Page 134 - CW E-Magazine (21-1-2025)

Point of View
FOR YOUR COMPETITIVE AND DIRECT IMPORTS FROM OUR ACCREDITED OVERSEAS
MANUFACTURERS FOR THE ITEMS AS UNDER:-
This feedstock was first leveraged by the crackers in the Middle East to serve global markets, and later in the US, where the shale gas boom
resulted in an upsurge in ethane availability. Petrochemical producers elsewhere jealously eyed their cost advantage but could do little to benefit. 5-Ethyl-2-Methylpyridine Calcium Lactate Gluconate Guanidine Nitrate
That is now changing. Ethane exports from the US are rising and going to countries in North America (Canada), Latin America, Europe, as well as AAEMA Calcium Malate Hexahydrophthalic Anhydride
China, India and Japan in Asia. RIL was amongst the early ones to tie in ethane supplies from the US and has an efficient supply chain, including Ammonium Acetate Calcium Nitrate Hydrobromic Acid 48%
six Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLECs), to ferry the feedstock to the West Coast of India. In Europe, INEOS has taken a similar route to overcome
the serious feedstock disadvantage the European petrochemical industry is grappling with. It now feeds its cracker in Grangemouth (Scotland) Ammonium Adipate Calcium Oxalate Hydroxyacetone
with imported ethane, bettering its competitiveness over others cracking liquids. Ammonium Citrate Calcium Phosphate Magnesium Acetate
Ammonium Formate Calcium Phospholactate Malononitrile
Closer home, Gail India Ltd. and ONGC have signed a tripartite agreement with Shell Energy India Pvt. Ltd. to explore opportunities for the import Ammonium Lactate Calcium Propionate Methyl Nadic Anhydride
of ethane and other hydrocarbons at Shell’s import terminal at Hazira. Gail operates two 450-ktpa crackers at Pata, in Uttar Pradesh, which can Ammonium Oxalate Calcium Saccharate N-Hexene
use ethane or propane, and is building a 1.2-mtpa ethane-fed cracker near its 5-mtpa liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at Dabhol (Maharashtra). In Ammonium Tartrate Calcium Stearate N-Valeroyl Chloride
addition, just a couple of weeks ago Nayara Energy (the erstwhile Essar Oil), announced that it too is considering an ethane-cracker.
Benzonitrile Calcium Sulfate O-Cyclohexylphenol
India’s ethane imports are estimated to have touched about 2.0-mt in 2023, but with a few more petrochemical players looking to go this Calcium Acetate Calcium Tartrate Ortho Chlorobenzonitrile
route to olefins, imports will rise. Calcium Bisglycinate Crotonic Acid Para Chlorobenzonitrile
Calcium Carbonate Cyanuric Chloride Paraldehyde
Coal and MTO Calcium Chloride Cyclohexene P-Cymene
The deployment of MTO/CTO technologies has been only in China. From the first plants built using imported MTO technology around 2010, Calcium Citrate DETDA Phenothiazine
the scale up has been dramatic. Today, most of China’s MTO plants are based in the developed eastern coast (using imported methanol), while Calcium Citrate Malate Diisopropyl Ether Piperazine Anhydrous
the CTO plants are located mainly in the coal-producing northern and northwestern parts. The dominant technology in use is the one developed
by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics. Calcium Copper EDTA Dimethyl Acetyl Succinate Potassium Bicarbonate
Calcium Disodium EDTA Dimethyl Succinylo Succinate Potassium Carbonate
But CTO plants face two major challenges. The first is the availability of water, especially in the coal-belt where most are located. The second Calcium Formate Ferric Ammonium Citrate Potassium Hydroxide
relates to the heavy carbon footprint that comes with using coal. So far the latter has not mattered, but in a future where some carbon penalty Calcium Fumarate Ferric Ammonium Oxalate Tertiary Butyl Alcohol
(such as a carbon tax) is levied, CTO plants could be handicapped severely compared to steam crackers running on naphtha as feedstock. Calcium Gluconate Ferric Ammonium Sulfate Thiophenol
Calcium Glycerophosphate Ferrous Ammonium Sulfate Triacetin
Ethanol for ethylene Calcium Hydroxide Guanidine Carbonate Valeronitrile
In Brazil, PE is now produced from ethylene derived from ethanol and marketed to niche & discerning markets with better margins as a
‘green’ polymer. In India, India Glycols Ltd. (IGL) produces ‘green’ MEG from bioethanol-derived ethylene that it sells to make a partly bio-based
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin (the terephthalic acid still comes from petroleum), which PET bottle Coca-Cola uses for its eponymous PLEASE CONTACT WITH YOUR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
drinks in some select markets. Fully renewable-carbon based ethoxylates, used as surfactants, are on offer from speciality chemicals company,
Clariant. CHEMET

