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AMUR GCC Project showing the 9 Linde Pyrolysis Furnaces and the Quench Tower | AGCC website

Amur Gas Chemical Complex: Navigating Technology Licensing Challenges

The Amur Gas Chemical Complex (Amur GCC) exemplifies the intricate balance between technological ambition and geopolitical realities. Originally designed to become the world’s largest polymer production site, the project has faced significant delays due to shifts in technology licensing dynamics, even as its core infrastructure advances.

The Amur GCC Project

Amur GCC stands as one of the most ambitious petrochemical undertakings in Russia’s recent history and a flagship of Russian-Chinese industrial cooperation. Located near Svobodny in the Amur region of Russia’s Far East, the project is a joint venture between SIBUR, Russia’s largest petrochemical company, holding a 60% stake, and China’s Sinopec, which owns the remaining 40%. When completed, Amur GCC will be among the world’s largest producers of base polymers, with a design capacity of 2.7 million tonnes per year—2.3 million tonnes of polyethylene and 400,000 tonnes of polypropylene.

The complex is integrated with the broader Amur gas processing and gas chemical cluster, ensuring direct feedstock supply via pipelines. Gazprom’s Amur Gas Processing Plant (Amur GPP), which processes natural gas from East Siberian fields, will supply the primary feedstock to Amur GCC: ethane (up to 2 million t/y), and LPG (propane/butane, ~1.1 million t/y).

Steam Cracker and Downstream Progress

At the heart of the complex lies its 2.3 million t/y ethylene plant, supplied and partially engineered by Linde before the German firm’s confirmed withdrawal in 2022. Linde’s contributions included delivering critical components like the 1,500-ton quench tower, transported from South Korea to the remote Amur site—a logistical triumph showcased in earlier project updates.



Quench tower delivery to AMUR GCC, Nov 2021 | Credit: Linde Engineering 

By January 2024, SIBUR released a progress video on AGCC status update as of December 2023, confirming that polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) production units were being deployed as originally planned. The footage shows equipment installation for these downstream facilities, suggesting that proprietary technologies from Western licensors—Univation (Unipol PE gas-phase plants), ChevronPhillips Chemical (PE slurry process, undefined if MarTECH Single Loop or Advanced Dual Loop), and LyondellBasell (Spheripol PP Technology)—remain integral to the project. This indicates that either licensing agreements persisted post-2022 or SIBUR/Sinopec retained rights to use the technologies despite licensors’ reduced involvement.



Amur GCC Progress Video, Jan 2024. Reactor in this screenshot is a Slurry Loop Reactor | Credit: Sibur

Licensing Uncertainties and Delays

While Linde publicly exited the project by July 2022, when part of the equipment, including the pyrolysis unit, had already been built, SIBUR and Sinopec decided to reconsider the strategy for implementing the project, redesigned it and replaced contractors and license holders for the polyethylene and polypropylene lines. To this date, the status of other Western partners remains ambiguous as public disclosures from SIBUR and Sinopec have not clarified whether CPChem, Univation, or LyondellBasell continue to provide technical support or if their pre-sanction contracts are being honored. The lack of explicit withdrawal announcements contrasts with the project’s two-year delay.



Amur GCC Progress Video, Jan 2024. Reactor in this screenshot is likely a Gas Phase Unipol PE reactor | Credit: Sibur

It is a matter of speculation if SIBUR and Sinopec may be relying on existing licenses, in-house expertise, or third-party intermediaries to proceed with the original technologies. The January 2024 video underscores that downstream unit construction aligns with initial designs, implying that the licensors’ intellectual property is still being utilized, albeit without confirmed active collaboration.

Construction began in August 2020 and mechanical completion has been delayed to 2026 (originally 2024–25). Despite licensing headwinds, the Amur GCC achieved 76% mechanical completion by mid-May 2025 with commercial polyethylene production to start by Q3 2026, polypropylene production and full operations expected to follow in 2027 (source: interfax.com).

