Hubei Sanning To Use Honeywell Hydrogen Technology To Produce Plastics From Coal

First use of Honeywell UOP technology in a coal-to-MEG plant in China

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Aug 01, 2018, 10:03 ET

DES PLAINES, Ill., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that Hubei Sanning Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. will use Honeywell UOP's Polybed™ Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology to supply high-quality hydrogen at its monoethylene glycol (MEG) plant at Zhijiang in China's Hubei Province.

The Hubei Sanning plant will use the hydrogen to produce MEG – commonly used to make polyester resins, films and fibers -- manufactured from coal. The new PSA unit is designed to generate 165,000 cubic meters of hydrogen per hour.

"This is the first application in China of the Honeywell UOP PSA technology in an MEG chemical plant," said Henry Liu, regional general manager for Honeywell UOP China. "It demonstrates the flexibility of Honeywell UOP's hydrogen technologies in a wide range of uses, including chemical manufacturing."

Hubei Sanning chose the Honeywell UOP technology due to its proven reliability, superior economics, and fast delivery and start up schedule. The technology also features new UOP adsorbents that recover hydrogen at very high levels. As a result, the PSA unit can generate hydrogen with purities as high as 99.9999 percent, making it an excellent source for the production of high-quality monoethylene glycol.

The new PSA technology will help Hubei Sanning, which is located near the Yangtze River, meet new environmental regulations. It also is part of the company's plan to modernize its production technology to high-pressure gasification and accommodate a new 600,000 tons-per-annum MEG plant that is scheduled to begin operations next year.

China is rich in coal with reserves of nearly 300 billion tons but imports more than 8 million barrels of oil per day, about a tenth of which is converted into petrochemicals. In China, coal is an increasingly attractive alternative to oil as a petrochemical feedstock. Coal is gasified with water to produce synthesis gas, which is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Each of these components are purified and used in different stages to produce monoethylene glycol.

Hubei Sanning Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. was founded in 1970 and is based in Zhijiang, China. It manufactures chemicals from coal and phosphorous, petrochemicals, and other fine chemicals, as well as hydrochloric acid, alcohols, ammonia, methanol, and fertilizers. The company operates as a subsidiary of Shanxi Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group Co., Ltd.

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