Lummus and Clariant Catalysts expand CATOFIN footprint with India's first PDH plant

Lummus Technology, and its catalysts partner, Clariant Catalysts, announced another major contract award in India that will expand their global share of the PDH market. GAIL ( India ) Limited has selected Lummus Technology's CATOFIN process and Clariant's tailor-made catalysts for India's first PDH plant. Its upcoming 500 kiloton per annum propane dehydrogenation facility in Usar, Maharashtra, will be integrated with a downstream polypropylene (PP) unit. The U.S. $1.2 billion PDH-PP project is expected to start operations by 2024.

"Getting the first PDH award in India is very exciting, considering the anticipated growth of the petrochemicals market here. This award displays the innovative strength of the partnership between Lummus and Clariant," said Leon de Bruyn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lummus Technology. "Lummus is grateful to GAIL for getting selected and is committed to providing best-in-class PDH technology that offers a reliable, optimized and low-carbon route to propylene."

"We are extremely proud of the ever-increasing global demand for CATOFIN – and we couldn't have achieved this without our long-time partner, Lummus Technology," said Stefan Heuser, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Clariant Catalysts. "Thanks to our collaboration, we are able to offer GAIL ( India ) excellent performance and profitability by combining the best of PDH expertise with catalyst innovation."

Since 2017, CATOFIN Technology has been selected for a majority of new PDH awards globally, representing 32 new PDH plants, or more than 22 million metric tons of propylene annually.

CATOFIN technology is a highly reliable and productive method for light paraffin dehydrogenation. The process operates at thermodynamically advantaged reactor pressure and temperature to maximize conversion of propane to propylene, while reducing investment and operating costs. Selectivity and yield are further enhanced with Clariant's Heat Generating Material (HGM), its metal-oxide innovation that produces heat and drives the dehydrogenation reaction. Thanks to its extraordinarily high reliability and productivity, CATOFIN delivers excellent annual production output compared to alternative technologies.

These performance advantages were key to GAIL India's decision to select CATOFIN technology and catalysts after an international competitive bidding process.

GAIL India is the country's largest natural gas company, and one of seven Maharatna Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under the Government of India. Founded in 1984, the Delhi -based company operates in India and abroad in various segments such as transmission services, natural gas marketing, petrochemicals, liquefied petroleum gas, and other hydrocarbons of liquid.