The right catalyst can help improve margins, achieve better product quality, higher yields and longer cycle lengths – all this with relatively small investment.
Catalytic processes are at the heart of all modern refineries and petrochemical complexes and with the recent drive for increased integration, the number of units using modern catalysts has increased significantly.
In light of the importance of catalysts in the refining and petrochemicals production process, Euro Petroleum Consultants launched a new event in 2017 – the Middle East Catalyst Technology Conference (ME-CAT) where catalyst suppliers, licensors, contractors, service providers and end-users were invited for a unique opportunity to be brought up to date with the latest developments.
Growing demand
The global catalyst market is booming and is forecasted to reach $33bn per annum this year. Developments in refining, petrochemicals and chemicals as well as environmental factors are increasing the demand for higher performance catalysts and catalyst producers are introducing enhanced products to meet this demand.
ME-CAT 2017 took place in Bahrain (a key market for catalysts and related services with the Bapco Modernisation Project) under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, minister of oil, Bahrain, with the support of the National Oil & Gas Authority (NOGA) and Bapco as principal sponsor. The Middle East catalyst community came together at the event, to network and share insights on how to maximise success through catalyst innovations. Other sponsors of the event included ExxonMobil, Axens, Grace and Advanced Refining Technologies (ART).
New challenges
Catalyst producers are continuing to develop enhanced versions of their products to meet not only changing regulations, but also the landscape of the refining/petrochemicals sectors – changing feedstocks, higher quality products, higher unit output to maximise profit, to name but a few – the latest generation catalysts will help meet these new challenges.
Research by Euro Petroleum Consultants has shown that the refining catalyst markets in North America, Western Europe and Japan are maturing, although the continued introduction of new catalysts will sustain a growth. Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa are the developing markets with the highest growth rates offering great opportunities for new business.
Stefan Chapman, vice president of Euro Petroleum Consultants, said: “With these opportunities in mind, we launched our series of catalyst conferences in Asia and the Middle East to provide a platform for our clients to discuss and debate the market trends, new developments and innovations in the sector.”
Key presentations from ME-CAT 2017 included Axens’ Cedric Perat on ‘Be on Diesel Specification: Latest Developments for Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel Catalysts and Dewaxing Application’. Dr Terry Helton of ExxonMobil presented ‘Advanced Catalyst Technologies to meet Refining and Petrochemical Challenges’, while Grace’s Morgan Allen presented the paper on ‘Improving FCC Unit Profitability’, and there was a joint presentation by Honeywell UOP and Bapco on ‘Bapco Hydrocracking Catalyst Change-out – A Success Story’.
ME-CAT 2018
ME-CAT will be repeated in 2018 once again in Bahrain, where key topics will include ‘Catalysts for Refining’, ‘Catalysts for Petrochemicals’, ‘Enzymes and Bio-Catalysts for Bio-Refineries’, ‘Catalyst Management – Guard Beds’, ‘Regeneration’, ‘Spent Catalysts’, ‘Metals Recovery’, ‘Presulphiding’, ‘Monitoring Tools and Instrumentation’, ‘Modern Catalyst Testing’, ‘Evaluation Techniques and Procedures’, ‘Importance of Research in Producing Performance Catalysts’ and ‘Hydrogen Production’.
Euro Petroleum Consultants has lined up an experienced advisory committee including Mikael Berthod, vice president – ADNOC Refining Research Center, Gregory Lilburne, manager, technical services – BAPCO, Abdulaziz Al-Ghamdi, supervisor, catalytic conversion unit, Saudi Aramco, Ali Khalaf, process engineer – Satorp, Jorge Gascon, director and professor – King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Catalysis Center, and Willem van Kooten, owner – BRU-TECH.