Kaijin Blue Sky Energy (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. selected LyondellBasell’s Spheripol and Spherizone technology

December 02, 2020

ROTTERDAM, the Netherlands, December 2, 2020 – LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) today announced that Kaijin Blue Sky Energy (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd., has selected LyondellBasell’s leading polypropylene technology for a new world scale facility.

The facility will include a 600 KTA polypropylene plant using LyondellBasell’s Spheripol technology as well as a 300 KTA polypropylene plant using LyondellBasell’s Spherizone technology. The facility will be built in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.

“The choice of Kaijin Blue Sky Energy to use LyondellBasell’s polypropylene technology for their Wenzhou facility demonstrates how future operators trust the unpreceded polyolefin expertise of LyondellBasell. LyondellBasell’s polypropylene technology is the most widely used process in the world and is very well established in the market,” said Jim Seward, senior vice president of research and development, technology and sustainability at LyondellBasell. “The simplicity and robustness of the Spheripol process and the ability to produce added value polymer grades on a benchmark cost basis with the Spherizone technology is recognized by customers across the industry.”

Mr. Yang Xuanjian, the General Manager of  Kaijin Blue Sky Energy (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd. stated: “The selected polyolefin technology from LyondellBasell gives us the ability to deliver cost effectively recognized bulk polymers through the Spheripol technology and to supply differentiated high margin polymer products through the Spherizone technology allowing us to build up our organisation on a solid basis.”

The Spherizone multi-zone circulating reactor (MZCR) provides a unique and innovative platform to manufacture polypropylene products with novel architecture and enhanced product properties. With this award, more than 15 Spherizone plants has been licensed in Asia.

Spheripol is the leading PP process with more than 30 million tons of licensed capacity. The latest fifth generation Spheripol technology includes process improvements that further maximize operational efficiency.

Both plants will commence operations using LyondellBasell’s Avant ZN catalyst.

New licensees can take advantage of LyondellBasell’s in-house expertise of continuous production improvement, sustainable product development and catalyst knowhow, by optionally joining our Technical Service program.

In addition to the Spheripol and Spherizone process technology, LyondellBasell’s portfolio of licensed polyolefin processes and catalysts includes:

  • Hostalen – Leading low-pressure slurry process for the production of high-performance multimodal HDPE
  • Lupotech – The market leader on high pressure technology offers, with its high conversion rates and effective heat recovery system, the lowest operating and investment costs for the production of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers
  • Spherilene – Flexible gas phase process technology for the production of LLDPE, MDPE and HDPE
  • Metocene PP – Innovative add-on technology for the production of specialty polypropylene products using single-site catalyst systems
  • Avant – Advanced Ziegler-Natta, including non-phthalate, chromium and metallocene catalysts for entire range of polyolefin production.

About LyondellBasell:
LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) is one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world. Driven by its employees around the globe, LyondellBasell produces materials and products that are key to advancing solutions to modern challenges like enhancing food safety through lightweight and flexible packaging, protecting the purity of water supplies through stronger and more versatile pipes, improving the safety, comfort and fuel efficiency of many of the cars and trucks on the road, and ensuring the safe and effective functionality in electronics and appliances. LyondellBasell sells products into more than 100 countries and is the world's largest producer of polymer compounds and the largest licensor of polyolefin technologies. In 2020, LyondellBasell was named to Fortune magazine’s list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies.” More information about LyondellBasell can be found at www.LyondellBasell.com. SOURCE: LyondellBasell

For information, contact: Neil Nadalin (+49 69 30585454)