BP Licenses Innovene technology for Sasol polymers polypropylene
expansion
Posted: 12 February 2004
BP and Sasol Polymers have signed an agreement to license BP's
Innovene polypropylene process technology for the expansion of Sasol's
polypropylene facilities located in Secunda, Republic of South Africa.
The new plant will have an annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes, produce
homopolymers, random copolymers and impact copolymers, and start
up in 2006. Sasol will use BP's proprietary high activity CD catalyst
to realize the full benefits of the technology.
"We are very pleased that Sasol Polymers elected to use Innovene
technology to expand its well-established polypropylene business,"
said Gerald Maret, Licensing Area Commercial Manager for BP. "The
Innovene gas phase technology has shown distinct advantages over
others in terms of low capital cost, operating costs and product
capabilities. The horizontal plug flow reactor configuration is
a key element of the system, providing rapid product transitions
and contributing to a high degree of product quality and consistency."
Execution of the Sasol license concludes a very active year for
BP's polyolefins licensing business with successful plant start-ups
in the People's Republic of China, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.
Since 1996, BP has licensed about 2.2 million tonnes of annual
Innovene polypropylene capacity of which 670,000 tonnes are now
under construction.
Sasol, with a market capitalization of approximately USD 9 billion,
is an integrated oil and gas group with substantial chemical interests.
Based in South Africa and operating in 15 other countries throughout
the world, Sasol is the leading provider of liquid fuels in South
Africa and a major international producer of chemicals, using a
world leading technology for the commercial production of synthetic
fuels and chemicals from low-grade coal. In the future Sasol expects
to apply this technology to convert natural gas to diesel and chemicals.
Sasol manufactures over 200 fuel and chemical products that are
sold in more than 90 countries and also operates coal mines to provide
feedstock for synthetic fuels and chemical plants. The company also
manufactures and markets synthesis gas and operates the only inland
crude oil refinery in South Africa.
BP is one of the largest integrated oil companies in the world,
operating in 100 countries, on six continents. It is the second
largest polypropylene producer in the world, having an annual capacity
in excess of 3 million tonnes. BP has extensive research capabilities
in the United States, France, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
For more information see www.bp.com
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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