Honeywell Technology to Help Indian Oil Corporation Meet New Clean Fuels Specifications

Unique purification technology is essential to oil refining operations

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Jul 25, 2018, 10:03 ET

DES PLAINES, Ill., July 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) has chosen Honeywell UOP's Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology to supply high-quality hydrogen at five of its refineries. Hydrogen is essential to the refining process, where it is used to decontaminate oil and facilitate catalytic processes that produce clean-burning fuels, including those that meet the Indian government's strict Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) environmental standards.

Under the terms of the agreement, Honeywell UOP will provide new PSA units to IOCL refineries at Gujarat, Panipat, and Mathura, and will upgrade existing hydrogen plants with UOP's Polybed™ PSA technology at refineries in Haldia, Guwahati and Gujarat. Together, the six projects will generate 166,000 tons per year of new hydrogen capacity, representing an almost 30 percent increase for IOCL.

"Honeywell UOP's hydrogen technology is part of IOCL's efforts to produce BS-VI fuels before the end of 2019," said Mike Banach, regional general manager for Honeywell UOP India. "This is a project of national importance to help India reduce pollution and improve its quality of life."

IOCL chose Honeywell UOP technology due to its performance, superior economics and ability to meet an aggressive delivery schedule driven by India's BS-VI emissions standards. UOP PSA technology features new UOP adsorbents that recover high levels of hydrogen. The project includes a substantial amount of Indian-made components and domestic fabrication, in line with the government's "Make in India" program.

When the project is completed, the additional hydrogen produced each year will have a value to IOCL of about US$400 million.

"Hydrogen is as essential to refining as oil, and it's generated on-purpose and as a byproduct of refining processes," Banach said. "The PSA technology recovers and purifies this hydrogen so it can be used elsewhere in the refinery to remove impurities and to perform catalytic processes that transform crude oil into clean fuels and other products."

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, has interests across the entire hydrocarbon value-chain, including refining, pipeline transportation, marketing of petroleum products, exploration and production of crude oil, natural gas, and petrochemicals. The company was founded in 1959 and is based in New Delhi, India.

Honeywell UOP (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. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell's Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com), 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 software-industrial company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace and automotive products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, cars, homes and buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Honeywell