Lummus and Silleno Partner to Build Ethylene Unit in Kazakhstan’s First Polyethylene Plant

Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technology and value-driven energy solutions, announced that it has signed a contract with Silleno LLP for an ethylene unit that will form part of the first polyethylene plant to be built in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The plant is strategically located in the National Industrial Petrochemical Technology Park in the Atyrau region of Kazakhstan and will play a key role in the Kazakhstan economy by increasing GDP, creating jobs during the construction and operation phases, and generating other indirect business opportunities for the local economy.

"We are honored to be working with Silleno on such an important petrochemical project, which is a major investment and growth driver in the Republic of Kazakhstan," said Leon de Bruyn, President and CEO of Lummus Technology. "We have recently implemented several projects in Kazakhstan, so this collaboration will build on our experience and growth in the country. It also provides us with a unique opportunity to provide leading-edge technology to help advance Kazakhstan's energy and petrochemical industries."

Lummus' ethylene technology is essential for the production of polyethylene, a process that consists of two stages: 1) the conversion of ethane to ethylene; and 2) the production of polyethylene directly from ethylene.

Lummus' scope of work includes technology licensing, basic engineering and training for the new plant, which will convert ethane from the Tengiz field into 1.3 million tons of ethylene per year. The ethylene unit will also utilize Lummus' Short Residence Time (SRT®) heaters in conjunction with Lummus' olefin recovery systems. These heaters will optimize product yields, and the recovery system can reduce equipment by up to 25% compared to traditional systems, thereby improving energy efficiency, lowering capital costs and reducing CO2 emissions.

Lummus is the industry's leading light olefins technology provider, having received nearly 50% of new project awards since 2000 and has licensed more than 200 ethylene plants worldwide, representing approximately 45% of global ethylene capacity.