BASF SE; and Sonopec Corp. inaugurated the $1.4-billion second phase of their integrated petrochemical site BASF-YPC Company Limited, Nanjing, China.
The existing steam cracker has been expanded to a total of 740,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of ethylene, along with the expansion of the existing ethylene oxide (EO) plant to 330,000 m.t./yr, and the construction of a new EO purification unit with a capacity of 150,000 m.t./yr. New plants in the expanded EO derivatives value chain include a new non-ionic surfactants plant with a capacity of 60,000 m.t./yr; a new amines complex with a capacity of 130,000 m.t./yr for the production of ethanolamines, ethyleneamines, and dimethylethanolamine, and the construction of a new dimethylaminoethylacrylat (ADAME, DMA3) plant with a capacity of 25,000 m.t./yr.
The site now has an integrated C4 complex comprised of a new butadiene extraction plant with a capacity of 130,000 m.t./yr; a new isobutene extraction plant with a capacity of 60,000 m.t./yr; a new plant for highly reactive polyisobutene with a capacity of 50,000 m.t./yr; and a new 2-propyl-heptanol plant with a capacity of 80,000 m.t./yr. The existing oxo-C4 plant has now been expanded to 305,000 m.t./yr.
Construction of a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) plant with a capacity of 60,000 m.t./yr will begin in mid-2012. Commercial production is planned for the beginning of 2014.
New projects to strengthen the C3 and C4 value chains include the construction of a new acrylic acid facility with a capacity of 160,000 ton/yr, a new butyl acrylate plant, as well as a capacity increase at the 2-propyl-heptanol plant.
Image: © BASF SE
- BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany
- Sonopec Corp., Beijing, China
- BASF-YPC Company Limited, Nanjing, China
First Plants of BASF-YPC Expansion Onstream
First production facilities in the $1.4-billion expansion of BASF-YPC in Nanjing, China, begun operation
