Technip Energies wins contract to upgrade Vietnam petrochemical plant, enabling ethane use, improving efficiency, reducing costs, and lowering carbon emissions.
Technip Energies has secured a significant contract from Long Son Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. (LSP) for the Long Son Petrochemicals Enhancement (LSPE) project, which is situated on Long Son Island in Vietnam. This latest agreement highlights the continued collaboration between the two companies and reinforces Technip Energies’ role as a key technology and engineering partner in the global petrochemical sector.
Under the terms of the contract, Technip Energies will provide a comprehensive scope of services. These include detailed engineering and procurement, on-site technical assistance, and the delivery of specialized proprietary burners designed for use in the facility’s cracking furnaces. A central aspect of the project is the transformation of the existing steam cracker unit, which currently operates on naphtha, into one that can process ethane as a primary feedstock. This conversion will be carried out using Technip Energies’ advanced ethylene production technologies.
Among the technologies to be deployed are the company’s Ultra Selective Conversion (USC®) furnace design and the Heat-Integrated Rectifier System (HRS®). These innovations are engineered to enhance operational performance by improving product selectivity, boosting energy efficiency, and maximizing ethylene recovery rates. The integration of these systems is expected to significantly elevate the plant’s overall productivity and sustainability.
The LSPE project represents a strategic move aimed at incorporating substantial volumes of ethane into the plant’s existing mix of naphtha and propane feedstocks. By diversifying feedstock inputs, the project seeks to optimize resource utilization and achieve considerable cost savings. Additionally, this shift is expected to contribute to a meaningful reduction in the facility’s carbon intensity, aligning with broader industry trends toward lower-emission operations. It also enhances the plant’s resilience against fluctuations in global petrochemical markets by reducing reliance on a single feedstock source.
Notably, this initiative is among the few projects worldwide in recent years that involves converting a naphtha-based steam cracker to operate with ethane. This reflects a growing industry focus on feedstock flexibility and the adoption of cleaner, more sustainable inputs to ensure long-term supply security and competitiveness.
Steam crackers play a pivotal role in petrochemical complexes, as they are responsible for breaking down hydrocarbon feedstocks such as naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and ethane into fundamental chemical building blocks like ethylene and propylene. These outputs are essential for producing a wide range of everyday materials, including plastics, packaging solutions, textiles, and various consumer goods components. Therefore, improvements in feedstock flexibility at this stage can have far-reaching benefits across the entire value chain.
This new contract builds upon a well-established partnership between Technip Energies and Long Son Petrochemicals. Previously, Technip Energies successfully executed the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the complex’s cracker unit over the period from 2018 to 2023. The successful completion of that project laid the foundation for continued cooperation.
Stéphane Mespoulhès, Senior Vice President for Ethylene, Polyolefins, and Fertilizers at Technip Energies, expressed his satisfaction with the renewed collaboration. He emphasized that the company is honored to once again support Long Son Petrochemicals in advancing this strategic development. He also noted that the project underscores Technip Energies’ capability to help clients adapt to changing market conditions while enhancing operational flexibility and maintaining competitive advantage.