Strategic Implications

The Amur GCC’s trajectory highlights the resilience of large-scale petrochemical projects in the face of geopolitical disruptions. While Linde’s exit created logistical and technical gaps, the continued use of Western-designed downstream technologies—whether through preserved licenses or workarounds—demonstrates SIBUR and Sinopec’s commitment to delivering a world-class facility. The complex’s success will hinge on operationalizing these units without direct licensor support, a challenge that could redefine global norms for technology transfer in sanctioned environments. For now, the Amur GCC stands as a testament to both international collaboration’s potential and its fragility in an era of shifting alliances.

#linde  #univation  #lyondellbasell  #chevronphillips  #cpchem  #sibur  #amurgcc  #sinopec 
#steamcracker  #ethyleneplant  #amur  #russia  #unipolpe  #martech  #slurryloop  #gasphasepe  #spheripol  #polyethylene  #polypropylene  #ethane  #lpg 

Ras Laffan and Golden Triangle complexes' mass balances, technologies and flow charts | Sites' models by Portfolio Planning PLUS

Qatar Energy is embarking on a major expansion of its petrochemicals business, signaling a transformative phase for the country’s industrial sector and its global energy ambitions. The state-owned company has announced plans to more than double its petrochemical production capacity, with significant investments in both Qatar and the United States. This expansion is centered around the construction of world-scale ethane-based crackers, designed to meet the anticipated surge in global demand for plastics and chemical products as the industry shifts toward cleaner and more efficient energy sources.

At the heart of this strategy is the $6 billion Ras Laffan Petrochemical Complex, currently under construction in Ras Laffan Industrial City, about 80 kilometers north of Doha. This facility will house an ethane cracker with an ethylene production capacity of 2.1 million metric tons per year (MMtpy), making it the largest in the Middle East and one of the largest globally. The complex will also feature two polyethylene trains capable of producing a combined 1.7 MMtpy of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), raising Qatar’s overall HDPE output by about 50% and increasing ethylene production capacity by more than 40%. The project is a joint venture between Qatar Energy, which holds a 70% stake, and Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem), which owns the remaining 30%.

The Ras Laffan complex is expected to be operational by the end of 2026, at which point it will propel Qatar’s total petrochemical production capacity to approximately 14 million tons per year. This marks the largest single investment in Qatar Energy’s downstream sector and is a cornerstone of the company’s broader strategy to reinforce its position as a leading global energy player. The project is also notable for its focus on sustainability, with energy-saving technologies and emissions-reduction measures designed to lower the facility’s environmental footprint compared to similar plants worldwide.

Parallel to its domestic expansion, Qatar Energy is also investing heavily in the United States. In partnership with CPChem, the company is developing the Golden Triangle Polymers Plant in Orange, Texas. With a planned ethylene capacity of 2.1 MMtpy and two polyethylene units totaling 2.0 MMtpy, this $8.5 billion facility is expected to be one of the largest of its kind globally. Production is scheduled to commence in 2026, and the bulk of its output will be aimed at export markets, supporting the growing global demand for polyethylene products used in packaging, consumer goods, and industrial applications.

Qatari energy minister and Qatar Energy CEO Saad al-Kaabi said gas will be the world's energy "backbone"

These projects are underpinned by Qatar’s abundant natural gas resources, particularly from the North Field, the world’s largest non-associated natural gas field. The North Field Expansion project, which will increase Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity from 77 million to 110 million tons per year, is closely linked to the supply of feedstock for the new petrochemical facilities. Qatar Energy’s integrated approach, leveraging both upstream and downstream assets, is designed to maximize the value of its natural gas reserves and ensure long-term competitiveness in the global energy market.

Qatar Energy’s CEO, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, has emphasized that gas will remain a backbone for industry, power, chemicals, and food production for decades to come. He notes that the company’s investments in petrochemicals are a natural extension of its LNG leadership, enabling it to diversify revenues and support the country’s economic development. The projects also reflect a broader industry trend, with petrochemical producers worldwide investing in ethane crackers to capitalize on the availability of low-cost feedstock and to adapt to evolving market dynamics.

