First Propylene Production Unit Using Technology From Honeywell's UOP Reaches Project Capacity In Russia, Helping Offset Worldwide Propylene Shortage

UOP Oleflex™ technology meeting design capacity of 510,000 metric tons annually of high-quality propylene to meet growing demand

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Honeywell

Dec 16, 2014, 09:10 ET

DES PLAINES, Ill., Dec. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- UOP LLC, a Honeywell (NYSE: HON) company, announced today that UOP C₃ Oleflex™ process technology started up and has been successfully operating in Russia, producing high-quality propylene to help meet the global supply shortage of the valuable plastics building block.

Russia's OOO Tobolsk-Polymer facility, which became the largest Oleflex production unit in the world, is meeting design capacity of 510,000 metric tons annually (MTA) of propylene at its facility in Western Siberia.

"Petrochemical makers are installing additional propylene capacity to meet growing demand and to make up for the shortage of propylene production from traditional refining and petrochemical sources," said Pete Piotrowski, senior vice president and general manager of UOP's Process Technology and Equipment business unit. "Oleflex has been a leading technology for converting propane to propylene for more than 20 years, and the start-up of the first Oleflex unit in Russia demonstrates both the need for more propylene capacity in the country, as well as the value of the technology."

Global propylene demand is growing at about 4 to 5 percent per year. Russia is expected to be a large contributor to propylene production due to the country's diversification into the petrochemicals sector, which has seen substantial investment in the polyethylene and polypropylene industries, according to GlobalData.

"We licensed UOP Oleflex technology because it perfectly fits our feedstock profile, it is in line with our strategic goals to invest in propylene derivatives, particularly in polypropylene, and because Oleflex is more competitive than most other technologies available on the market," said Sergey Komyshan, SIBUR's Managing Director – Head of Basic Polymers Division. "We are one of the region's largest polypropylene producers, and are in the top quartile of the most efficient polypropylene production facilities globally in terms of cash costs. UOP Oleflex technology is well-aligned with our goals to sustain continued growth and market success."

The C₃ Oleflex process uses catalytic dehydrogenation to convert propane to propylene. Compared with competing processes, UOP's C₃ Oleflex technology provides the lowest cash cost of production, the highest return on investment and the smallest environmental footprint. This superior performance is characterized by low capital cost, high propylene yields, low energy and water consumption, and use of a fully recyclable platinum alumina-based catalyst system. In addition to the C₃Oleflex process, UOP also licenses its C₄ Oleflex technology, a butane dehydrogenation process to convert isobutane to isobutylene.

OOO Tobolsk-Polymer, a subsidiary of SIBUR Holding JSC, produces a wide range of high-quality polypropylene used to manufacture goods in Russia and abroad. The facility is located in Tobolsk in the Tymen region of Russia.

UOP LLC (www.uop.com) is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. UOP is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc. and is part of Honeywell's Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions, a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.

This release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. The forward-looking statements included in this release are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting our operations, markets, products, services and prices. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those envisaged by such forward-looking statements. We identify the principal risks and uncertainties that affect our performance in our Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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