China’s CSPC starts up SM/PO, polyols units in Huizhou

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company (CSPC) has started up new styrene monomer/propylene oxide (SMPO) and polyols units at its complex in Huizhou, China, the producer said on Wednesday.

The new SM/PO unit at the site produces up to 630,000 tonnes/year of SM and 300,000 tonnes/year of PO, while three further new units process PO into 600,000 tonnes/year of polyols, the company said in a statement.

The new SM/PO unit is the second of its kind built at the complex and uses Shell’s own process technology.

The No 1 SM/PO unit produces 700,000 tonnes/year of SM and 320,000 tonnes/year of PO, according to the ICIS Demand & Supply Database.

“The start-up of the new units completes a successful ‘phase two’ expansion of the CSPC complex and follows the commissioning of a second ethylene cracker in 2018,” the company said.

The complex now supplies customers with up to 6m tonnes/year of intermediate and performance chemicals, including polyols, ethylene glycol, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

CSPC is already making plans for the third phase of expansion at the Huizhou site, with CNOOC, Shell and the Huizhou government having already signed a strategic cooperation agreement in May last year.

“The third phase would involve building a third ethylene cracker and deploying the Shell Group’s advanced technology for linear alpha olefins for the first time in Asia,” it said.

Shell and CNOOC also announced a memorandum of understanding last year to explore a commercial-scale polycarbonate production unit at the site, using Shell’s diphenyl carbonate process technology.