Albemarle signs Heads of Agreement in field of hydrocracking with Sinopec Catalyst Co. and Sinopec Fushun Research Institute

Albemarle Corporation, a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced that it has signed a Heads of Agreement in the field of heavy feedstock hydrocracking for the company’s catalysts business unit.

Sinopec Catalyst Co. Ltd. (SCC), Sinopec Fushun Research Institute of Petroleum and Petrochemicals (FRIPP), and Albemarle’s catalysts business are combining strengths by cooperating in the field of catalytic hydrocracking. The cooperation will be worldwide and on a non-exclusive basis.  Albemarle, SCC and FRIPP will combine forces to be the supplier of choice for supplying hydrocracking pre-treat and hydrocracking catalysts and expertise.

“We are pleased to strengthen our position in hydrocracking by this Heads of Agreement with SCC and FRIPP,” said Silvio Ghyoot, Albemarle’s president, Catalysts. “We look forward to developing this Heads of Agreement further towards a productive business cooperation from which a number of customers around the globe will benefit.”

Gu Songyuan, president of Sinopec Catalyst Co., stated, “Albemarle is a trusted catalyst supplier in the industry which is why we pursued a partnership with them.  Together, we will offer the global refining industry strong profitable solutions for heavy feedstock hydrocracking by combining solid hydrotreating and hydrocracking expertise.”

Fang Xiangchen, president of Sinopec Fushun Research Institute of Petroleum and Petrochemicals, added, “Combining FRIPP’s hydrocracking pilot plant expertise, references and application knowledge with Albemarle’shydrotreating know-how will lead to great added value propositions for refiners, enhancing their profitability in a significant way.”

Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C, U.S.A., is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and refining catalysts.

Sinopec Catalyst Co., Ltd. (SCC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SINOPEC, is one of the world’s biggest manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers for oil refining and chemical catalysts. SCC produces oil refining catalysts, polyolefin catalysts, catalysts for basic organic raw materials, coal chemical catalysts, environmental protection catalysts, additives and absorbents.

Sinopec Fushun (Dalian) Research Institute of Petroleum and Petrochemicals is a research institute directly under SINOPEC. Hydroprocessing is the core area of Fushun (Dalian) Research Institute of Petroleum and Petrochemicals and its achievements and R&D capabilities rank world leading edge. In particular, in hydrocracking, FRIPP has developed high-pressure hydrocracking, medium pressure hydrocracking, mild hydrocracking, medium pressure hydro upgrading, etc. and matched hydrocracking catalysts with more than 50 brands in more than 10 categories. Its main research areas are: clean refining technologies focusing on clean production of gasoline and diesel, efficient conversion of heavy oil, and development of high value-added products; new energy technologies focusing on emerging energy resources, biomass energy resources and the exploitation of unconventional oil products; and utility technologies focusing on water-related affairs, environmental protection, equipment, storage, transport, energy conservation, energy storage, and intelligent power.