Duqm Refinery And Petrochemical Industries Company LLC Selects LyondellBasell's Hostalen ACP And Spheripol Technology

LyondellBasell, the world’s largest licensor of polyolefin technologies, today announced that Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Company LLC (DRPIC) has selected LyondellBasell’s world-leading polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) technologies for a new facility.

The new plants will comprise of a 280 KTA polypropylene plant that will utilize LyondellBasell’s Spheripol PP process technology and a 480 KTA high-density polyethylene plant which will utilize LyondellBasell’s Hostalen ACP process technology and will be built in Al Duqm, Oman.

“LyondellBasell’s market leadership in polymer process technologies is once again confirmed with this significant award by DRPIC,” said Neil Nadalin, Director of Licensing at LyondellBasell. Nadalin added: “The selection by DRPIC of the Spheripol technology as the benchmark manufacturing platform for polypropylene resins and the Hostalen ACP technology as the leading low-pressure slurry process for the production of HDPE resins shows once again the confidence operators have in products produced with our technologies.”

“The Spheripol and Hostalen technology licenses forms part of 12 technology license packages awarded by DRPIC to international technology providers, advancing the FrontEnd Engineering and Design progress toward achieving shareholders’ Final Investment Decision in 2021. Due to the increasing global demand for petrochemical products, the DRPIC Petrochemical Project will become a significant player in the region, benefiting from its strategic location on the Oman eastern sea board with direct access to international markets. Working with long established technology licensors enables us to develop a world class project empowering the future development of downstream petrochemical industries in the Special Economic Zone of Duqm,” said Dr. Salim Al Huthaili, CEO of DRPIC .

Spheripol is the leading PP process with more than 30 million tons of licensed capacity. The latest fifth generation Spheripol technology includes process improvements that further maximize operational efficiency.

The Hostalen ACP process technology manufactures high performance, multi-modal HDPE resins with an industry-leading stiffness/toughness balance, impact resistance, high stress cracking resistance and process advantages used in pressure pipe, film and blow molding applications.

The DRPIC Spheripol plant will commence operations using Avant ZN catalyst. The Hostalen plant will commence operations using Avant Z501 and Avant Z509-1 catalysts to produce a full range of multi-modal HDPE products.

New licensees can take advantage of LyondellBasell’s in-house expertise of continuous production improvement, sustainable product development and catalyst knowhow, by optionally joining our Technical Service program.

In addition to the Spheripol and the Hostalen ACP process technology, LyondellBasell’s portfolio of licensed polyolefin processes and catalysts includes:

• Spherizone – The breakthrough multi-zone circulating reactor provides a unique and innovative platform to manufacture polypropylene products with novel architecture and enhanced properties
• Lupotech – The market leader on high pressure technology offers, with its high conversion rates and effective heat recovery system, the lowest operating and investment costs for the production of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers
• Spherilene – Flexible gas phase process technology for the production of LLDPE, MDPE and HDPE
• Metocene PP – Innovative add-on technology for the production of specialty polypropylene products using single-site catalyst systems
• Avant – Advanced Ziegler-Natta, including non-phthalate, chromium and metallocene catalysts for entire range of polyolefin production.