Ethylene production has long served as a key indicator of the development level of a country's petrochemical industry. In China, the ethylene sector has faced significant challenges due to the limited availability of light hydrocarbons, which have constrained its growth for years. To address this issue, several domestic technologies for heavy oil cracking have emerged in recent years. Many companies in regions with limited ethylene supply are now optimistic about these processes and are considering investments in heavy oil cracking projects.
However, according to experts from the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Planning Institute, two major challenges still exist in the development of heavy oil-to-olefins technology: the need for full industrialization and the stable supply of heavy oil feedstock. China’s crude oil typically contains low levels of light hydrocarbons, with straight-run naphtha and light diesel accounting for only around 30% of total crude. By 2010, ethylene demand was expected to reach 25.5 million tons, while output would be approximately 15 million tons. This would require about 60 million tons of chemical-grade light oil, necessitating refining capacity of around 600 million tons—far beyond current capabilities.
To explore alternative feedstocks, Chinese research institutes have been developing heavy oil cracking technologies. One such breakthrough is the catalytic pyrolysis process (CPP) developed by the Beijing Petrochemical Research Institute in 2000. This technology uses heavy oil as feedstock, employs specially designed acidic molecular sieve catalysts, and operates under milder conditions than traditional steam cracking. It is suitable for processing atmospheric residue oil, especially paraffinic crude, and can also mix with vacuum residue. The technology was tested at Daqing Refining & Chemical Branch from October 2000 to January 2001, using an existing catalytic cracking unit. Experts evaluated the results as mature and reliable, noting that the CPP process could reduce production costs once scaled up.
In 2005, Shenyang Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. began constructing the first domestic 500,000-ton-per-year CPP plant, expected to be completed by 2008. Similarly, Luoyang Petrochemical Engineering Company developed the HCC (Heavy Cracking) technology, which uses high-temperature, short-contact-time reactors for direct cracking of heavy oil into olefins. This technology was successfully tested in Qiqihar and represents the world’s first industrial-scale unit for heavy oil cracking.
Despite these advancements, challenges remain. While many experts view heavy oil cracking as a critical second pillar for China’s petrochemical industry, the technology still needs to prove itself on a large scale. The first commercial CPP unit is still under construction, and scaling up before it is fully operational is considered risky. Additionally, the technology is primarily tailored for Daqing’s paraffinic heavy oil, limiting its applicability. With the major oil companies controlling most heavy oil resources, companies investing in such projects face significant risks.
Given China’s limited crude oil resources, heavy oil cracking offers a viable way to expand olefin production, better aligning with the country’s energy realities. However, for this “second leg†to truly take off, it must move forward with caution, ensuring stability, safety, and long-term success.
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