Hengli Petrochemical Co. Ltd., based in Dalian, China, has selected Axens to supply technologies for its petrochemical project to be located at Changxing Island in China’s Liaoning Province. This “crude-to-paraxylene” complex with a capacity of processing 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude will supply high purity paraxylene to purified terephthalic acid (PET) plants.

Hengli Petrochemical is part of the Hengli Group, which ranks 11th in China’s top 100 private enterprises, with sales volume in 2014 of RM 163 billion (USD 25 billion). The Hengli Group has a diverse portfolio, ranging from petrochemical, polyester, chemical fiber, weaving, thermal power, machinery, hotel and real estate.

The petrochemical complex includes a final conversion refinery oriented towards the production of naphtha and an aromatic complex to maximize high purity paraxylene production.

The new complex will be the largest site in the world for the production of high purity paraxylene along with LPG, gasoline and diesel fuels meeting China 5 specifications, jet fuel and lubricating base oils.

Axens, an IFP Energies nouvelles group company, located in the western suburb of Paris, is an international provider of advanced technologies (licensor), catalysts, adsorbents and services (technical assistance, consulting) to the refining, petrochemical, gas and alternative fuels industries. The main scope of Axens’ business is focused on the conversion of oil, gas, biomass and coal to fuels and major petrochemical intermediates. Axens’ large technology portfolio and ability to maximize naphtha production, and therefore paraxylene production, were key criteria for selecting Axens as the main technology provider.

As part of the project, Axens will provide the following technologies to Hengli Petrochemical:
• Two parallel trains of HOil ™ units, using ebullated bed technology, for the hydroconversion of vacuum residue, combined with a Solvahl™ deasphalting unit for processing the unconverted residue
• Two hydrocracking (HyK™) units for processing straight run vacuum distillate and those produced by the HOil™ unit along with the deasphalted oil from the Solvahl™ unit
• Two parallel trains of hydrocracking units to process atmospheric gasoil in maximum naphtha production mode
• One naphtha hydrotreating unit
• Three parallel aromizing™ units using a continuous catalytic regenerative (CCR) reforming process to maximize aromatics production from naphtha
• Two parallel Aromatics chains using Eluxyl® 1.15 technology for paraxylene purification combined with Oparis® technology for full isomerization of other C aromatics into paraxylene
• One MTBE unit