The Wison Clean Energy Co plant, the first commercial-scale facility to use the UOP-Hydro MTO process technology, has been operating since September and is successfully meeting expectations for the quality and quantity of light olefins, as well as other performance criteria.

UOP is a Honeywell company.

The Wison facility is using UOP’s Advance MTO process that combines the UOP-Hydro MTO process and the Total-UOP Olefin Cracking process.

The combination significantly increases yields and feedstock efficiency.

The process converts methanol, which can be derived from low-cost raw materials such as coal or natural gas, into ethylene and propylene.

Based on proprietary UOP catalysts, the Advanced MTO process provides high yields with low operating costs.

MTO also offers flexibility in the ratio of propylene to ethylene produced, so operators can adjust plant operations to most effectively address market demands.

“MTO technology allows countries and regions that are rich in coal or natural gas to cost effectively and efficiently convert those resources into high yields of valuable petrochemicals to meet growing world demand,” Honeywell UOP Process Technology and Equipment business unit senior vice-president and general manager Pete Piotrowski said.

“Our technology offers the lowest operating cost, quick and efficient start up and operational reliability.

“Wison is the first of four manufacturers that have licensed UOP MTO technology and we continue to see great interest in this technology in China and elsewhere.”

The Wison plant has an annual production capacity of 300,000t a year of ethylene and propylene.

UOP provided technology licences, basic engineering, catalysts, adsorbents, specialty equipment and technical services for the plant.

Wison Engineering senior vice-president and executive director Liu Haijun said the production facility was an important milestone for the technology, Wison and China.

He said it was facilitating the “coal-to-chemicals industry development roadmap in China”

“The close cooperation between Wison Engineering and UOP on the technological front has pushed forward the development of the MTO technology and the upgrading of the modern coal-to-chemicals industry.”