China Energy Group Ningxia Coal Chooses LyondellBasell's Hostalen ACP Technology

LyondellBasell, the global leader in polyolefin technology licensing, recently announced that China Energy Group Ningxia Coal Industry Co., Ltd. has chosen its Hostalen Advanced Cascade Process (Hostalen ACP) technology for a new 300 kiloton-per-year high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plant. This facility, to be located in Yinchuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, is set to strengthen China Energy’s position in the polyethylene market.

Patrik Schneider, Senior Director of Global Licensing & Services at LyondellBasell, emphasized the significance of the choice, stating, "China Energy Group Ningxia Coal’s decision to adopt our technology highlights LyondellBasell’s credibility in the polyethylene market. With this latest license, the worldwide capacity of Hostalen ACP technology will now surpass 13 million tons annually, marking its success as a leading industry technology."

According to Mr. Zhou Jiliang, Senior Project Manager of China Energy Group Ningxia Coal, the selection of Hostalen ACP’s low-pressure slurry process technology is particularly important given the current market demand for differentiation through production capabilities. The technology, combined with its unique Ziegler catalyst chemistry, aligns with China Energy’s goals for creating high-performance HDPE products.

Hostalen ACP technology is known for its production of high-performance, multi-modal HDPE resins, providing an optimal balance between stiffness and toughness. These HDPE resins also exhibit excellent impact resistance, high stress-cracking resistance, and offer several processing advantages, making them ideal for applications such as pressure pipes, films, blow molding, and caps/closures.

Upon launch, the Hostalen ACP plant will operate with Avant Z501 and Avant Z509-1 catalysts, enabling the production of a diverse range of multi-modal HDPE products. New licensees like China Energy Group Ningxia Coal also have the opportunity to join LyondellBasell’s Technical Service Program, which provides access to in-house expertise in production optimization, sustainable product development, and catalyst technology.

Alongside Hostalen ACP, LyondellBasell licenses a wide array of other polyolefin production technologies:

• Spheripol: The leading technology for polypropylene production, boasting over 30 million tons of licensed capacity worldwide. It offers quality grades, efficient monomer consumption, and reduced investment costs.

• Spherizone: A pioneering multi-zone circulating reactor technology for polypropylene, allowing production of unique products with enhanced properties.

• Lupotech: Known for high-pressure technology, it provides high conversion rates and an efficient heat recovery system, minimizing operating and investment costs for producing low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers.

• Metocene PP: An innovative technology for specialty polypropylene production using single-site catalyst systems.

• Avant: A catalyst portfolio that includes advanced Ziegler-Natta, non-phthalate, chromium, and metallocene catalysts suitable for diverse polyolefin applications.

Through these technologies, LyondellBasell remains at the forefront of advancing polyolefin production efficiency and product quality worldwide.