The plant will be built at the Sinopec refinery in Maoming, in Guandong province.
Sinopec, the world’s largest operator in the refining sector, will consequently be the first international company to make full use of the EST, which Eni developed through its research and industrial developments. EST is able to convert refining residues entirely into high-quality light products, eliminating both liquid and solid refining residues with significant environmental benefits.
Sinopec will build an EST plant with the design capacity of 46,000 barrels per day of heavy refining residue (310 tonnes per hour).
The plant will replace the existing pet-coke production line, with significant environmental benefits in compliance with the new IMO (International Maritime Organization) regulations concerning sulphur contained in bunker fuel.
The elimination of pet-coke production is part of global efforts to contain CO2 emissions. As part of the licensing agreement, Eni will provide Sinopec with the basic engineering project (Process Design Package) and other services, such as operational and technical training, as well as assistance during the development phase and the implementation of detailed engineering, and during the pre-commissioning and start up phases.
Sinopec will be responsible for detailed engineering and construction operations.
The plant is due to be completed by 2020.
For Eni, technological research and development is of strategic importance in all its business areas, and this result is highly significant for a number of reasons, primarily that the world’s leading refiner has chosen EST above all other available technologies. Moreover, this agreement sees the refining sector benefitting from an Italian technological innovation for the first time.