In summary, Qatar Energy’s aggressive expansion in the petrochemicals sector—both at home and abroad—signals a new era for the company and the country. By doubling its capacity and investing in state-of-the-art, environmentally conscious facilities, Qatar is positioning itself as a major global hub for petrochemical production, poised to benefit from the long-term growth in demand for plastics and chemical products worldwide.

#qatarenergy  #chevronphillips  #cpchem  #qatar  #naturalgas  #lng  #steamcracking  #worldscale  #goldentriangle  #raslaffan 

Chevron Phillips Chemical's Singapore HDPE complex | Credit: Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.

Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) has agreed to sell its entire stake in Chevron Phillips Singapore Chemicals (CPSC), a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) manufacturing joint venture located on Jurong Island, Singapore. The buyer, Aster Chemicals and Energy—a joint venture between Indonesia’s Chandra Asri and global commodities trader Glencore—will acquire CPChem’s 50% interest, alongside stakes held by Singapore’s EDB Investments and Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical. The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed, and the deal is subject to customary closing conditions.

CPSC’s facility, with an annual capacity of 400,000 metric tons of HDPE, is a significant supplier to regional markets, sourcing ethylene feedstock from local partners. The plant employs around 150 people, who are expected to be offered positions with Aster to support a smooth transition and maintain operational continuity.

This divestment aligns with CPChem’s broader strategy to streamline its global asset base and focus on more integrated, higher-margin operations. Despite the sale, CPChem will maintain its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore, ensuring continued engagement with the region’s markets.

For Aster, this acquisition expands its manufacturing presence in Southeast Asia, complementing its recent purchase of Shell’s refinery and petrochemical assets in Singapore. The addition of CPSC’s HDPE plant is expected to strengthen Aster’s product portfolio and support its regional growth ambitions.

Overall, the transaction reflects ongoing changes in the global petrochemical sector, with companies seeking greater integration and efficiency. For Singapore, it highlights the continued attractiveness of Jurong Island as a site for advanced chemical manufacturing.

#capcg  #aster  #cpchem  #shell  #singapore  #refinery  #petrochemicals  #acquisition  #martech  #hdpe  #cpchem  #glencore 

Scaling New Heights: How Univation and Industry Rivals Are Redefining Polyethylene Production Capacity and Flexibility

The polyethylene (PE) production industry is experiencing a remarkable transformation, driven by advances in process technology and a relentless pursuit of scale and efficiency. At the center of this evolution is Univation Technologies, which recently announced a new UNIPOL™ PE Process design capable of producing 800,000 tonnes per year. This announcement marks a significant leap forward in the scale of single-line PE production, underscoring the company’s commitment to pushing technological boundaries while maintaining the flexibility to meet diverse market needs.

Univation’s journey toward ever-greater production capacities is a testament to decades of innovation. The company’s first UNIPOL™ PE plant, built in 1989, had a capacity of 225,000 tonnes per year, which at the time was a world record for a single-reactor PE facility. By 2016, the landscape had changed dramatically, with more than twenty operating lines each producing at least 400,000 tonnes per year, and single-line capacities reaching today 650,000 tonnes. The latest 800,000 tonnes per year design represents a substantial 23 percent increase over the previous benchmark, and the scale of this expansion is even more striking when considering that a 150,000-tonne increase is equivalent to the entire output of a typical reactor from the 1970s, highlighting the extraordinary progress that has been made in reactor engineering and process optimization.

A key differentiator for the UNIPOL™ PE Process is its product flexibility, enabled by a sophisticated portfolio of catalysts. By selecting from a dedicated line of catalysts, producers can seamlessly switch between a full spectrum of PE products, including metallocene-based resins, bimodal and unimodal HDPE, and LLDPE, all within the same reactor. This versatility allows manufacturers to respond rapidly to changing market demands without the need for costly and time-consuming reactor modifications, setting UNIPOL™ PE apart from many competing technologies, which often require dedicated lines for each product type.

