The Package Technology for Manufacturing PO/TBA via the SELOx Process Passed Appraisal

On February 27, 2021 the package technology for manufacturing propylene oxide/tertiary-butyl alcohol (PO/TBA) via the SELOx process and its commercialization project developed and undertaken by the Beijing Shuimu-Binhua Science and Technology Co., Ltd., a joint venture founded by the Binzhou Chemical Group (BCG) and the Tsinghua University, passed the appraisal of scientific achievements organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF).

The PO/TBA commercial production unit is a core unit of the project for comprehensive utilization of C3/C4hydrocarbons owned by the Binzhou Chemical Group (BCG). The said C3/C4hydrocarbons utilization project is located in the Harbour side Chemical Industry Area of Binzhou city, Shandong province, and its construction will be composed of two phases, with the total investment amounting to 42.9 billion RMB. The investment in the first phase project is around 12.8 billion RMB in order to construct a 600 kt/a unit for manufacture of propylene via propane dehydrogenation,an 800 kt/a butane isomerization unit, a 300 kt/a unit for manufacture of PO with coproduction of 780 kt/a of TBA,and an 150 kt/a ammonia synthesis unit.

The said PO/TBA unit has successfully implemented the commercial scale test, after having operated smoothly for 72 hours in December 2020. In the future, BCG will continue to improve the production process to make it more advanced and feasible in engineering technology so that its process economics and commercial value could be further enhanced.