On September 15, 2026, Clariant, a sustainability-focused specialty chemicals company, today announced that it has signed a supply contract with Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical Co., Ltd. (ZPC) to provide CATOFIN™ catalyst and Heat Generating Material (HGM) for its new propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit.
With a designed annual capacity of 1.2 million metric tons, the unit will become the world’s largest licensed propane dehydrogenation unit upon completion. The propylene produced will be used to manufacture various high-value petrochemical derivatives.
CATOFIN technology is jointly offered by Clariant and Lummus Technology. Lummus provides process technology licensing, while Clariant produces and supplies the catalyst, creating an integrated solution. The technology has been continuously optimized for more than 60 years and is known for high operational stability and selectivity. Since 2017, it has been selected for more than 40 new PDH projects worldwide.
“This world’s largest PDH unit project is a milestone. ZPC’s selection of CATOFIN for this benchmark project fully demonstrates the outstanding performance and reliable stability our catalyst technology has shown in the industry,” said Jianji Wang, Global Vice President, Propylene Business, Clariant Catalysts.
“ZPC’s selection of Lummus Technology for its world’s largest propane dehydrogenation unit fully confirms the proven superior performance of CATOFIN technology and reflects the strong foundation of cooperation between our two companies,” said Romain Lemoine, Chief Commercial Officer, Lummus Technology.
It is understood that ZPC is progressing an upstream refinery expansion, which can provide additional propane feedstock supply for this PDH unit.
