Axens and Sulzer Chemtech's collaboration aims to prepare for the changing demand for gasoline and petrochemicals in the short and long term. Their combined technologies, Prime-G+® and GT-BTX PluS™, offer a unique solution to minimize octane loss in the gasoline pool or allow production of petrochemicals. Let’s get to know our two experts within this field.
Sulzer is a global leader in fluid engineering and chemical processing technologies, offering innovative solutions across industries such as energy, water, and manufacturing. Their expertise lies in separation, mixing, and pumping technologies.
Axens is leading in providing advanced technologies, catalysts, equipment, and services for the refining, petrochemical, gas, and renewable industries. Axens' expertise covers the entire value chain, from feasibility studies to unit start-up and ongoing support throughout the unit's lifecycle.
Both companies offer complementary solutions for the desulfurization of Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC). Their collaboration is designed to address the evolving demand for gasoline and petrochemicals in both the short and long term. Their combined technologies, Prime-G+® and GT-BTX PluS™, offer a unique solution to minimize octane loss in the gasoline pool or allow production of petrochemicals.
I am a Technology Engineer at Axens SA, working within the Clean Fuels Product Line. In my role, I contribute to developing technical proposals for process licensing and catalyst replacements, as well as support to the client through on-site and remote technical assistance.
Prior to joining Axens, I spent five years in refinery operations and planning roles in Argentina. To expand my expertise, I pursued a Master's degree in Energy Projects from Écoles des Ponts et Chaussées in France. After completing these studies, I chose to join Axens as Technology Engineer. The main challenge of this role involve identifying ways to help customers find the solutions they need -whether it is catalyst replacements, digital solutions, revamps or new units- to meet their specific requirements.
GT-BTX PluS is a two-column system extractive distillation technology that selectively extract the aromatics and sulfur compounds from the hydrocarbon feed into the extract, and reject all non-aromatics including olefins into the raffinate. When GT-BTX PluS combines with Prime-G+® to apply for FCC gasoline, it provides a unique advantage to the refinery to be able to minimize the octane loss to near zero at gasoline mode, or to produce petrochemicals (BTX and/or propylene) from gasoline at petrochemical mode, depending on what market needs.
The Prime-G+® is a technology for desulfurization of the naphtha obtained from the FCC unit with 315+ references. Its key principle is to achieve high rate of desulfurization while minimizing the hydrogenation of olefins. The interest of this last point relies on the fact that higher olefin content result in a higher octane.
The advantage of combining the Prime-G+® with GT-BTX PluS is the flexibility to align with the future demand by switching between two modes: Gasoline or Aromatics.
Belen Martinez Arnau: The advantage of this technology from an environmental point of view is that it helps reduce scope 3 emissions as the use of the product shifts from gasoline to petrochemicals feedstock. Additionally, this technology can be combined with other solutions to help reduce the CO2 impact, such as the use of new generation catalysts, improved online monitoring, heat exchangers with better temperature approach, and electrical heaters.
Taili Charlie Chou: Just as Belen said, the largest environmental benefit is from scope 3 emission reduction by converting combustible fuel into petrochemicals that can eventually enter into the recirculation cycle. Moreover, the combined solution also reduce the hydrogen consumption from hydrodesulfurization, and indirectly reduce the energy consumption and/or increase liquid yield of other units in the refinery (such as reformer or MTBE unit) because of higher octane number from FCC gasoline.
Belen Martinez Arnau: In the NetZero scenario, demand for petrochemicals feedstocks such as ethane, LPG, and naphtha remains stable in terms of volume, while their share grows from 20% today to 50% in 2050 (1). This trend indicates a move from gasoline to petrochemicals. As a result, the alliance between Prime-G+® and GT-BTX PluS aligns with future market demand by providing the flexibility to operate in two modes: gasoline and petrochemicals.
(1) Source: The Oil and Gas Industry in Net Zero Transitions. Nov 2023
Taili Charlie Chou: Both Axens and Sulzer had seen the refinery and petrochemical industry to call for the application that can utilize the existing gasoline mechine to have flexibility to convert gasoline to petrochemicals when the market requires. The partnership combines the strongest of the hydrodesulfurization technology and the strongest of the extraction technology in the market, to demonstrate the application that fits exactly such industry requirement.
Belen Martinez Arnau: Delivering a solution that integrates both technologies requires strong teamwork and coordination. The first step is establishing a focal point with the client to ensure understanding of their needs. Once this is achieved, it is required close coordination between the two teams -Axens and Sulzer-. This involves constantly sharing information so that each team has access to the inputs for its design and contribute to a combined solution for the client.
Taili Charlie Chou: Sulzer’s and Axens’ team works well together throughout the project duration, including marketing, front sales, engineering design, project delivery, and technical service. While there is often one front party to simplify the customer interface, the teams in the background have constant communications and efficient work distribution & management to ensure that we deliver the combined solution truly as one integrated package.
