Zhejiang Shaoxing Sanjin Petrochemical (Shaoxing, Zhejiang / China) has started up a new propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant in Shaoxing, Zhejiang / China. The plant, based on UOP’s (Des Plaines, Illinois / USA; www.uop.com) “Oleflex” technology, has the capacity to produce 450,000 t/y of propylene.

China’s propylene consumption accounts for more than 15% of worldwide demand, which is growing at about 5-6% per year, according to UOP. By 2020, 20% of the world's propylene production is expected to come from on-purpose propylene production technologies, including PDH, said Pete Piotrowski, senior vice president and general manager of UOP's process technology and equipment business.

In addition to technology licensing, UOP provided engineering design, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, staff training and technical service for the Zhejiang Shaoxing Sanjin Petrochemical project. Zhejiang Shaoxing Sanjin Petrochemical, which is a subsidiary of PP films producer Zhejiang Fuling Holding Group (Shaoxing / China), is the second company in China to commission a UOP C3 Oleflex process unit (see Plasteurope.com of 09.01.2015), increasing the global propylene production capacity from UOP technology to approximately 3.8m t/y, UOP said.