AM-02-57 PREMIUM PERFORMANCE HYDROTREATING WITH AXENS HR 400 SERIES HYDROTREATING CATALYSTS

Description:

Production of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is a key objective of refineries in the US, to meet the 15 ppm sulfur specification in 2006, and in Europe, for the 50 and 10 ppm milestones in 2005 and 2008 respectively. The main ULSD challenge will be meeting the low product sulfur requirement production while minimizing investment and hydrogen consumption. Axens recently launched a series of new hydroprocessing catalysts, HR 400, issuing from our continuous R&D effort and our new manufacturing facilities. The HR 400 catalysts provide higher activity while maintaining the stability for which our products are known. The combination of activity and stability affords cycle length maximization while ensuring ULSD production. The HR 400 series, a complete set of HDT catalysts, responds to the specific requirements of each refinery. From the standpoint of chemistry and catalysis, producing 15 or 10 ppm sulfur diesel is fundamentally different from current diesel production containing 500 or 350 ppm sulfur. As a pioneer in ultra-deep desulfurization, Axens has developed its own “toolbox” approach that fits very well with real commercial operations. Improving VGO HDT or FCC pretreatment unit operations are also matters of strong interest because of the stringent gasoline pool sulfur specifications. The HR 400 hydroprocessing catalysts, already having a good commercial record in the pretreatment domain, provide attractive solutions to these needs. Because ULSD production under the most economical conditions is a parallel goal for refiners, additional services to get the best from HR 400 hydrotreatment were developed. These services include top-bed grading materials for pressure drop management and EquiFlow™ reactor internals technology. EquiFlow has been commercially demonstrated to provide nearly perfect fluid distribution across and through the catalytic bed. Axens also offers specific services, such as Advanced Process Control, which is another important tool for improving commercial hydrotreatment unit operations. Following our success in the ULS gasoline market with the Prime-G+ technology, Axens is now ready to offer the US ULSD market our “toolbox” approach to meet diesel quality requirements.