07-02-2023

PetroChina again selects differentiated LyondellBasell Polyethylene (PE) technology

LyondellBasell announced today that PetroChina Jilin Petrochemical Company will again license LyondellBasell’s polyethylene technology at their facility located in Jilin City, Jilin Province, P.R. of China. The newly licensed technology will comprise of LyondellBasell’s leading high-pressure Lupotech process technology which will be used for both a 100 kiloton per year (KTA) Autoclave and a 300 KTA Tubular line. Both production trains will produce mainly low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA). Furthermore, an additional 400 KTA Hostalen “Advanced Cascade Process” (ACP) line for the production of high density polyethylene (HDPE) will be built at the same time.

“We are pleased to be able to license additional LyondellBasell polyethylene technology in this project as PetroChina Jilin Petrochemical Company is an important existing licensee with whom we have had a long and successful history,” said Neil Nadalin, Director Global Licensing and Services at LyondellBasell. Nadalin added: “The newly added lines will include our state-of-the-art high-pressure Lupotech technology as well as our multi-modal HDPE technology enabling PetroChina to produce differentiated polyethylene resins”.

“We are very satisfied with the first Hostalen unit running on our site in China and we are excited to add a new multi-modal HDPE line using the Hostalen ACP technology,  stated Mr. Han Zhiqun, Chief Engineer of PetroChina Jilin. “Furthermore, we are eager to expand our future product portfolio into differentiated low-density polyethylene resins by applying the LyondellBasell Lupotech Autoclave and Tubular processes. This newly added capacity will help us to foster our ambitions in supporting the global energy transition in being able to best serve the solar panel lamination and encapsulant market."

Decades of experience in high-pressure application design makes the LyondellBasell Lupotech process the preferred technology for EVA/LDPE plant operators. High reliability, unmatched conversion rates and effective process heat integration are key attributes of the Lupotech process, designed to ensure this technology’s on-going energy efficiency. More than 15,000 KTA of LyondellBasell high pressure LDPE technology has been licensed by LyondellBasell in over 80 lines around the world.

The Hostalen ACP process technology manufactures high performance, multi-modal HDPE resins with an industry-leading stiffness/toughness balance, impact resistance, high stress cracking resistance and process advantages are used in pressure pipe, film and blow molding applications. The PetroChina HDPE plants will commence operations using Avant Z 501 and Avant Z509-1 catalysts to produce a full range of multi-modal HDPE products.

New licensees take advantage of LyondellBasell’s in-house expertise of continuous production improvement, product development according to the latest environmental regulations, and our know-how in high pressure design, by optionally joining our Technical Service program.

In addition to the Hostalen ACP, Lupotech T and Lupotech A process technology, the LyondellBasell licensing portfolio of polyolefin processes and catalysts includes:

Spherizone — The breakthrough multi-zone circulating reactor provides a unique and innovative platform to manufacture polypropylene products with novel architecture and enhanced properties.

Spheripol — The leading polypropylene (PP) process technology with more than 33 million tons of licensed capacity. With globally recognized quality grades featuring leading monomer yield and investment costs to make it the technology of choice.

Avant — Advanced Ziegler-Natta, including non-phthalate, chromium and metallocene catalysts for entire range of polyolefin production.