The race for the world’s highest-capacity PE plant is intensifying, with Univation’s latest announcement coming on the heels of significant developments from Chevron Phillips Chemical (CP Chem). CP Chem’s MarTech™ single-loop slurry process is now being deployed at a massive scale, with the Golden Triangle project in Texas featuring two HDPE lines, each with a capacity of 1,000,000 tonnes (1 million tonnes) per year, and a similar scale project with two HDPE lines, each with a capacity of 850,000 tonnes per year at the Ras Laffan Petrochemical Complex in Qatar. While CPChem has focused on maximizing HDPE production through specialized lines, Univation’s approach emphasizes both scale and product diversity, offering producers a compelling combination of flexibility and efficiency.

Achieving such immense reactor capacities is a feat of engineering that cannot be overstated. Scaling up polymerization reactors to handle up to 1 million tonnes per year and beyond requires overcoming significant technical challenges. Advanced cooling systems, real-time temperature controls, and innovative designs are essential to manage the intense heat and mixing requirements of high-throughput polymerization, as well as enhancing operational reliability and efficiency, ensuring that these mega-plants can run safely and consistently at peak performance.

In this rapidly evolving landscape, access to accurate and up-to-date technical information is more important than ever. Platforms like portfolio planning PLUS (ppPLUS) have emerged as invaluable resources for industry professionals, offering open-access, collaborative tools for tracking global PE plant deployments. Through ppPLUS, users can explore detailed information on PE plants worldwide, visualize production clusters, and contribute data on plant capacities, technology choices, and mass balances. This level of transparency and collaboration supports better decision-making and accelerates the adoption of best practices across the industry.

In summary, the latest advances in PE production technology, exemplified by Univation’s 800,000 tonnes per year UNIPOL™ PE Process and CP Chem’s MarTech mega-projects, are redefining the limits of scale and flexibility in polymer manufacturing. These achievements are not only a testament to the ingenuity of process engineers but also a harbinger of a more efficient, responsive, and interconnected global PE industry. As collaborative platforms like ppPLUS continue to democratize access to technical knowledge, the pace of innovation is likely to accelerate, shaping the future of plastics production for decades to come.

#hdpe  #lldpe  #bimodal  #metallocene  #univation  #unipol  #martech  #slurryloop  #gasphase  #massbalance #cpchem  #chevronphillips 

Silleno project has been modelled, with technologies and their respective capacity identified, excepted for the ethylene  dimerization process.
 

#silleno #kazakhstan  #axens  #alphabutol  #cpchem  #martech  #adl  #martechadl  #dualloop  #bimodal  #univation  #unipolpe  #lummus  #steamcracker  #srt  #steamcracking  #gascracker  #ethylene  #polyethylene 

Dec 16, 2024 | Phillips 66 News Release

Two world-scale joint venture projects being developed by Chevron Phillips Chemical Company (CPChem) and QatarEnergy remain on track to start operations in 2026, Phillips 66 said on Monday. Phillips 66 and Chevron hold equal stakes in Chevron Phillips Chemical.

The US project is Golden Triangle Polymers, an integrated polyethylene (PE) complex in Orange, Texas. Chevron Phillips holds a 51% stake, and construction started in 2023.

The Qatari project in Ras Laffan is another integrated PE project. It is a 70:30 joint venture between QatarEnergy and CP Chem. Construction on this project started in 2024.

Remarquably, these two ethane crackers employing Technip tecnology will be the world's two largest, producing each above 2 Mt/a of ethylene when they are starting up, and each of the two CPChem MarTECH Single Loop polymerization plants also the world's largest with an output of 1 Mt/a of HDPE each at Golden Triangle and 850 Kt/a each at Ras Laffan.


#phillips  #chevron  #qatarenergy  #cpchem  #technip  #martech  #slurryloop  #ethylene  #polyethylene  #raslaffan  #goldentriangle  #steamcracking

PE, PP, steam cracking, RFCC technologies and their production capacities have been identified. Mass balance improvement performed.


