Helping to Decarbonize the FCCU

Maximizing Low Carbon Propylene

As the refining industry imagines new processes to navigate the ongoing energy transition, we’re collaborating with customers worldwide to rise to the challenge, developing and implementing strategies around decreasing carbon intensity in the fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) while also leading the way on co-processing alternative non-fossil feedstocks in the FCCU. One example is our work with CEPSA, a global energy company.

Hydrocarbon Processing magazine featured CESPA’s groundbreaking #PositiveMotion program in the article, “Decarbonizing the FCCU through Maximizing Low-Carbon Propylene.” The Positive Motion program is CESPA’s ambitious package of strategic initiatives to develop leadership in the energy transition in the years to come. These initiatives include expanding the feedstock qualities at the company’s Energy Parks, as they diversify their refineries, and adapting processes with the aim of minimizing product carbon intensity. Grace works together with CEPSA’s San Roque Energy Park and R&D Center to support our customer on this journey.

As the article notes, we supported CEPSA with a catalyst reformulation that helped expand their feed slate to include resid feedstock. Thanks to the improved metals tolerance and coke selectivity of the reformulation, the refinery was able to take on the heavier feed slate, which helped boost profit while also enabling more sustainable fuels production.

The article goes on to describe how the co-processing of bio-based feedstocks at the Energy Park resulted in a higher propylene yield, and the incremental biogenic propylene yield helped lower the carbon intensity compared to propylene produced from conventional feedstocks. According to Grace catalyst experts, this creates an opportunity for “green” propylene from the FCCU. The article details the additional challenge of oxygenate removal and available solutions to meet the polymer-grade specifications.

Learn more about low-carbon propylene and other FCCU optimizations from Grace that can maximize propylene yield while minimizing carbon emissions.