Methanol to Olefins – a New and Profitable Route for the Production of Light Olefins

Forecasts predict that the world will need to add approximately 100 million metric tons per year of additional light olefin production capacity over the next ten years to meet the world’s demand for plastics and other products.  Currently, nearly all of the world’s ethylene is produced via steam cracking of various hydrocarbons from ethane to heavy gas oils.  Propylene, on the other hand, is mainly produced as a byproduct from steam crackers processing propane and heavier feeds or as a byproduct from fluid catalytic cracking units.  With the increased availability of low cost ethane, the percentage of ethane fed steam crackers is growing.  Since ethane crackers produce very little propylene, this is creating the need for alternative technologies that produce “on-purpose” propylene. 

UOP has now commercialized the Advanced MTO process for producing propylene and ethylene from methanol.  This process utilizes feedstocks such as methane, coal and other inexpensive carbon sources, to enable a new route for large scale production of light olefins.  The process, which was jointly developed with INEOS and Total, produces polymer or chemical grade propylene and ethylene at carbon yields approaching 90%.  The first commercial unit was successfully started up by Wison Clean Energy in Nanjing China.  

In addition to providing an overview of the Advanced MTO technology, this presentation will focus on the economic and market forces that will drive further adoption of the technology.