Technip has completed the acquisition of Hummingbird ethanol to ethylene technology from BP Chemicals Ltd. Utilizing a proprietary catalyst operating under mild operating conditions, the technology converts ethanol to ethylene through dehydration. The technology is lower cost and simpler compared to first generation technologies.
The process uses a wide range of ethanol feedstocks and can easily be integrated into existing ethylene facilities. The advanced catalyst simplifies the processing scheme and significantly increases selectivity.
Hummingbird is available for licensing from Technip’s center in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, which has a long history of ethylene experience. Ongoing catalyst development will be provided by the Technip Research Center in Weymouth, Massachusetts, USA.
This is the latest step in the petrochemical sector, after acquiring Stone & Webster process technologies in 2012 and Zimmer polymer technologies in 2014. Today, the Technip offer can be divided into five groups: Petrochemicals such as Olefins (Ethylene, Propylene) and Ethyl Benzene/ Styrene Monomer (EB/SM) and phenolics, refining, including Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC)/ Resid Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) and Deep Catalytic Cracking (DCC), hydrogen and Syngas, polymers such as Polyester, Nylon, Polystyrene, ABS and Polyolefins; and gas Monetization such as Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) and Gas to Liquids (GTL).
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