But all said and done, ethylene production from bioethanol is still a niche.

Crude oil to chemicals – the future? HEAD OFFICE : Span Centre, 2nd Floor, Ramakrishana Mission Road, Santacruz(West), Mumbai - 400 054, INDIA.
Several refining and petrochemical companies are now turning their attention to the direct conversion of Crude-Oil-To-Chemicals (COTC), in Tel : +91-22-66802222 / 26045601 E-Mail : info@chemetindia.com Website: www.chemetindia.com
preparation for a world wherein fuel production could become less attractive. COTC is particularly attractive for high-growth regions – such as
China, India, and the Middle East – that have traditionally been reliant on integrated refining-petrochemical plants. BRANCH OFFICES
AHMEDABAD OFFICE : 1101, Safal Prelude, HYDERABAD OFFICE : Flat No. 104, K1 Primo,
But the challenge with COTC is economics. Due high investment costs, capital efficiency will be critical in determining profitability and those Corporate Road, Nr.Prahladnagar Garden, Kondapur X Roads, Hanuman Nagar, Kondapur,
companies and countries with significant construction efficiencies will be prime candidates for COTC. But since a large amount of chemicals is Anandnagar, Ahmedabad - 380 015, INDIA.
produced for each project, having accessible markets will be a major consideration. Technology is yet another competitive factor. COTCs are more Hyderabad-500 084, Telangana, INDIA.
complex to operate, so choosing the best process configuration and technologies is key. Tel : +91-79-40370725 Tel : +91-40-4856 5970 / 71
E-Mail : chemetahmedabad@chemetindia.com
E-Mail : chemethyderabad@chemetindia.com
China has already demonstrated the value of the aromatics variant of COTC with several complexes commissioned recently, which support NEW DELHI OFFICE : 214, Hans Bhavan,
the Chinese polyester value chain. In India, RIL has stated its intent to ramp up the chemicals conversion of its existing refineries at Jamnagar. Wing No.1, Bahadurshah Zafer Marg, KOLKATA OFFICE : Sharma House, 3rd Floor, 1/2, Lord
In the Middle East, oil/petrochemical majors are eyeing COTC projects, which will deploy some novel technologies and harness existing ones in New Delhi - 110 002, INDIA. Sinha Road, Kolkata - 700 071, INDIA.
complex operations.
Tel : +91-11-45751865 Tel : +91-33-22827247 / 22826511
A massive shift from refining to petrochemicals could result in over-investment into petrochemicals, with the risk that this would erode E-Mail : chemetdelhi@chemetindia.com E-Mail : chemetkolkata@chemetindia.com
petrochemicals margins in the future. CHENNAI OFFICE : 8-J, Century Plaza, 560-562,
Anna Salai, Teynampet, Chennai - 600 018, INDIA.
The diversity in feedstock options for olefins production will stay, but their relative weightage will continue to evolve.
Tel : +91-44-24342245 / 24349301
Ravi Raghavan E-Mail : chemetchennai@chemetindia.com

134 Chemical Weekly January 21, 2025

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