KBR’s SCORE Technology Based Ethylene Unit Commissioned at Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical Complex

KBR Inc., a US-based engineering, procurement, and construction service provider announced the successful commissioning of Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical Co., Ltd.'s (Sinochem Quanzhou) 1,000 KTPA Ethylene plant in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China. Sinochem Quanzhou's new Ethylene project is an initial step towards the second-phase development of the operator’s 12 MMTPA integrated refining and petrochemical complex which was started in June 2014. Equipped with KBR’s proprietary Selective Cracking Optimum Recovery (SCORE™) technology and SCORE SC-1 furnaces which guarantee high product yields, the new Ethylene plant will operate to satisfy the company’s captive demand in addition to serving its downstream petrochemicals unit which include its 400 KTPA high-density polyethylene (HDPE) unit and a 130 KTPA butadiene extraction unit, among others.

Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical Co. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinochem Group Co. Ltd., is aiming to increase its crude processing capacity through its chemical integration strategies. As per the company officials, this strong collaboration would enable KBR, a global technology provider in olefins plant design for more than 50 years, to strengthen its global presence. Till date, KBR has licensed more than 100 grassroots Ethylene plants with cost-effective and energy efficient cracking technologies and suitable plant designs to produce Ethylene, Propylene and other olefins using a variety feedstocks.

ChemAnalyst envisions this step as another milestone for the Chinese petrochemicals industry to embark on its journey of becoming the topmost petrochemicals producer and refiner in the world. China held around 45% share in the total Asian Ethylene demand in 2020 and looking at the massive capacity additions by the country's leading oil refiners, the demand is anticipated to show a massive growth in the coming 5-6 years.