ZPC progresses on Phase 2 of Zhoushan integrated refining, petchem complex

Update: In April 2021, Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical Co. Ltd. has completed startup of a second alkylation unit as part of the second phase of its 800,000-b/d integrated refining and petrochemical complex in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China (OGJ Online, Apr. 12, 2021).

Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical Co. Ltd., also known as Zhejiang Petrochemical Co. Ltd. (ZPC), has completed installation of major equipment as part of the second phase of its 800,000-b/d integrated refining and petrochemical complex in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China (OGJ Online, Nov. 6, 2018).

On June 10, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) subsidiary Sinopec Engineering Group Co. Ltd. installed what is now the world’s first and largest slurry-bed residue hydrogenation reactor at ZPC’s Zhoushan complex, Sinopec said.

The slurry-bed residue hydrogenation reactor forms the core of ZPC’s Phase 2 expansion, according to the service provider.

Designed by Sinopec Engineering, the single-unit hydrogenation reactor—which weighs 3,025 tonnes and stands 72 m tall—took 15 hours to install using a 5,200-tonnes slidable hydraulic gantry lifting system as well as a supporting crawler crane.

Sinopec said the same hydraulic gantry lifting system will now be relocated integrally to prepare for lifting and installation of the second hydrogenation reactor at the complex. A timeframe for installation of the second reactor, however, was not disclosed.

Earlier in the year, ZPC completed startup of a 1.4 million-tonnes/year ethylene plant—equipped with TechnipFMC PLC’s proprietary Ultra Selective Conversion (USC) U-coil ethylene technology for high energy efficiency and high yield—at the Zhousan refining and chemical integrated complex (OGJ Online, May 4, 2020).

Startup of the ethylene plant followed ZPC’s contract award to Honeywell UOP LLC in March to provide proprietary process technology and equipment for hydrogen purification and recovery to be installed as part of the Phase 2 development (OGJ Online, Mar. 12, 2020).

The first 400,000-b/d phase of ZPC’s complex was commissioned in late 2018, while Phase 2—which will nearly double processing and production capabilities at the site—is scheduled for commissioning during first-quarter 2021 (OGJ Online, Jan. 17, 2019).

ZPC—a joint venture of China-based Rongsheng Holding Group Co. Ltd. 51%, Juhua Investment Co. Ltd. 20%, Tongkun Investment Co. Ltd. 20%, and Zhoushan Marine Comprehensive Development and Investment Co. Ltd. 9%—previously said it would invest about 160 billion yuan to complete both phases of the project.

In late 2018, Saudi Aramco also signed a memorandum of understanding with ZPC to acquire ownership interest in the complex (OGJ Online, Oct. 26, 2018). As part of the agreement, Aramco agreed to purchase the government of Zhoushan’s 9% interest in the project, as well as provide long-term crude supplies to the complex, Aramco said in a Feb. 22, 2019, release.