MRC) -- ORLEN Poludnie, a leading player in biofuels in Poland, has recently concluded the first year of operation of its BioPG plant, converting glycerol, a by-product of biodiesel production, into renewable propylene glycol (BioPG), said Hydrocarbonprocessing.
BioPG obtained from glycerin is bio-based and a highly demanded product used to produce polyester resins, polyurethanes, paints and de-icing solutions, solvents for the food industry, and is used as an ingredient in deodorant sticks and toothpaste. Compared to fossil-based propylene glycol, BioPG reduces the CO2 footprint by at least 60 percent whilst offering the same product quality.
Air Liquide Engineering & Construction provided the license, basic engineering, and proprietary equipment for the new plant, combining its expertise with commercially-proven BASF technology.
BASF’s BioPG technology is operating at full scale for already more than a decade, showing very high selectivity and glycerol conversion using BASF’s H9-66 catalyst. The outstanding catalyst performance enables the hydrogenation in liquid phase without any need for separation of intermediates or solvents, leading to lower energy consumptions compared to other processes.
The BioPG plant supports ORLEN Group’s objective of achieving CO2 neutrality by 2050. With an annual capacity of 30,000 metric tons, ORLEN Poludnie is the first Polish producer of propylene glycol aiming to meet 75 percent of the country's propylene glycol needs.
“We are proud that after a smooth start-up the new plant is operating as planned, for more than one year. The cooperation between ORLEN Poludnie, BASF, Air Liquide Engineering & Construction significantly promotes our business philosophy with the BioPG technology and improves our value chain. The technical support by BASF and Air Liquide Engineering & Construction was outstanding. This really is a joint success,” says Grzegorz Semerjak, Technology Director at ORLEN Poludnie.
“We are pleased to offer to our customers an innovative bio-based renewable solution that provides many environmental benefits and helps our customers move towards a low-carbon society. We were delighted to work with ORLEN Poludnie on their project, to provide our expertise and a one-stop shop BioPG solution,” says Dominique Rouge, Vice President, Sales & Technology at Air Liquide Engineering and Construction.
“Our propylene glycol catalyst has been operating successfully at customers for over ten years, and we are excited about a successful startup and operation of another commercial plant with ORLEN Poludnie. Thanks to the G2PG process, ORLEN Poludnie has opened a completely new business area of bio products and further increased the value creation at its biodiesel plant. As BASF, we are proud to support this development with our innovative technology and catalyst, and to enable a more sustainable BioPG production,” says Detlef Ruff, Senior Vice President, Process Catalysts at BASF.
We remind, PKN ORLEN, finalised a transaction to acquire a part of Poland’s largest plastics manufacturer, Basell Orlen Polyolefins, in which the ORLEN holds an equity interest. The acquisition was approved by the antitrust authorities in Poland and the Netherlands. The business segment, acquired by ORLEN, specialises in the production and sale of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as well as customer service in the Polish market. It is a polymer commonly used to make consumer and industrial products, found in plastic films, bags, canisters, food packaging, as well as components of electronic devices, such as wires and cables.
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