#unipolpp  #martech  #dualloop  #martechadl  #technip  #rfcc  #wrgrace  #cpchem 

 

*Excludes non-cash finance leases of $43 MM in Refining, $30 MM in Midstream and $2 MM in Corporate and Other.
** Our share of joint ventures’ capital spending.

December 16, 2024 | Phillips 66 News Release

Phillips 66 announced a 2025 capital budget of $2.1 billion, including $998 million for sustaining capital and $1.1 billion for growth capital. The budget underscores Phillips 66 dedication to delivering value to shareholders by funding growth in the NGL wellhead-to-market value chain and further enhancing refining competitiveness.

▪️ In Midstream, the capital budget of $975 million comprises $429 million for sustaining projects and $546 million for growth projects. ▪️ The budget advances the integrated NGL wellhead-to-market value chain by strengthening the company’s position in key basins, including increasing gas processing capacity.
▪️ In Refining, Phillips 66 plans to invest $822 million, including $414 million for sustaining capital. Refining growth capital of $408 million supports the company’s commitment to high-return, low-capital projects.
▪️ The Marketing and Specialties capital budget reflects the continued enhancement of the company’s branded network.
The Renewable Fuels capital budget reflects investments at the Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex toward the optimization of feedstocks and logistics for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel production.
Corporate and Other capital will primarily fund information technology projects.

Phillips 66’s proportionate share of capital spending by joint ventures Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC (CPChem) and WRB Refining LP (WRB) is expected to total $877 million and be self-funded. Including Phillips 66’s proportionate share of capital spending associated with joint ventures CPChem and WRB, the company’s total 2025 capital program is projected to be $3 billion.

▪️ CPChem’s growth capital will continue to fund the construction of world-scale petrochemical facilities on the U.S. Gulf Coast and in Ras Laffan, Qatar, through joint ventures. The facilities are expected to start up in 2026.
▪️ WRB’s capital spending will primarily be directed to sustaining projects.

#phillips  #chevron  #wrb  #refining  #renewablediesel  #saf  #aviationfuel  #ngl  #cpchem  #raslaffan  #quatar  #usgc  #goldentriangle  #rodeo 

Alterra closes investment round with the expectation to accelerate the commercialisation of its plastics pyrolysis technology

Investors Infinity Recycling, Chevron Phillips Chemical, LyondellBasell, and Neste, along with long-term support from Potenza Capital, have successfully closed their latest round of equity funding in Alterra Energy (formerly Vadxx Energy). This investment round is expected to accelerate the commercialization of Alterra’s plastics pyrolysis technology, designed to transform discarded plastic into valuable raw materials.

Alterra's advanced recycling technology has been modeled on ppPLUS and the mass balance of the company's demo plant in Akron has been created. One main product the technology is producing is plastics pyoil, which may be fractionnated to separate naphtha, which can be used as a feedstock returned to the cracker to produce ethylene among other products. The feedstock the technology is accepting is mostly clean polyolefin waste.

Source: Alterra, 22^nd Oct 2024 & portfolio planning PLUS.

#alterra  #lyondellbasell  #neste  #cpchem  #pyrolysis  #plasticwaste  #advancedrecycling  #molecularrecycling  #chemicalrecycling  #pyoil  #steamcracking  #naphtha  #ethylene  #polyethylene  

Several technologies and production capacities have been added to HMEL's Guru Gobind Singh Refinery.

#lummus  #lyondellbasell  #chevronphillipschemical  #cpchem  #p örner #bituros  #asphaltblowing  #steamcracker  #dualfeed  #martech  #novolen  #unipol  #spheripol  #univation  #asphaltblowing 

The CPChem MarTECH Dual Loop technology has been added.

#martech  #cpchem  #chevronphillips  #slurryloop  #polyethylene #adl  #dualloop 

The CPChem MarTECH Single Loop technology description has been updated.

#martech  #cpchem  #chevronphillips  #slurryloop  #polyethylene