fuels from feedstocks such as used cooking oil and waste animal fat at Repsol’s facility in Puertollano, Spain. Repsol is designing this plant to convert approximately 240 thousand metric tons per annum (KMTA) of waste feeds/feedstocks to renewable diesel and other products.
United States: Borealis and TotalEnergies Start Up Baystar JV Polyethylene Unit
Borealis and TotalEnergies celebrate the start-up of their Baystar joint venture’s new 625,000 metric ton-per-year Borstar® polyethylene (PE) unit, which more than doubles the current production capacity at Baystar’s site in Pasadena, Texas.
Nuberg EPC wins IOCL’s Propylene Purification Package with Skid Mounted Technology Deployment
Nuberg EPC, the global engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company, has been awarded the PPP contract by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) for the design, engineering, manufacturing, supply and commissioning of a Propylene Purification Package at IOCL Panipat Refinery, Haryana, India. The project is part of IOCL’s expansion plan to increase the refinery capacity from 15 MMTPA to 25 MMTPA.
Samsung Engineering receives FEED contract for Saudi Petrochemical Project
Samsung Engineering, a world leading engineering solutions and project management company, announced today that it received the NoA(Notice of Award) for the FEED (Front End Engineering Design) contract of a PDH, PP, UTOS plant from Alujain National Industrial Co.(LNIC) in Saudi Arabia. The contract amount is USD 19.428 million and the FEED work is expected to be carried out in Samsung Engineering’s offices in Seoul, Korea until May 2024.
Final Investment Decision on Green Hydrogen and HVO/SAF projects
Galp has taken the final investment decision on two large scale projects to reduce the carbon footprint of the Sines refinery and of its products. The projects include a 270 ktpa advanced biofuels unit, in partnership with Mitsui, and 100 MW of electrolysers for the production of green hydrogen. Both units are expected to have its first start up during 2025.
ExxonMobil Expands Chemical Production at Baytown
ExxonMobil today announced the startup of two new chemical production units at its Baytown, Texas, manufacturing facility. The $2 billion expansion is part of ExxonMobil’s long-term growth plans to deliver higher-value products from its U.S. Gulf Coast refining and chemical facilities.
PT Pertamina International chooses Topsoe technology at Cilacap facility in Indonesia
Topsoe, a global leader in developing solutions for a decarbonized world, has been selected by PT KPI as a technology licensor to provide its HydroFlex™ technology for the production of renewable fuels at the Cilacap Refinery Complex in Central Java, Indonesia. Once complete, the grassroot unit will use Topsoe’s technology to convert bio-feedstock into SAF and renewable diesel, with plans to produce 6,000 bpsd.
Aemetis Completes Expansion of India Biodiesel Plant One Year Ahead of Schedule, Increases Annual Production Capacity to 60 Million Gallons
Aemetis, a renewable natural gas and renewable fuels company focused on negative carbon intensity products, announced today that the company’s Universal Biofuels subsidiary has completed an expansion of its India biodiesel plant annual production capacity to 60 million gallons more than one year ahead of schedule, supplying the expanding demand for biodiesel by India government-owned Oil Marketing Companies (OMC’s).
VARO announces plan to invest $600m to build major Sustainable Aviation Fuel manufacturing facility in Rotterdam, which will meet up to 7% of the EU's 2030 SAF target
VARO Energy (“VARO”) today announces the construction of a large-scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) manufacturing facility at the Gunvor Energy Rotterdam site, investing $600m with the aim of helping its airline customers decarbonise. This facility alone is expected to contribute up to 7% of the EU’s 2030 SAF target.
Nigeria Oil Minister Expects the Country’s State-owned Oil Refineries Operational by the End of 2024
Heineken Lokpobiri, the new Oil Minister of Nigeria, stated recently that refurbishment plans at the country's four state oil refineries are continuing and will be completed by the end of 2024. These refineries have been considered very inefficient and decrepit for some time, and Nigeria is hoping to eventually end fuel imports to the country.
Braskem and SCG Chemicals Join Forces to Advance in the Bio-based Ethylene Project in Thailand
Braskem, the leading global biopolymer producer, and SCG Chemicals, a leading petrochemical company in Thailand and Southeast Asia, have signed a joint venture (JV) agreement to create Braskem Siam Company Limited. Subject to clearance from the relevant anti-trust authorities and final investment decision by the partners, this joint venture aims to produce bio-ethylene from bio-ethanol dehydration and to commercialize I'm green TM bio-based polyethylene (PE), using the EtE EverG reen TM technology. The technology results from the partnership agreement between Lummus Technology LLC and Braskem B.V. to develop and license this technology.
