31-01-2018

UkrGasVydobuvannya selects Honeywell UOP’s HYT-4118 Unity hydrotreating catalyst

Honeywell today announced that UkrGasVydobuvannya (UGV) has begun using Honeywell UOP’s HYT-4118 Unity hydrotreating catalyst to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel at the Shebelinsky refinery in Andreyevka, Kharkov Region, in eastern Ukraine.

The HYT-4118 catalyst removes sulfur from petroleum feeds that are used to make distillate, the raw material for making cleaner-burning diesel fuel. The catalyst is designed for use in low- to medium-pressure ultra-low sulfur diesel hydrotreating units, providing high activity and stability for longer cycle lengths with low hydrogen consumption. It works with a range of feedstocks including straight run diesel, light cycle oils, light coker gas oils and other cracked feedstocks.

“UGV chose the HYT-4118 catalyst because of its ability to produce diesel fuel that meets the Euro V emissions standard while conserving hydrogen,” said Mike Cleveland, senior business director for Honeywell UOP’s refining catalysts product line. “The catalyst meets UGV’s requirements for performance, product quality and economics.”

Hydrotreating is a critical step in the refining process where hydrogen and a proprietary catalyst are used to remove sulfur and other contaminants before conversion into transportation fuels. The process produces a cleaner-burning diesel fuel product that meets stricter fuel regulations such as the Euro V standard, which specifies sulfur content of less than 10 parts per million in transportation fuels.

Honeywell UOP’s line of Unity catalysts includes more than two dozen hydrotreating catalysts for hydrocracking and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) pre-treat, and diesel, kerosene and coker naphtha hydrotreating. Honeywell UOP also offers catalysts for naphtha hydrotreating and FCC gasoline desulfurization.

Honeywell UOP inaugurated the use of catalysts in the refining industry in 1931, beginning with solid phosphoric acid. This and subsequent processes significantly raised the yield of high-octane transportation fuels. Today, Honeywell UOP is recognized as a leading developer of advanced catalysts for the refining industry.

According to the International Energy Association (EIA), global demand growth for transportation fuels is shifting toward emerging economies with a diesel bias, while quality specifications for international marine fuels will drive a shift from residual fuel oil to marine diesel. Trucks, which are a key enabler of commercial activity in emerging economies, will lead to a significant increase in carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 900 million tonnes through 2050, heightening the need for cleaner-burning diesel fuels.

UkrGasVydobuvannya is the largest natural gas producer in Central and Eastern Europe accounting for 75% of natural gas production in Ukraine. UkrGasVydobuvannya is a vertically integrated company with closed-cycle operations, from exploration of gas and crude oil reserves, field development, production, pre-treatment, transportation, processing the entire volume of produced hydrocarbon feedstock at own facilities with the full process cycle of oil refining to sales in the domestic market of Ukraine.