Revolutionary Contract Secured by Clariant and Lummus for Groundbreaking Plant in China

Clariant, a company dedicated to sustainability and specializing in chemicals, has partnered with Lummus Technology to secure a contract with Huizhou Boeko Materials Co. Ltd. This contract will see them providing their state-of-the-art CATOFIN catalyst and process technology for the dehydrogenation of isobutane at a new plant in Huizhou City, China. The technology for the process has been exclusively licensed by Lummus Technology, and the customized catalyst will be supplied by Clariant. Notably, this is the first time that Huizhou Boeko will be implementing the CATOFIN technology at one of their sites.

The contract encompasses the technology license and basic engineering. Once operational, the plant is projected to deliver an impressive 550,000 metric tons per annum (MTA) of net isobutylene, which will feed into the subsequent production of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). The highly efficient CATOFIN process utilizes fixed-bed reactors and operates at an optimal reactor pressure and temperature to maximize catalytic dehydrogenation of isobutane, resulting in high yields of isobutylene at low investment and operating costs.

According to Jens Cuntze, Business President Catalysts and APAC at Clariant, “We are delighted to deliver our industry leading CATOFIN catalyst to this first Huizhou Boeko plant and look forward to a fruitful partnership. CATOFIN offers excellent reliability and productivity, yielding superior annual production output, which in turn leads to increased overall profitability for the plant.”

Furthermore, in a move to cater to the increasing demand, Clariant has recently established a new CATOFIN catalyst plant with substantial production capacity in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China in April 2023 to ensure close proximity to customers like Huizhou Boeko. Since its commercial launch in 2017, CATOFIN has been selected for 39 new projects worldwide, with over 50% of these plants located in China, reflecting the company’s dedication to meet the requirements of their clients in the region.

This development underscores the commitment of both Clariant and Lummus Technology to pioneering solutions that meet the evolving demands of the industry while also advancing sustainability and setting new standards of excellence in the chemicals and plant technology sector.